A horrid film. As phoney as a rubber chicken!

Rating: Null/10 (3 April 1999)

This movie had so much potential. About the first 25 minutes of this film were classic. But what Hollywood had to do to make it `friendly' for the stupid audience ruined the whole movie.
The film focuses on a Sport's Agent, the title character (played by, who else?) who discovers that the players' well being is much better than money. In a very dramatic scene at a hospital, an injured player in bed is manipulated by Cruise to play again very soon. When the player's son tells him his dad is unfit, he does not care about the kid's feelings at all. The boy curses at him, flips him off, and runs out of the scene.
He then writes a short composition about his scrupulous beliefs, losing all his team members as a result. That's when the film revolves into an interesting character study to a sentimental and annoying romantic comedy (Remember the nervous breakdown scene in the office?) filled with stereotypes and syrupy dialogue. Oh gosh, a black sports' player, a white agent. What does that make you think? More annoyance is the fact this movie was nominated for 7 Oscar nominations, including Best Picture. My eyebrows lifted when I heard this was a work of Cameron Crowe (of `Fast Times at Ridgemont High' fame.) Renee Zelwegger is beautiful, and a great actress, and never should of been casted in this trite and predictable film.
Certainly not as bad as The English Patient in terms of Oscars, but it goes to show that 1996 was just a very bad year for movies.