Jerry Maguire - Review

I think that out of all the Tom Cruise films I have seen, this is my favorite performance of his. Now, as of the time that I am writing this, I haven't seen Born on the Fourth July or Magnolia yet, but here, I see Tom Cruise as an actor in a story rather than Tom Cruise going on his many adventures playing Tom Cruise. There is a moment where Jerry Maguire (the character, not the movie) is fired from a job and you see Tom Cruise dive into the Nicholas Cage realm of acting and you know what, I dug it. During the scene, Cruise plays it pretty calm in the smooth Tom Cruise kind of way, but you can tell that his character is one interruption away from losing it. For little brief moments, those little crazy moments slip out and it's great.

As for the story, Jerry Maguire is a sports agent who has a sudden change of heart when it comes to the way that he conducts his business. His world has become so wrapped up in money, contracts, endorsement deals, etc. that it has alienated the actual players and clients of his and their humanity. It doesn't matter that a player might be suffering from multiple concussions and may end up having permanent brain damage, as long as they are back out on the field for Friday where they can get that new endorsement deal from Old Spice, Chevrolet, Coca-Cola, etc. From there, Jerry Maguire gets fired from his job and starts up his own sports agency along with one of his accountants, Dorothy played by Renee Zellweger. Along with his only client Rod Tidwell, Jerry Maguire and Rod Tidwell learn that money isn't always everything in life. It's about passion, love, and the human spirit.

So with a movie like this, it can either be a delight to watch, or it can be a real snooze-fest. You could get a film that actually lifts your spirits and allows you to slightly regain hope for humanity, or you could get a film that is just downright pretentious. Luckily, this movie stars Tom Cruise and no matter what movie he is in, no matter how good or bad it is, he just sucks you in. His chemistry with both Renee Zellweger and Cuba Gooding Jr. are what really hold the movie up and the reason why people still talk about this movie today. Renee Zellweger is just so sweet and innocent that you can't help but feel for her and want her to find love again. She also has an adorable kid played by Jonathan Lipnicki who is great alongside Tom Cruise. Cuba Gooding Jr....what happened to you man. Like Cruise, Cuba Gooding Jr. has this oozing charisma that is prevalent in every scene he is in. And yes, the "show me the money" scene is wonderful. You want to jump out of your seat and onto your couch (Tom Cruise Style) and yell it with him.

So not only does this film have great characters, a story that we can all relate to in some aspect (do something because you love it, not because of how much money you get from doing it) and some great funny moments, but this film also gives us a love story that I think is actually very well done. Tom Cruise and Renee Zellweger have this bond between them that you can see sense in their eye contact and body language and they really do make a great couple. So whether alone on a rainy Sunday afternoon, together with your family, or on a date, Jerry Maguire is a solid choice for your next movie night!