Jerry Maguire (1996)

My Review

Tom Cruise stars as “Jerry Maguire,” a flamboyant sports agent fired by his management agency and then attempts to persuade his clients to stick with him. The results are great entertainment due to expert direction and writing by Cameron Crowe (“Fast Times at Ridgemont High” 1982), who also co-produced with James L. Brooks. The film is based on the experiences of real-life sports agent Leigh Steinberg, who was a technical consultant for the film.

Cuba Gooding Jr. plays the only athlete loyal to Maguire, always yelling the catchphrase “Show me the money!” Gooding shot to stardom in this role and won the Oscar for Best Supporting Actor. Also appearing is Rene Zellweger, who also, like Gooding, gained wider recognition through her role in this picture. Her famous line was “You had me at hello.” Later, Cruise has a memorable line when he says to Zellweger “You complete me.” Other co-stars include Kelly Preston, Jerry O’Connell, Bonnie Hunt, Regina King, Jay Mohr, Eric Stoltz, Beau Bridges, Lucy Liu, Glenn Fry, Troy Aikman, Frank Gifford, and Jonathan Lipnicki in his motion picture debut as the six-year-old son of Zellweger.

The watchable “Jerry Maguire” was the ninth highest grossing film of 1996 for TriStar Pictures, Vinyl Films, Gracie Films, and Sony Pictures. The film was nominated for five Academy Awards, with one win for Gooding. Non-winners include Best Picture, Best Actor (Cruise), Best Screenplay, and Best Film Editing. It was principally filmed in the Los Angeles area, except for climactic scenes of the football game at Sun Devil Stadium in Tempe, Arizona.