Corny, contrived, shrill.

Rating: 5/10 (21 September 2005)

This movie is about two guys, both of whom are on the fringes of their respective professions, neither of whom are particularly liked, both of whom who are angry and disillusioned, who transcend their racial differences to form a bond of friendship. This movie strives to achieve greatness, and fails. If it wasn't for Tom Cruise, this movie would have been entirely unwatchable. Just another pretentious movie.
Ever watch a movie the first time and like it, then, some time later, watch the same movie a second time, and not like it? Well if that's happened to you, then you will understand where I'm coming from. After watching this movie the first time, I was really impressed with the story and with the acting, and overlooked some major annoyances in the story. But while watching this movie a second time, the annoyances and contrivances were so glaring that they could not be ignored. The relationship between Jerry and his co-worker ... no, his secretary ... no, his girlfriend ... no, his partner ... or whatever, was so awful that it made me cringe in embarrassment; nor was the girlfriend particularly attractive or smart. What was worse was the girlfriend's son, whose role was played by an actor who has to be one of the most bizarre-looking and bizarre-acting child actors ever in the history of Hollywood. This kid made Spanky and Alfalfa seem as normal as apple pie. Then there was Jerry Maguire himself. Who in their right mind would want to have anything to do with a loser like Jerry Maguire? Yet the director apparently wants the audience to believe that Jerry is really a good guy, even after getting punched on the nose and kicked in the stomach by his fiancé, who couldn't take Jerry's erratic behavior anymore. Not exactly the stuff for an entertaining movie. The one character I did like in the this movie, however, was Jerry's one and only client, an angry football player who, unlike Jerry, had reason to be angry and who demands that Jerry get his act together, do his job and show him the money. Yet the relationship between Jerry and his client is so contorted, contrived and improbable that even allowing for literary license, it's hard to buy (get the pun?), even for a movie. After watching this movie for a second time, my advice for any would-be professional athlete is to avoid a Jerry Maguire and represent yourself instead --- you'll get a better deal.