Jerry Maguire

Plot synopsis:
Jerry Maguire (Tom Cruise) is a glossy 35-year-old sports agent working for Sports Management International (SMI). After having a life-altering epiphany about his role as a sports agent, he writes a mission statement about perceived dishonesty in the sports management business and his desire to work with fewer clients so as to produce better quality. In turn, SMI management decides to send Bob Sugar (Jay Mohr), Jerry's protégé, to fire him. Jerry and Sugar call all of Jerry's clients to try convincing them not to hire the services of the other. Jerry speaks to Arizona Cardinals wide receiver Rod Tidwell (Cuba Gooding Jr.), one of his clients who is disgruntled with his contract. Rod tests Jerry's resolve through a very long telephone conversation while Sugar is able to convince the rest of Jerry's clients to stick with SMI instead. Leaving the office, Jerry announces that he will start his own agency and asks if anyone is willing to join him, to which only 26-year-old single mother Dorothy Boyd (Renée Zellweger) agrees. Meanwhile, Frank "Cush" Cushman (Jerry O'Connell), a superstar quarterback prospect who expects to be the number one pick in the NFL Draft, initially also stays with Jerry after he makes a visit to the Cushman home. However, Sugar is able to convince Cushman and his father to sign with SMI over Jerry the night before the draft. Cushman's father implies they decided to sign with Sugar over Jerry when they saw Jerry attending to Tidwell; an African-American player, versus his son (a white player).
After an argument, Jerry breaks up with his disgruntled fiancée Avery (Kelly Preston). He then turns to Dorothy, becoming closer to her young son, Ray (Jonathan Lipnicki), and eventually starts a relationship with her. Dorothy contemplates moving to San Diego as she has a secure job offer there, however she and Jerry agree to get married. Jerry concentrates all his efforts on Rod, now his only client, who turns out to be very difficult to satisfy. Over the next several months, the two direct harsh criticism towards each other with Rod claiming that Jerry is not trying hard enough to get him a contract while Jerry claims that Rod is not proving himself worthy of the money for which he asks. Meanwhile, Jerry's marriage with Dorothy gradually deteriorates and they eventually separate.
During a Monday Night Football game between the Cardinals and the Dallas Cowboys, Rod plays well but appears to receive a serious injury when catching a touchdown. He recovers, however, and dances for the wildly cheering crowd. Afterwards, Jerry and Rod embrace in front of other athletes and sports agents and show how their relationship has progressed from a strictly business one to a close personal one, which was one of the points Jerry made in his mission statement. Jerry then flies back home to meet Dorothy. He then speaks for several minutes, telling her that he loves her and wants her in his life, which she accepts. Rod later appears on Roy Firestone's sports show. Unbeknownst to him, Jerry has secured him an $11.2 million contract with the Cardinals allowing him to finish his pro football career in Arizona. The visibly emotional Rod proceeds to thank everyone and extends warm gratitude to Jerry. Jerry speaks with several other pro athletes, some of whom have read his earlier mission statement and respect his work with Rod.
The movie ends with Ray throwing a baseball up in the air surprising Jerry. Jerry then discusses Ray's possible future career in the sports industry with Dorothy.

Tags: comedy, humor, romantic

Review:
Thus, next to an engaging drama and a magnificent comedy it is a fine character study.'Jerry McGuire' may also be one of Cruise's career best movies.
Child actors are very hard to direct but Lipnicki's performance comes across as very natural and he acts like a real child instead of those irritating oh-look-I'm-so-cute child models.The soundtrack too deserves mention as it features some amazing numbers.
Now, Maguire has retained only Tidwell, and he must create his new agency from the ground up with only a single client as his starting point.So the question asked of the movie is: Can a sports agent find a more meaningful, possibly spiritual, life and still acquire the high-paying clientèle?
"Jerry Maguire" is a thoroughly entertaining riches-to-rags-to-transcendence story of a fantasy sports agent trying to find a deeper purpose to an otherwise materialistic existence.The film works at almost all levels, particularly because of the dynamism of Tom Cruise and Cuba Gooding Jr. in an Academy Award-winning performance, playing the only client willing to stay with Maguire.
It's the territory writer/director Cameron Crowe explores in `Jerry Maguire,' the hit 1996 film that landed him an Oscar nomination for Best Original Screenplay, a Best Actor nomination for star Tom Cruise, and captured the award for Best Supporting Actor for Cuba Gooding Jr. Jerry Maguire (Cruise) is a high-powered sports agent for a huge agency, handling a portfolio filled with high profile sports figures.
Tom Cruise was the perfect choice to play Jerry; he has the look, the energy and the talent to get inside this guy's skin and make him tick, and he successfully channels his natural exuberance into his character, tempering his performance just enough to make it really work.
As Rod Tidwell, the pro football player/client who sticks by Jerry and insists that he `Show me the money!' Gooding equals, if not surpasses Cruise's level of enthusiasm with a vibrant and rich portrayal that makes Rod one of his most memorable characters.
When Jerry Maguire, a sports agent, (played by Oscar-nominated Tom Cruise) has a breakthrough one night he realizes that quality is more important than quantity.
The characters, their emotions, the story, The whole is absolutely amazing.Tom Cruise gave an excellent performance as the sports agent with a heart.
Don't get me wrong, Tom Hanks is an excellent actor, but to play an ambitious and arrogant sports manager (what Jerry Maguire was at the beginning of the movie), you need to have Tom Cruise's face.
But it is the relationship between Cruise's Maguire and Oscar winning Cuba Gooding Jr's Rod Tidwell that is the film's real selling point.
Tom Cruise had one of his best roles and earned his second Oscar Nomination for Best Actor for his charismatic JERRY MAGUIRE, a richly entertaining comedy drama that is a seamless blend of character study and romantic comedy.
Cuba Gooding Jr. won a Best Supporting Actor Oscar for his star-making performance as Rod Tidwell, Jerry's most loyal client; Renee Zelwegger was the find of the year as Dorothy Boyd, the secretary from the agency who follows Jerry when he's fired and agrees to work for him and eventually falls for him; Bonnie Hunt scores as Dorothy's sister as does Kelly Preston, in one of her best performances as Jerry's shark of an ex-fiancée.
But if handled right they will prove to be worth the trouble.Jerry Maguire is played by Tom Cruise, and he gives one of his best performance.
A huge hit for all involved upon release in 1996 (where does 20 years go?), for some reason I've never shown Jerry Maguire "my money" and watched it in its entirety, despite it being the film that spawned an endless count of imitators trying to redo instantly classic scenes or launched the careers of Renee Zellweger and the Oscar winning Cuba Gooding Jr.Before he went on to make the other instantly recognisable and well-regarded Almost Famous, director Cameron Crowe combined his skills as a writer and a feel-good director to give us this insight into sports agent with heart Jerry Maguire and his fight against the odds to keep his head above water but while the film masquerades under this disguise Crowe's film is quite simply a Hollywood romance between Tom Cruise's Maguire and Zellweger's caring single mom Dorothy Boyd, whose young child Ray (played by Stuart Little's very own brother Jonathan Lipnicki) just about steals the show.Lathered in Hollywood schmaltz and filled with a loud American bravado thanks to Cruise and Gooding Jr's turns, it's hard to know how Crowe's film would be received had it been released in today's climate but as with many 90's rom-coms you go in expecting things to be more fanciful and over the top than we've come to expect from the modern age's more realistic ventures and it would take a viewer with a heart of stone to walk away from watching this uplifting tale not feeling some of those good vibrations that Crowe has largely failed to recapture in his career since (just look at Aloha).Finding himself completely entangled in this feel good romance is it's star Tom Cruise who delivers arguably one of his most likable and complete turns as the driven yet always appealing Maguire.If there was ever questions as to why Cruise was and still is one of the world's most bankable and relatable on screen persona's, it's likely that Jerry Maguire would answer them in one clean sweep.Showcasing an energy, likability and delivery of important scenes that very few actors could dare to muster up, Cruise is without a doubt the quintessential Maguire, that person than can make anyone drink their Kool-Aid and in almost every scene of a movie that runs over 2 hours, Maguire ends up giving Cruise one of his most rounded and memorable acting gigs which is no small feat in a career filled to the brim with lasting classics.Not everything works within the film however.
Some scenes fall flat and Gooding Jr's Oscar winning turn is hard to support when watched under current conditions, all yelling and hyperactivity, it's not exactly the type of performance that you'd call the "year's best" although those feel good vibes and the films overall success no doubt influenced many who were under the spell of Crowe and his audience appeasing venture.A fun, smile inducing film that's influence can't be underestimated, Jerry Maguire is over the top and filled with Hollywoodized moments, plus it's fair share of over the top scenarios and performance but with Crowe in the best form of his career as a filmmaker and Cruise on peak likability mode, Jerry Maguire is a film worthy of its reputation even if it's not quite the classic some would label it to be and absolutely a product of its time.3 ½ memo's out of 5.
I suffered through three hours of seeing Renée Zellweger (very talented actress, this was the first time I saw her) say that Tom Cruise's character was such a great guy for actually saying he should spend time on his sports athlete clients.
From here on, Jerry's life is like a bad makeover show.Women - did you actually fall for this "romance?" Renee Zellweger on a plane trying to catch an eyeful of Tom Cruise while (I daresay BECAUSE) she has to get a barfbag for her "scene-stealing" cheeseball version of a son.
Like Gooding, she gave us a memorable line: "You had me at hello." Johnathon Lipnicki is great as her son, who bonds with Jerry instantly, but is confused by his behavior.Then there's Tom Cruise.
One might argue JERRY MAGUIRE is the film where Tom Cruise's Hollywood golden-boy charisma is in his highest voltage, and his effort is incontrovertibly contagious, ever so remarkable he devotes himself entirely to a character which is quite self-referential in a manner (riding a money- seeking business, deviled by commitment issue, cannot deal with being alone), sheds self- consciousness and flexes his muscles to bring forth exigency, compassion and warmth, in company with a honest-to-goodness romance playing off against a self-abasing Renée Zellweger, who also punches above her weight in a conventional ugly-duckling role but spiffed up with a strong sense of dignity and sensibility, she knows when to waive what doesn't worthy of her even it is what she really wants, that is in my humble opinion, the most valuable takeaway of the whole movie.
Jerry MaGuire is often considered a cinematic catastrophe by the British  and it's all because the British have no idea how to connect with their souls.This is why we are famous for disparaging our great people (until they are dead of course), because we are a gutless nation with no zeal for life and the things that make our existence so special.America is the greatest country in the world, and I think it has everything to do with the fact that their people are generally the most affable, genuine, happy, good-natured, passionate, people on the planet.
However, a drunk SYSB is already beyond him, and giving him the part of a SYSB - turned - caring - new - man, as in this movie, is almost cruel.OK, Cuba Gooding Jr.'s acting is outstanding and genuinely funny (he got an Oscar for Best Supporting Actor), and Bonnie Hunt as Dorothy's "disapproving older sister" minimises the damage done by Cruise and Zellweger somewhat.
Cuba Gooding plays just such a character but Tom Cruise is the star of this movie which did pretty well at the box office.
You wouldn't think a film about a sports agent would be this successful.THE GOOD - Generally nice people that you want to root for, especially the kid, "Ray Boyd," played by Jonathan Lipnicki, That was this child's first film and he went on to further fame in the Stuart Little movies and now on television.
Tom Cruise, before his chin implant, is "Jerry Maguire" in this 1996 film also starring Renee Zellweger, Cuba Gooding Jr., Jay Mohr and Bonnie Hunt.
It's all well and good to stroll through life with a healthy air of scepticism, but despite some peoples' views on these supposedly 'manipulative' romantic films, there are an elite few that really do have things to say based on something more noble than ticket sales - things that are actually worth listening to.Jerry Maguire is one of these rare beasts.
It's all well and good to stroll through life with a healthy air of scepticism, but despite some peoples' views on these supposedly 'manipulative' romantic films, there are an elite few that really do have things to say based on something more noble than ticket sales - things that are actually worth listening to.Jerry Maguire is one of these rare beasts.
I'm not naive enough to think that anything making it big in the film industry these days can be purely a labour of love, but Jerry Maguire at least comes close.It's refreshing to see Tom Cruise demonstrate that, against all odds, he can act his heart out when given the right role, as can Cuba Gooding Jr.
I'm not naive enough to think that anything making it big in the film industry these days can be purely a labour of love, but Jerry Maguire at least comes close.It's refreshing to see Tom Cruise demonstrate that, against all odds, he can act his heart out when given the right role, as can Cuba Gooding Jr.
Jerry Maguire is a good movie with a good storyline,some very funny scenes,and good cast and some very memorable lines that are still being said today,such as "show me the money!" and of course "you had me at hello".The cast was fairly good,I thought Tom Cruise,Cuba Gooding Jr,Kelly Preston,Bonnie Hunt,among others played there roles well,even the very well known child star Jonathan Lipnicki.However I do not like Renee Zellweger,I'm scene many films with her,where shes with a very talented cast,but I think shes a horrible actor,she doesn't seem to get in to her roles,all her characters are just Renee Zellweger,and if I was a director,I wouldn't be casting her for any role in my movies.A sports agent,Jerry Maguire (Tom Cruise) is fired for expressing his true feelings.However one athlete,Rod Tidwell (Cuba Gooding Jr) stays with him.Meanwhile,Jerry feels he has found true love in Dorothy Boyd (Renee Zellweger)..
Gooding Jr's Oscar-winning performance is delightful, but characters like (the perfect) Bonnie Hunt as Zellweger's "disapproving" sister or Jay Mohr as a scum-bucket agent bring out the natural charm and joy in Crowe's script and stop Cruise and Zellweger from turning the picture into just another romance.What really sets Jerry Maguire apart however is the focus that a successful marriage depends on both husband and wife giving themselves over to each other completely.
You know that in spite of all the things that get thrown at him, he is a good person, and while he may have approached things the wrong way, his heart's in the right place, and it is inspired casting by Cameron Crowe and his team to get Tom in this role.The rest of the cast fill out their rolls superbly well, and Renee Zellwegger, Bonnie Hunt, Jay Mohr and Jonathan Lipnicki (Apologies for spelling folks) all are great in the rolls as assistant, assistant's sister, rival agent and assistant's son.
It's the complete text of the title character's controversial "Mission Statement", invested by writer-director Cameron Crowe with the same passion, humor, and character-consciousness that drove his Rolling Stone profiles and script for "Fast Times At Ridgemont High".The movie is pretty good, too.Jerry Maguire (Tom Cruise) is a high-flying agent about to sign the most-prized NFL recruit in the country when a crisis of conscience forces him to write and distribute the aforementioned mission statement.
In that way, "Jerry Maguire" satisfies.What grates about this movie, and more with other Crowe films like "Almost Famous", is the way people speak to each other in the form of taglines rather than actual human speech.
I had no connection at all with any of the main characters or their situations, I mean I could care less about the contractual expectations of US sports stars and as for the somewhat forced romance of Tom Cruise's maverick sports agent and his acolyte Renee Zelwegger and her, shall I say, "professorial" five year old kid, (I'm being kind, I almost thought a grown-up actor was playing the role, so un-child-like was the boy's performance, never mind the dialogue he's given to speak).And no, I didn't like Cuba Gooding's over-the-top performance as Cruise's only remaining client after he alienates his former employer and co-workers with a mass-circulated touchy-feely "mission statement" to cleanse his conscience and soul.
You expect a punchy, cynical movie about sports and a behind the scenes look at a sports agent job through Jerry Maguire, and ultimately you end up enduring an extremely conventional and corny rom-com.This love story occupies a huge place in the script and you wonder why because it is boring to death and so melodramatic that it becomes cringe-worthy.The part related to sports is almost anecdotal, overshadowed by this boring love plot, and it's quite difficult to understand why Cameron Crowe didn't chose to focus on football since it augured good things especially thanks to Rod, the exuberant Cardinals wide receiver, embodied by the excellent Cuba Gooding Jr., only satisfaction of this insipid and overly long movie..
Tom Cruise had a good year in 1996 showing everyone the money by starring in two of the top four grossing films of the year ("Jerry Maguire", $153M; and "Mission: Impossible", $180M).
Of the two, "Jerry Maguire" was clearly the better film, garnering five Oscar nominations and winning a best supporting Oscar for Cuba Gooding, Jr.It is the story of a sports agent who falls from grace with his agency because he develops scruples and has the bad judgment to share his newfound principles with his firm.
The combination of the high-pressure world of sports representation, a whacked-out client and a charming love affair makes for an engaging tale with something for just about everyone.Tom Cruise shines as Jerry Maguire.
Fairly entertaining sports film that works best when it's focused on Tom Cruise's at-loose-ends agent and his client, played by Cuba Gooding, Jr. But the film crashes and burns when it becomes about the love story between Cruise and Renee Zellweger's character.
"Show me the money!" Jerry Maguire (Tom Cruise) is a successful sports manager who makes a fatal mistake and writes a memo which causes his big problems.After getting fired at a local restaurant Maguire's life becomes a struggle.
Dorothy Boyd (Renée Zellweger who's role made her famous) is a widow and a single mother of an adorable boy Ray (John Lipnicki) who is loyal to his new boss despite the fact he could not provide a great deal of personal benefits to his secretary.Jerry Maguire loses all his clients except a footballer Rod Tidwell (amazing and energetic Cuba Gooding Jr.) who wants to make profitable contract with the Football league.
Arguably, a bit too much and yet, there are some really touching scenes late in the film between Cruise and Zellweger, like it almost makes up for a sluggish middle.Jerry Maguire, not without flaws, is what used to be a quality example of a popular and massive Hollywood hit in the mid 1990s.
He pens a moving memo but is fired by the seniors because of it, which leads him to start his own sports agency with just one star- a not so great throwback played sumptuously by Cuba Gooding Jr. For anyone who has forgotten the feelings that a wonderful movie can trigger, Jerry Maguire provides a welcome reminder.
Jerry Mcguire is a great drama comedy with a good performance by Tom Cruise and some excellent acting by Renee Zellwegger, young Jonathan Lipnicki, Bonnie Hunt and especially Cuba Gooding Jr. who won a best supporting academy award for this role.
Cameron Crowe's "Jerry Maguire" is my favourite film of all time.
A Great film, Tom Cruises best performance yet.
Oh and did I forget, Tom Cruise was also incredible in this movie as you know Jerry Maguire.