movie review of jerry maguire

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.