JERRY MAGUIRE (PG-13)
Director: Cameron Crowe
Stars: Tom Cruise, Cuba Gooding Jr., Renee Zellweger, Bonnie Hunt,
Jonathan Lipnicki, Regina King, Kelly Preston, Jay Mohr, Glenn Frey, Jerry O'Connell, Todd Louiso, Eric Stoltz
Running Time: 138 minutes.
Tom Cruise has already proved that he can act, with solid performances in films such as Born On The Fourth Of July and A
Few Good Men, when he more than held his own against the dynamic Jack Nicholson in full flight. In his latest film, the
romantic comedy Jerry Maguire, Cruise delivers one of the best performances of his career as a high powered and successful
sports agent who falls from grace and has to rebuild his life and reputation.
Jerry is a sports agent who represents some of the best and richest sports men in America, but after an attack of conscience he
tires of his image as a "shark in a suit", and circulates an impassioned memo in which he details how he and his colleagues
should devote more personal attention to their clients and stop worrying so much about the money. Such a radical plan doesn't
go down too well, and Jerry is promptly fired from the company he helped establish. The corporate jungle has no place for
idealism or integrity! After several years at the top of his cut throat profession, Jerry now finds himself at the bottom of the
corporate ladder, forced to fight his way up again, and along the way he rediscovers his essential humanity and learns about
some of the more important values in life. It's a role seemingly written with Cruise in mind and he offers us a rich, subtly
textured and more human variation of his usual cocky, smooth talking, hot shot hustler.
When all his former clients quickly abandon him for his back-stabbing colleague Bob Sugar (comedian Jay Mohr), Jerry finds
himself left representing only one client - fading football star Rod Tidwell (Cuba Gooding jr), who is desperately aware that he
has only a couple of years left in him at the professional level. However, Tidwell's arrogance and attitude have prevented him
from making it to the big time in the money earning stakes, and his demand of "Show me the money" becomes something of a
catch cry for the cynical and shallow ethos of the late '90's.
Writer/director Cameron Crowe (Say Anything, Singles, etc) explores some searching ideas about business ethics, the nature
of love and commitment, and the shallow and mercenary nature of our modern way of life without becoming too didactic or
preachy, and he suffuses this contemporary comedy with a warmth, honesty and optimism that is wonderfully touching and
refreshing. Crowe, a former Rolling Stone journalist, is passionate about his material, and it shows in the credible and three
dimensional characters he has created, who are fleshed out perfectly by a marvellous and enthusiastic cast.
Cruise is excellent here and taps into emotions and a vulnerability that he has rarely displayed on the screen before. Full of a
nervous and desperate energy as Jerry hangs by a thread while trying to re-establish his life, Cruise still imbues his performance
with many of those typical mannerisms - the sexy smile, the finger pointing - that we have come to expect. Still this is a flashy
performance that ranks as one of his best, and he should give Geoffrey Rush a run for his money at the Oscars.
The supporting cast are all excellent. Gooding, who has always been a solid scene stealing performer, is marvellous here and
makes the most of his screen time, bringing energy and earthy humour to his role. Renee Zellweger provides strong support as
Dorothy Boyd, the former accountant and single mother who follows Maguire as he tries to re-establish himself and slowly falls
in love with him. Bonnie Hunt (Jumanji, etc) is also good as her initially disapproving yet sympathetic and supportive sister
Laurel; Kelly Preston is perfectly bitchy as, the successful and beautiful Avery Bishop, Jerry's voracious and ultimately shallow
fiancee; while young new comer Jonathan Lipnicki is utterly charming and disarmingly natural as Dorothy's precocious six year
old son Ray, and he brings some humour and a touch of sentimentality to the material. A number of sports stars and
broadcasters appear in small cameo roles, adding authenticity to the sports background. Jerry Maguire is wonderful stuff!