So good that it destroyed careers

Rating: 9/10 (13 March 2003)

I just saw Jerry Maguire again for the first time since I saw it on the big screen back in 96. What a great flick! It was even better than I remembered it. What struck me was how great the three leads were: Cruise, Gooding, and Zellweger. Cruise has history. There was no way that he'd be defined by Maguire, but the other two were more newcomers -- at least to me. I can remember saying: watch Gooding and Zellweger, they're going places! But they never did. Not on to level I expected. Is it possible that Jerry Maguire set the bar so high for these two young actors that they could never again meet the audience's expectations?
This seems to be a problem for Zellweger in particular. I thought Nurse Betty was a fine movie. Bridget Jones less so. But they were both disappointing because Zellweger could not raise her performance to the level she did in Jerry Maguire. Same story with Cuba Gooding. Every time I see him in another movie I want him to SNAP OUT OF IT and start strutting around preaching about Quan.
The ending was awesome: Romantic conclusion followed by the comic wrap-up. I give it a 9/10.