Harmless fluff.

Rating: 5/10 (7 March 1999)

It's hard not to like Jerry Maguire, because it's one of the few romantic comedies that I've seen lately that manages to stay sweet without pushing it and becoming contrived and saccharine. Tom Cruise tones down the overacting for once, and Renee Zellweger, Cuba Gooding Jr, and Jonathan Lipnicki are all as charming as they come.
But that said, the movie is hardly the cinematic masterpiece it's been made out to be. It certainly has a fair amount of substance in its treatment of the theme of moral growth, but it's nothing to write home about technically, and, while it may be cute, the plot in general is nothing we haven't seen before and doesn't offer any real ingenuity.
But it is certainly worth spending a couple of dollars, since it is a particularly good example of its genre and has a genuine feel-good quality. Just don't expect anything too exceptional.