Affirmation

Rating: Null/10 (24 January 2004)

This is a movie about the repudiation of cynicism and the affirmation of love. The fact that this message resonates on both the personal and professional levels for each of the main characters, is testimony to a brilliant script, inspired casting and the commitment of every player to this story. Tom Cruise's character, Jerry Maguire, had a personal epiphany. He paid a huge price for it....but gained everything back, and more, because of his innate integrity.
His character both learned lessons and taught lessons, as did Cuba Gooding's Oscar winning character, Rod Tidwell. Jerry and Rod needed each other for opposite reasons, and their respective mates (Renee Zellweger and Regina King) played enormous roles in both men's individual awakening to the big picture. I left the film believing they were such transcendent forces in one anothers' lives that they'd all be friends forever and a day. And it started with Jerry Maguire's personal choice to be a better man.
So sorry if the cynics find that message worthy of ridicule. The world I actually want to live in looks like the world championed by this film.