Jerry Maguire

Plot

Jerry Maguire is a slick 35-year-old sports agent working for Sports Management International (SMI). After criticism from an injured player's son triggers an epiphany, he writes a mission statement about perceived dishonesty in business and his desire to work with fewer clients to produce a better, more caring personal relationship with them.

In response, SMI management sends Bob Sugar, Jerry's protégé, to fire him. This spurs both men to race to call every one of Jerry's clients to retain them. Jerry speaks to Arizona Cardinals wide receiver Rod Tidwell, a smaller client who is disgruntled with his pay. Rod tests Jerry's resolve through a long tirade on his lack of contract extension. By the conclusion of the conversation, Jerry has retained Rod but lost his other clients to Bob.

Leaving the office, Jerry loudly announces that he will start his own agency and asks if anyone will join him, to which only 26-year-old single mother Dorothy Boyd agrees. Frank "Cush" Cushman, a superstar quarterback prospect who is expected to be the number one pick in the NFL draft, initially says he will also stay with Jerry after he makes a personal visit to the Cushman home. Frank's father insists on a handshake deal based on his word instead of a signed contract, but Jerry eventually realizes that Frank and his father have secretly signed with Bob the night before the draft after seeing Jerry spend time introducing Rod to other football executives.

Jerry breaks up with his disgruntled fiancée Avery after she becomes emotionally unsupportive. He then turns to Dorothy, becoming closer to her young son Ray, and eventually starts a romantic relationship with her.

Jerry concentrates all his efforts on Rod, now his only remaining client, who turns out to be difficult to satisfy. In need of money, Jerry calls in a favor to get a contract extension from Rod's current team, the Cardinals, but receives a lowball offer. Rod and his wife decide to reject a $1.4 million deal to support their family despite Jerry's warning that if Rod gets injured, he will receive nothing.

Without any money coming in, Dorothy knows that Jerry cannot afford payroll, so she decides to move to San Diego for a more secure job offer with health benefits. Afraid of losing Dorothy, Jerry proposes marriage to share health benefits, and as she is smitten, she agrees.

Over the next several months, Rod and Jerry grow closer through a series of open and difficult conversations as they struggle to secure him a contract; Rod tells Jerry that he wants him to be honest, while Jerry tells Rod, "Help me, help you," convincing him to stop complaining and start playing with his heart. Rod takes Jerry's advice, playing well and advancing the Cardinals. Jerry's marriage with Dorothy struggles, however, so she suggests they amicably separate before losing too much of their lives to each other.

During a Christmas Day Monday Night Football game between the Cardinals and the Dallas Cowboys, Rod catches a winning touchdown that secures the playoffs for the Cardinals, but appears to receive a serious injury. After a few minutes, he regains consciousness and celebrates with a dance for the cheering crowd. After the scare and the widely televised recovery, Jerry and Rod embrace in front of the media and show how their relationship has progressed from strictly business to a close personal one, which was a point Jerry made in his mission statement.

Triggering a realization, Jerry immediately flies home, finding Dorothy in a meeting of her sister Laurel's divorcee support group. The group watches as Jerry gives an impassioned speech telling Dorothy he needs her, to which she responds, "Shut up… you had me at hello."

Rod appears on Up Close, where he learns Jerry has secured him a massive $11.2 million contract with the Cardinals, allowing him to finish his career in Arizona. Rod breaks down and thanks everyone, extending warm gratitude to Jerry. Jerry and Dorothy celebrate as Jerry is introduced to other pro athletes who have seen his work with Rod. Jerry and Dorothy walk with Ray, discussing Ray's future as a baseball player after noticing his strong throw.

Cast

• Tom Cruise as Jerry Maguire
• Cuba Gooding Jr. as Rod Tidwell
• Renée Zellweger as Dorothy Boyd
• Kelly Preston as Avery Bishop
• Jerry O'Connell as Frank "Cush" Cushman
• Jay Mohr as Bob Sugar
• Bonnie Hunt as Laurel Boyd
• Regina King as Marcee Tidwell
• Jonathan Lipnicki as Ray Boyd
• Todd Louiso as Chad the Nanny
• Jeremy Suarez as Tyson Tidwell
• Jared Jussim as Dicky Fox
• Jann Wenner as Scully
• Ali Wentworth as Bobbi Fallon
• Aries Spears as Teepee Tidwell
• Kelly Coffield as Jan
• Winnie Holzman and Hynden Walch as members of the women's group
• Glenn Frey as Dennis Wilburn
• Donal Logue as Rick (Junior Agent)
• Tom Gallop as Ben
• Angela Goethals as Kathy Sanders
• Rick Johnson as John Swenson
• Jerry Cantrell as Jesus of CopyMat
• Toby Huss as Steve Remo
• Drake Bell as Jesse Remo
• Christine Cavanaugh as Mrs. Remo
• Eric Stoltz as Ethan Valhere
• Brent Barry as Calvin Nack
• Theo Greenly as Hootie Fan
• Jerry Ziesmer as Trainer
• Anthony Natale as Elevator Couple
• Reagan Gomez-Preston as Tidwell's Cousin
• Lucy Liu, Justina Vail Evans, Samantha Smith, Ivana Miličević, Lisa Stahl, Emily Procter, Stacey Williams, Lisa Ann Hadley, Alison Armitage and Rebecca Rigg as Former Girlfriends
• Beau Bridges as Matt Cushman (uncredited) As themselves:
• Roy Firestone
• Al Michaels
• Dan Dierdorf
• Frank Gifford
• Mel Kiper Jr.
• Jeffrey Lurie
• Drew Rosenhaus
• Rich Kotite
• Tim McDonald
• Mike Tirico
• Wayne Fontes
• Mike White
• Johnnie Morton
• Rick Mirer
• Drew Bledsoe
• Rob Moore
• Ki-Jana Carter
• Herman Moore
• Art Monk
• Troy Aikman
• Katarina Witt
• Dean Biasucci
• Warren Moon
• Kerry Collins
• Erica Sorgi
• Dallas Malloy
• Jim Irsay
• Barry Switzer (uncredited)

Cameron Crowe wrote the screenplay for Tom Hanks. Crowe took so long to write the screenplay that by the time the film was ready to be made, Hanks turned down the role as he was more interested in directing That Thing You Do!. Woody Harrelson was offered the role but turned it down. Rod Tidwell was partially modeled after Charley Taylor.

Janet Jackson auditioned and was initially accepted for the role of Marcee Tidwell, though it later went to Regina King, who previously co-starred in Jackson's debut film Poetic Justice. Jackson is referenced twice in the film, with a Janet poster seen hanging in Teepee's room and Cuba Gooding Jr.'s character Rod Tidwell asking "What Have You Done for Me Lately?", paying homage to Jackson's hit of the same name. Artie Lange filmed a scene but it was cut.

Patricia Arquette, Kate Beckinsale, Bridget Fonda, Winona Ryder, Marisa Tomei, Cameron Diaz, Gwyneth Paltrow, Uma Thurman and Jennifer Lopez were all considered for the part of Dorothy. Mira Sorvino was also considered for Dorothy but the producers would not meet her quote. The producers also considered Janeane Garofalo for the role of Dorothy but she was deemed too old for the part. Connie Britton auditioned for the role of Dorothy, and the choice was narrowed down to Zellweger and Britton, with Zellweger winning the part. Damon Wayans and Mykelti Williamson were considered for the role of Rod Tidwell. Jamie Foxx auditioned for the role of Rod Tidwell. Diane Lane was considered for the role of Avery Bishop; however, the role was eventually given to Kelly Preston. Billy Wilder was considered for the part of Jerry's mentor Dicky Fox.

Soundtrack

Jerry Maguire was scored by Crowe's then-wife, Nancy Wilson, a member of the rock band Heart. The songwriter Aimee Mann recorded a song, "Wise Up", for the film, but Crowe felt it did not fit. According to Crowe, he had used Mann's original version, a simple demo piano, in a scene in which Jerry Maguire is moving through an airport. Mann's final version was "larger, more lush, more of a personal epic, and quite incredible... suddenly it was too big for the scene it was meant for." He said not being able to use it was "heartbreaking". Though it was not used in the film, "Wise Up" was included on the Jerry Maguire soundtrack album and later used in the 1999 film Magnolia.

"Secret Garden", originally a Bruce Springsteen track from 1995, was re-released in 1997 after its exposure in the film and on the soundtrack, and reached No. 19 on the Billboard Hot 100.

Product placement

TriStar received merchandise and marketing services of over $1.5 million from Reebok in exchange for incorporating a commercial into the film and depicting the Reebok brand within certain agreed-upon standards; when the film was theatrically released, the commercial had been left out and a tirade including "broadsides against Reebok" was included. When the film aired on television, the Reebok commercial had been embedded into the film as originally agreed upon. The "Special Edition" DVD release of the film, which has the film's theatrical edit, includes the commercial as bonus content.

Release

Box office

Jerry Maguire debuted at number one above Mars Attacks! and 101 Dalmatians, earning $17,084,296 during its opening weekend.{{cite news |last=Elber |first=Lynn |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-berkshire-eagle-sony-cruises-to-box/134614273/ |title=Sony Cruises to box office top |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231104171000/https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-berkshire-eagle-sony-cruises-to-box/134614273/ |date=December 18, 1996 |access-date=November 4, 2023 |archive-date=November 4, 2023 |page=29 |agency=Associated Press |publisher=The Berkshire Eagle |via=Newspapers.com |url-status=live}} The film would earn the second-highest December opening weekend at the time of its release, behind Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country. While it was overtaken by Beavis and Butt-Head Do America in its second weekend, it still collected $13.1 million, outgrossing newcomers Scream and One Fine Day in the process.{{cite news |last=Elber |first=Lynn |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-south-bend-tribune-beavis-and-butt/134665474/ |title='Beavis and Butt-head' sets record |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231105161707/https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-south-bend-tribune-beavis-and-butt/134665474/ |date=December 26, 1996 |access-date=November 5, 2023 |archive-date=November 5, 2023 |page=41 |work=AP Entertainment Writer |publisher=The South Bend Tribune |via=Newspapers.com |url-status=live}} It eventually grossed $153,952,592 in North American box office and approximately $119.6 million internationally for a $273,552,592 worldwide total, on a budget of $50 million.{{cite web | access-date = January 6, 2010 | archive-date = January 2, 2010 | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20100102033957/http://boxofficemojo.com/movies/?id=jerrymaguire.htm | url-status = live It was the ninth top-grossing film of 1996 and the fourth highest-grossing romantic drama film of all time.

Critical response

Audiences polled by CinemaScore gave the film an average grade of "A" on an A+ to F scale.

Cuba Gooding Jr. won an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor for his portrayal of Rod Tidwell, the Arizona Cardinals football player who sticks with Maguire. Cruise was also nominated for Best Actor in a Leading Role and the movie marked Renée Zellweger's breakout role. The film was nominated for Best Picture, and crew members on the film were nominated for Best Original Screenplay and Best Film Editing awards.

Roger Ebert of the Chicago Sun-Times gave the film three out of four stars, writing that there "are so many subplots that Jerry Maguire seems too full" and also commented that the film "starts out looking cynical and quickly becomes a heartwarmer." Todd McCarthy of Variety wrote "An exceptionally tasty contempo comedic romance, Jerry Maguire runs an unusual pattern on its way to scoring an unexpected number of emotional, social and entertaining points. Smartly written and boasting a sensational cast, Cameron Crowe's shrewdly observed third feature also gives Tom Cruise one of his very best roles..."

Former Green Bay Packers vice president Andrew Brandt said that the film "accurately portrayed the cutthroat nature of the agent business, especially the lengths to which agents will go to retain or pilfer clients. It also captured the financial, emotional and psychological investment that goes far beyond negotiating contracts."

Accolades

In 2006, the film's screenplay was voted the 66th greatest ever written in a poll by the Writers Guild of America.

Home media

Jerry Maguire was first released on VHS and LaserDisc on May 29, 1997, by Columbia TriStar Home Video.

Over 3 million copies were sold during its first week of release. It was re-released on VHS in the late 1990s. In its first week of release on VHS to stores and video stores in 1997, it made $80 million in sales and $7.6 million in rentals. The $80 million was split between video dealers and Columbia TriStar Home Video.

The film was first released onto DVD on June 24, 1997, and around 2002 respectively in both a standard edition and a two-disc "Special Edition". While the standard edition contains no special features, the two-disc edition primarily includes deleted scenes, commentary tracks, featurettes, and a music video for Bruce Springsteen's "Secret Garden". The film was later released on Blu-ray on September 9, 2008, with the same special features found on the second disc of the "Special Edition" DVD. In 2008, the film was triple-packed with A Few Good Men and Born on the Fourth of July by Sony Pictures Home Entertainment/Universal Pictures Home Entertainment in the United Kingdom only. The film was double-featured with Cliffhanger via DVD in 2008 and also double-featured with A Few Good Men via DVD on December 29, 2009. The film was also chosen to be released in 4K as part of the Columbia Classics Collection: Volume 1 4K Ultra HD box set alongside Mr. Smith Goes to Washington, Dr. Strangelove, Lawrence of Arabia, Gandhi, and A League of Their Own on June 16, 2020.

Legacy

Jerry Maguire spawned several iconic lines, including "Show me the money!" (shouted repeatedly in a phone exchange between Rod Tidwell and Jerry Maguire), "You complete me" , "Help me help you," "The key to this business is personal relationships" and "You had me at 'hello'" (said by Renée Zellweger's Dorothy Boyd after a lengthy romantic plea by Jerry Maguire), and "Kwan," a word used by Cuba Gooding Jr.'s Tidwell meaning love, respect, community, and money (also spelled "quan" and "quawn") to illustrate the difference between himself and other football players: "Other football players may have the coin, but they won't have the 'Kwan'." These lines are largely attributed to Cameron Crowe. Zellweger said of filming the famous "hello" line, "Cameron had me say it a few different ways. It's so funny, because when I read it, I didn't get it–I thought it was a typo somehow. I kept looking at it. It was the one thing in the script that I was looking at going, 'Is that right? Can that be right? How is that right?' I thought, 'Is there a better way to say that? Am I not getting it? I just don't know how to do it.'" Furthermore, in a Première interview, Crowe said that he was surprised that "Show me the money!" resonated more with audiences than the "Kwan" concept which he still held a soft spot for. He commented "I like to think that Tidwell [Cuba Gooding Jr.'s character] had been jealous of Dennis Rodman’s blend of pseudo-French trash-talk 'inspirato'" and hinted that he reacted favorably to a fan holding a "Show me the Kwan." sign at an Olympic performance by competitive figure skater Michelle Kwan. Brandt stated in 2014 that "I definitely noticed an uptick of young people becoming interested in the agent business after Jerry Maguire". "Some of what happened to the agent industry would have happened without 'Jerry,' but definitely not as fast as it did," noted Peter Schaffer, who has been a sports agent since 1988.

In June 2008, AFI revealed its "Ten Top Ten"—the best ten films in ten "classic" American film genres—after polling over 1,500 people from the creative community. Jerry Maguire was acknowledged as the tenth best film in the sports genre. It was also voted by AFI as #100 on its list of 100 Passions. The quotes "Show me the money!" and "You had me at 'hello'" were also ranked by AFI on its list of 100 Movie Quotes, ranked No. 25 and #52 respectively.

American Film Institute Lists

• AFI's 100 Years...100 Passions – #100
• AFI's 100 Years...100 Movie Quotes:
  • "Show me the money!" – #25
  • "You had me at 'hello'." – #52
• AFI's 10 Top 10 – #10 Sports Film

In June 2010, Entertainment Weekly named Jerry Maguire one of the 100 Greatest Characters of the Last 20 Years.

The Los Angeles-based artists collective Everything Is Terrible! has amassed the largest collection of Jerry Maguire VHS tapes, observing that, "there seems to be nothing but just Jerry Maguire tapes filling our nation's thrift stores. I have no idea why." VHS tapes are largely sent in by fans of the group who collect them. In 2017, Everything Is Terrible! opened a pop-up video store in Echo Park that exclusively stocked copies of the film from their collection of (at the time) 14,000 tapes. However, no copies were permitted to leave the store. The group has stated that their ultimate goal is to build a pyramid of Jerry Maguire tapes, which they refer to as "Jerrys," in the desert. As of 2023, Everything Is Terrible! had over 40,000 VHS copies of the film. The decision to collect Jerry Maguire tapes is due in part to the distinctive red VHS box design, which is easily noticed among thrift store shelves. Reflecting on the collection, one member of the group commented, "It's bright red, it's beautiful. There are just so many of them."

In 2017, the NFL produced two "A Football Life" mockumentaries to commemorate the film's 20th anniversary edition; they portray the careers of Rod Tidwell and Frank Cushman after the events of the film. Beau Bridges, Jay Mohr, Jerry O'Connell, and Aries Spears reprised their roles from the film, along with Roy Firestone and several real-life sports figures, including Shaquille O'Neal. According to the fictional history, Cushman retired after only four years due to a severe case of athlete's foot, and devoted himself to charity work with children with the same affliction; Tidwell was offered an even more lucrative contract, but declined, declaring that the "quan" was not there, and he preferred to devote more time to his family. The Tidwell mockumentary also features an adult Ray Boyd, inspired by Jerry and Rod to own his own boxing gym.

Sequel

In a February 2021 interview, Crowe said he had considered making a sequel to Jerry Maguire and that he had been approached several times about making a TV series adaptation of the film. In both cases, he felt that any continuation of the film's story should focus on Rod Tidwell and his family life with wife Marcee.

References

References

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