’’I will not rest until I have you holding a Coke, wearing your own shoe, playing a Sega game featuring you, while singing your song in a new commercial starring you broadcast during the Superbowl in a game that you are winning and I will not sleep until that happens. Give me fifteen minutes and call me back! ’’
’’ Mr. Maguire... this is his fourth concussion. Shouldn’t somebody get him to stop?
Hey, hey... it would take a tank to stop your dad. It would take all five Super Trooper VR Warriors to stop your dad. Right? Right?
f#*^ you. ’’
The movies starts with a hockey player, in bed with concussions. His child asks his agent Jerry Maguire (Tom Cruise) to stop him from playing. Jerry says he should not and receives a f#*^ you from the 10 yr old to spurt in himself a conscience.
’’What had I become? Another shark in a suit? ’’
As the movie opens, super sports agent Jerry Maguire is facing a crisis of conscience. He wonders what he has become -- ’’Just another shark in a suit?’’ He realizes that he hates himself and his place in the world, and laments that, although he has a lot to say, no one will listen. So, late one night, he writes a Mission Statement called ’’The Things We Think and Do Not Say: The Future of Our Business’’. The essay attacks the sports agency business, advocating a more humane approach. The next day, a copy is distributed to everyone in the office. And, although Jerry’s co- workers applaud his courage (’’Somebody finally said what had to be said’’), his bosses are offended, and he loses his job.
His superstars clients all select to go against him <or rather with Sports Management International SMI - the organisation full of sharks>.
The only player (Cuba Gooding Jr) who sticks with him is a black football player with lots of attitude.
Cuba Gooding Jr., invests Rod with a remarkable level of energy and enthusiasm. And, although his favorite phrase is ’’Show me the money!’’, we recognize quickly that a love of family, not greed, is what motivates this athlete.
Rods wife (Regina King) is wonderful as Rod’s fanatically supportive wife. With a standout performance, she transforms what could have been an minor role into something noteworthy.
The movie is about how this sports agent takes his one client and goes all the way. Its about relationships.
’’We’re treating people. There is something called manners. ’’
Then there’s Renee Zellweger, who will undoubtedly receive raves for her portrayal of Dorothy, a determined woman following her own vision of the yellow brick road.
Zellweger displays an appealing blend of strength and vulnerability, and her chemistry with Cruise is nearly perfect. Their first romantic scene is charged with a playful, but undeniable, eroticism. If there’s one downside to the actress’ appearance in Jerry Maguire, it’s that she’s not on screen enough. And, even if Jerry isn’t immediately smitten, I was. She just looks stunningly cute.
However, Jerry must overcome his inability to express intimacy. Dorothy and Jerry are very loyal to each other and share the same ideals, and Jerry believes that it is enough to sustain their relationship. However, he soon learns that it is not enough-- and he wrestles with his inability to distinguish between loyalty and love.
’’Jerry, lets not play games with each other.’’
Cuba Gooding Jr won the best supporting actor OSCAR for his performance in this movie. The acting all round was superb but the scene stealer of the movie was JONATHON LIPNICKI who played RAY BOYD, DOROTHY’S young son.
All in all, if you missed ’’Jerry Maguire’’ in the theaters, you can now catch it on video. Not only has Crowe created a ’chick’ movie that appealed to men (through the use of sports as subject matter and the cameos by sport personalities), but he has also created the kind of film that makes you want to call someone up to talk about what you’ve just seen (or in this case, write a review).