Jerry Maguire — Watch it for the romance and be entertained by the antics

Rating: 7/10 (3 May 2013)

Jerry Maguire is now pop culture reference material. "You had me at Hello" and "You complete me" are some of the most commonly quoted movie phrase in North America. Underneath that is a romance born of unusual circumstances.
The good. Very interesting story with a unique setup. Well paced scenario. Excellent character psychology and interactions.
The actors. Tom Cruise goes all out, but his best scenes are the ones where he's calm. Cuba Gooding Jr. is just spot on as the self-centered athlete. And Renée Zellweger is at her cutest and most vulnerable as the lost single mother.
The bad. Acting exaggerations on the part of Cruise and Gooding. It's probably what made it popular in the first place, but watching it now, for the third time, it's unnerving. Also, the kid might have been cute the first time you see the flick, but he's really not a good child actor.
The ugly. Quarterback Troy Aikman shows once again that professional athlete can't act to save their lives. It's a good thing he's got only two lines.
The result. Very good entertainment for the romantics with a bit of sport thrown in the mix.