Written by: Cameron Crowe
Starring: Tom Cruise, Cuba Gooding Jr., Renée Zellweger, Kelly Preston, Regina King, Jerry O’Connell
Rating: [3.5/5]
Personal relationships and the business world mixing typically does not fare well, which has prompted various lines like “it’s not personal, it’s business” where interests in profit get made without the clouding of relationships get in the way. This line of thinking typically leads to success but perhaps not the fulfillment an individual would like as seen in the character progressions of Jerry Maguire as it posits the importance of connection above all else in a world devoid of it.
Sports agent, Jerry Maguire (Tom Cruise) has found plenty of success working for his agency with several of high-profile clients. When he has a life-changing epiphany, he decides to alter his approach and focus on working with fewer clients and build better relationships with him causing his agency to oust him. Now starting his own agency, he has one remaining client in wide receiver Rod Tidwell (Cuba Gooding Jr.), who proves to be quite the handful.
When thinking about Jerry Maguire, the main element that stands out with its legacy in time comes from its quotes. Those such as “You had me at hello” and “Show me the money,” which punctuate the two sides of the coin of what this narrative navigates. It operates as a story about a sports agent trying to do right by his singular client but also a love story between Jerry and single mother Dorothy (Renée Zellweger). Two threads running concurrently with one another and each of them receive a beautiful and comedic in-depth exploration that makes this film special and one of Tom Cruise’s best performances.
On the professional side, Jerry and Rod find themselves in somewhat similar positions where no one else will have them and therefore they depend on each other. Rod wants to get his final big contract from the Arizona Cardinals so he can retire with the team, and Jerry wants to kickstart his independent agency while also taking care of Rod’s family. This dynamic really displays the thesis of what Jerry wants to accomplish with his new outlook on life but also gives the audience insight to what it means for these football players to get these contracts. We see throughout the film the physical toll this sport takes on these athletes and the ease in which fans refuse to acknowledge their humanity simply because they make millions. Rod humanizes being an athlete as more than just a body with a contract but someone who cares for the ones he loves. Sports fans can certainly lose sight of that when these athletes get involved in contract disputes.
Then on the other hand we have the romance between Jerry and Dorothy and the connection the former makes with the latter’s son, Ray (Jonathan Lipnicki) Jerry through his relationship with Dorothy grows a fatherly bond with the young child. It builds something beautiful between the trio as Jerry has the potential to step in and be that father figure for the lad but the relationship with Dorothy faces its ups and downs because of their financial situation. With Jerry going out on his own, it means no more steady revenue and with Dorothy following him in those pursuits that means they are both wholly dependent on getting Rod this deal until they land more clients. This causes issues between them that interferes with their happiness like with many American families and their overcoming of this remains paramount.
Filled with moments that will make audiences pump their fists, a great cast that includes so many heavy hitters, and boasting Cameron Crowe’s perhaps finest screenplay, Jerry Maguire has maintained a lasting legacy for good reason. It contains many moments of joy and triumph, showing the unglamorous side of the sports world where we’re not dealing with the biggest contracts but rather the league veteran trying to obtain his last payday. We also have the sports agent who wants to risk it all by going out on his own. This feature maintains a scrappiness in its approach, allowing each of these actors to go out there and present something meaningful in their portrayals and we all benefit because of it. Cruise, Gooding Jr., Zellweger, and King all just knock it out of the park as each of these performances sit near the top of their greatest hits.
Films with Josh 
