Movie Review of Jerry Maguire

If you want to take a break from the frigid air of a Montreal

winter, go
to see Jerry Maguire; it will be sure to warm your heart. If you're
like me,
you're a little tired of going to see big name stars in overly hyped,
big time
busts. Combine that with the fact that sports movies are rarely
impressive,
(Necessary Roughness?!? The Program?!?) and I have to say that my hopes
were not
too high for this movie. Let me tell you, I was pleasantly surprised.
The title character, played by Tom Cruise, is a sports agent at
the top
of his business, and at the bottom of humanity. He works for Sports
Management
International as a ruthless devil procuring the largest contracts and
endorsement deals he can muster, at the expense of personal well-being
and old-
fashioned love of the game. The movie begins when one night, in a fit
of passion,
he has a revelation and writes a mission statement about how the
business can be
altered to include humanity. His plan focuses on reducing the number of
clients
to produce higher quality relationships with them. He then distributes
it to all
his colleagues before realizing what a big mistake he made. His boss
fires him
promptly. Only one client out of his previous 72, Arizona Cardinals wide
reciever Rod Tidwell (Cuba Gooding Jr.), remains faithful. Ironically
enough,
his only concern is money. Only one former colleague, Dorothy Boyd
(Renee
Zellweger), joins Jerry when he forms a new company. His memo inspired
her. Her
five-year-old son, Ray (Jonathan Lipnicki), develops a huge crush on
Jerry and
is the deciding factor in convincing Jerry to marry Dorothy on impulse
after he
breaks up with his fiance, Avery (Kelly Preston). The movie tracks the
trials of
his relationship with Dorothy, and Rod's ascent to stardom.
Jerry is not a typical role for Tom Cruise. He's accustomed to
playing,
and we're used to seeing him in, macho, heroic type roles, (Mission
Impossible,
A Few Good Men, Days of Thunder etc. . .). In this movie he plays a
loser, and I
would call it his best performance yet. He really has to do some
serious acting,
and he renders his part brilliantly.
Another huge surprise in this movie was newcomer Renee
Zellweger. Part
of her succcess in this movie, is rooted in her relative anonymity. Had
her
character been played by a big name actress, like a Gweneth Paltrow or
Sara
Jessica Parker, the movie wouldn't have been the same. She is perfectly
suited
to the struggling, single mother role that she plays. In addition, she
carries
off the love scenes that Cruise seems to have a little trouble with.
I can't say enough about Cuba Gooding Jr. I first spotted him in
Outbreak, and his performance in Jerry Maguire has furthered my
contention that
this guy is destined for stardom. He brings life, action, humour, and
charisma
to the movie. This guy can be anything he wants to be. I'd keep an eye
out for
him in the future.
Rounding out the cast: Bonnie Hunt (Jumanji, Beethhoven). She
plays
Dorothy's cynical, divorcee older sister. Her down to earth personality
and
skepticism perfectly contrast Dorothy's wholesome idealism and
optimism. Next is
Johnathon Lipnicki, Dorothy's kid. The sugar factor on this five-year-
old is off
the scales; he's a teaspoon too cute, but his scene stealing antics and
expressions are used in perfect moderation. Regina King plays Tidwell's
wife,
and pulls off the tender, amourous scenes of young love with perfection.
Some credit must go to director Cameron Crow (Singles) for some
some
great camera work. You can't help but notice, as a viewer, the
expressions and
moods caught on tape. These instances had to be captured at precise
moments.
They make a zealous impact on the movie.
I think I've done enough raving about Jerry Maguire. Listen,
this movie
won't win any Oscars, it's not that kind of movie, but it's a
heartwarming tale
with great people to bring out its full potential. It's a realistic
plot that we
can all relate to; that's a rarity these days.