JERRY MAGUIRE
US, 1996, 138 minutes, Colour.
Tom Cruise, Cuba Gooding Jr, Renee Zellwegger, Kelly Preston, Bonnie Hunt, Eric Stoltz, Jay Mohr.
Directed by Cameron Crowe.
Nominated (surprisingly) for an Oscar for Best Film. Tom Cruise, putting a lot of effort into his turn as a sports agent who develops a conscience, and Cuba Gooding as the self-opinionated football star both won nominations. Very long, repetitious and seeming to attack the greed mentality while the solution depends on winning big bucks, the film does have some very entertaining sequences plus some idealistic moralising. One of the biggest money-spinners in the US in 1996, it means that despite our apprehensions about violence, audiences do prefer this kind of pleasant movie. Frantically easygoing.
1. The film's popularity and critical acclaim? Oscar nominee? Nominations for Tom Cruise, win for Cuba Gooding?
2. American response to films about sport? The spectacle, the hype, competitiveness, media and money? The fans?
3. The football sequences, details of play, crises and touchdowns, tackles? The players and their deals?
4. The world of sports agencies, the promotion, the hype, the deals, the huge amounts of money, the need for success, the phone calls, pleas, the contracts?
5. The popularity of the phrase, `Show me the money'? Its comment on things American?
6. The strength of the cast, Tom Cruise and his style, popularity? Cuba Gooding and his style (and Oscar win)?
7. The background of the American cities, big business and the offices, apartments, the contrast with small towns, hotels, houses? The range of songs, the musical score?
8. Jerry and his success, status in the firm? The range of clients? The professional jealousy amongst the alleged friends in the agency? His not being able to sleep, the brainwave of writing the mission statement? The contents of the mission statement itself and its quality? Its critique of the company? The reality of the critique in the real world, especially of agencies? Jerry and his self-image, truth, love, honesty? - And the irony of the bigger contract for Ron Tidwell at the end?
9. Tom Cruise as Jerry Maguire, his screen image, presence? The clean-cut American guy - no matter what? His work as an agent, his skills, his relationship with his bosses, with the peers, with the clients? The effect of the mission statement, their reaction, their comments that he would go - and his being fired?
10. Jerry and his desperate phone calls to save his clients? The few who remained? His appeal to the people in the office and their turning away? Inspiring Dorothy Boyd, her going with him? His starting his own business with her, the details of their attempts to set up office, make contacts?
11. Jerry and his relationship with Avery, her own professional skills? Fiancee? Tough, their sexual relationship, the sex scene and the revelation about her dominance? The break-up and her punching him?
12. The contrast with Dorothy Boyd, nice, in the office, his making a pass at her, the quality of their relationship, `She had him from hello'? His liking for her son? The date, the contrast between himself and Dorothy with Rod and his wife and their manifesting their love for each other? His overhearing Dorothy talk with her sister? His proposal - to keep her with him? The marriage, on the road, the distance, his not loving her, the split? His moment of success and realising that he needed Dorothy to be with him? The sequences with the boy - and the boy as a catalyst for Jerry to understand himself?
13. Rod, his status as a football player, with the agency, his staying with Jerry? The phone calls and the deals? The promises of contracts and millions of dollars? The contrast between Kushman and his double-crossing Jerry, going with Bob Sugar? The character of Bob Sugar as dramatising the sleazy successful agents?
14. Cuba Gooding as Rod? Carry-on and style, the extreme extrovert, `Show me the money'? Home, his relationship with his wife, family? The dressing-room - and the sequence where Jerry pleads with him, `Let me help you'? The contract, the season, his success, Jerry following him? The dramatic touchdown? People in the stadium, the TV audience willing him to succeed? The tackle, his collapse, the tension, his survival? His recovery - and his big speech in owing it all to Jerry? And the reward of an even bigger contract?
15. Dorothy's family, her sister and her advice? The divorce group and their meetings, discussions, cutting off Jerry in his speech? The son and the humanising of Jerry?
16. The supporting cast giving strength to the atmosphere of the film - the players, the sports commentators, the agents, Chad the jazz-loving babysitter?
17. The atmosphere of the sports world, frantic and on the go, away from home, living in hotels, the reality and unreality? The effect on the players and the agents?
18. The film as the humanising of Jerry Maguire? The popular theme of American films in the '90s with the professionals being so successful that they need failure, relationships and the possibility of becoming human again? The perennial appeal of this kind of film - especially in the latter part of the 20th century and the atmosphere of greed and success?
