a good sports agent movie with some schmaltz

Rating: 6/10 (15 January 2013)

I like Tom Cruise, he plays Tom Cruise really well, and this is no different. Jerry Maguire is a Sports Agent who after an epiphany of conscience sets up on his own. That's when Renee Zellweger brings the unlikely into the plot. Everything apart from Jerry's relationship with Dorothy in this film is plausible. Bonnie Hunt (always a good bet) plays the sensible sister whom Dorothy could listen to once in a while. Sure it plays out in true Hollywood fashion - yay - but I get angry at characters like Dorothy Boyd, annoying and silly. Tom is great, Jay Mohr (Sugar, the rival agent) plays sleaze so well, Cuba Gooding Jnr's flamboyant extrovert over-the-top manic is perfect for his role as Rod Tidwell and he really brings some crazy sanity to the other side of the plot which is the schmaltz of Jerry and Dorothy and corny dialogue. His relationship with Jerry is heartwarming, and the bromance between them is the real love interest of the film. Regina King is great as Mrs Tidwell, although I've only seen her play similar roles.
Jerry Maquire is rightly hailed as a modern classic film, and whilst I find the romance between Dorothy and Jerry a little ridiculous and far-fetched, it does make it appeal to a wider audience that would other wise be only sports fans. It makes the film cover more genres, makes it different to other sports-films by giving it a number of story threads. Whilst it is predictable and has a very Hollywood ending, you don't really mind as it rounds the package of this film off nicely and it wouldn't have worked so well any other way. Special mention in this film has to go to little Jonathan Lipnicki who plays Dorothy (Renee's) son Ray; he's as cute as a button and adds some rather natural acting for one so young (age 5) as the child who melts Jerry a little bit. Overall, a great movie you can watch over and over, and one of Tom's best roles.