Still one of the most enjoyable Cruise films ever, shot Zellweger to stardom, too

Rating: 9/10 (27 August 2013)

Jerry Maguire (Tom Cruise) is a hotshot sports agent. As such, he wants to get the fattest contracts for his clients because his own salary depends on it. He has a type A girlfriend, Avery (Kelly Preston) and a seemingly great life. But, one day, he has an epiphany. Jerry has seen the tears in the eyes of the children who wonder why Mr. Maguire is still talking money when their father or mother is gravely injured and probably shouldn't play again. Therefore, Jerry pens an open letter to his fellow agents at their huge firm, asking them to follow their hearts and not just the dollar signs. Although everyone initially claps Jer on the back, he is soon dumped. The executioner" (Jay Mohr), a more senior agent, does it in a crowded restaurant where he also announces his plans to "takeover" everyone of Maguire's clients. All too soon it happens. Jerry retains only one athlete, Rod (Cuba Gooding, Jr.), an iffy client due to injuries. Cleaning out his desk, Jerry bravely tells the entire office he is opening his own agency and asks someone, anyone to go with him. Only one does. That would be Dorothy Boyd (Renee Zellweger), a single mother of one darling son, Ray (Jonathan Lipnicki), who admired greatly the stance he took in his open letter. Yet, for both Jerry and Dorothy, the whole start-up biz is an extreme risk, with only one sure client. Meanwhile, Avery dumps her fiancÃ© on his ear when he loses the chance to represent a rookie NFL quarterback. Truth is, Jerry's old agency told a bunch of lies to steal this young man away. To complicate matters more, Jerry asks Dorothy out on a date, which goes well. Can romance and infant businesses make a good mix? Will Maguire, who stuck his head out for something good, now have it chopped off in the cruel world of capitalism? This is without a doubt Cruise's most enjoyable flick. Even folks who think they don't care for him will enjoy this one. It doesn't hurt, of course, to have sidekicks in Zellweger, Gooding, Jr., Bonnie Hunt, Mohr, Preston and the darling Lipnicki. Then, too, Cameron Crowe, who wrote and directed this gem, deserves lots of praise as well. To complete the movie's success are great costumes, sets, and photography. Come on, folks, re-runs of The Big Valley are nice but why not snag this film instead if you've never had the pleasure of it?