Jerry Maguire

Sometimes, we let ourselves get the better of us. And this can lead to a number of bad things that can occur in our lives. This always comes up with the goal/notion that we can do better next time; next time happens, it doesn't work out so well. And sometimes, we become so full of ourselves, that we eventually have a nervous breakdown. There are many people out there that experience this, and one notable example is in the sports industry. That's where the 1996 film “Jerry Maguire” comes into play, pun intended. Starring Tom Cruise, Renee Zellweger, and Cuba Gooding Jr., and written and directed by Cameron Crowe, the movie has gained this cultural impact in the history of cinema, as it memorable to watch. While the film is good, there are some issues that need to be addressed; the pacing being one of them. Rest assured, “Jerry Maguire” is one of those movies where everything can seemingly come together, but just like a person's ego, can come crashing down.

The story has sports agent Jerry Maguire (Cruise) having a moment of realization: maybe his life sucks, and he wants to be good to his life. He then writes a memo chronicling the most important things in life, and it goes over well. Until Jerry gets fired for it; he basically set his ego ablaze. Because of this, Jerry now only has one client: Rodney “Rod” Tidwell (Gooding Jr.), who is very picky with what he wants from Jerry. He also has a girlfriend named Dorothy (Zellweger), who has a very optimistic son, and tries to help Jerry as much as she can. Now, with his world going topsy turvy, Jerry tries to make the best out of this world. Even with a single goldfish to handle.

“Jerry Maguire” is an interesting film to watch. For one thing, the direction is good, and Crowe manages everything very well. This does include the cast, as each actor and actress do a great job with the performances and roles they inhabit. What's ironic about the movie in general, is that there is no orchestrated soundtrack, and that adds a bit of cleverness to the film. Finally, the story has a nice contemporary feel to it. It has a sense of realism with our main characters going through some major consequences, but there is a lighthearted tone to the film, which makes easy to understand what our characters are going through. Anybody watching this movie will get a sense of what is going on.

With that being said, there are some major problems with the film. As stated in the above paragraph, the usage of popular songs is not a bad idea, however, by using an orchestrated composition, the movie would have benefited greatly. The story, while nice, does feel a little corny by today's standards. Or better yet, more awkward than what is normally seen in movies of today. Watch the movie again, and ask yourself if you feel a little awkward by what is happening. But the biggest problem that that the film commits is with the pacing. The editing itself isn't bad, but the entirety of the film moves very slow, and it progresses like a snail. The movie does reach a conclusion, but it takes a long time to actually get there.

In conclusion, “Jerry Maguire” may have its fair share of flaws, but it does compensate for letting a contemporary story affect people in real situations. Even with sports and a goldfish on their minds.