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Jerry Maguire
Theatrical release poster
Directed by	Cameron Crowe
Produced by	James L. Brooks Cameron Crowe Laurence Mark Richard Sakai
Written by	Cameron Crowe
Starring	Tom Cruise Renée Zellweger Cuba Gooding, Jr. Jonathan Lipnicki Bonnie Hunt Regina King Kelly Preston Jay Mohr Jerry O'Connell
Editing by	Joe Hutshing
Distributed by	TriStar Pictures Gracie Films
Release date(s)	December 13, 1996 (1996-12-13)
Running time	139 minutes
Language	English
Gross revenue	$273,552,592 (worldwide)[1]

Jerry Maguire is a 1996 American comedy-drama film starring Tom Cruise. It was written and directed by Cameron Crowe.

Plot

Jerry Maguire (Tom Cruise) is a 35 year old sports agent working for Sports Management International (SMI). After suffering a nervous breakdown as a result of stress] and a guilty conscience, he writes a mission statement about perceived dishonesty in the sports management business and how he believes that it should be operated. He distributes copies of it, entitled "The Things We Think and Do Not Say: The Future of Our Business". His co-workers are touched by his honesty and greet him with applause, but the management sends Bob Sugar (Jay Mohr), Maguire's protégé, to fire him.

Jerry and Bob call all of Jerry's clients to try to convince them to not hire the services of the other. Jerry speaks to Arizona Cardinals wide receiver Rod Tidwell (Cuba Gooding, Jr.), one of his clients who is disgruntled with his contract. Tidwell tests Jerry's resolve through a very long telephone conversation, which culminates in the famed "Show Me the Money!" scene. Meanwhile, Bob Sugar secures most of Jerry's previous clients. Frank Cushman, a superstar football prospect expected to be #1 in the NFL Draft, also stays with Jerry after he makes a visit to Cushman's home. Leaving the office, Jerry announces he will start his own agency and asks if anyone is willing to join him to which only 26-year-old single mother Dorothy Boyd (Renée Zellweger) agrees. Boyd had previously bumped into Maguire in the airport and told him personally how inspiring she found his "memo."

Jerry travels to the NFL Draft with Cushman and convinces Tidwell to come too, to meet representatives of other NFL teams. Though Tidwell at first feels neglected compared to the superstar Cushman, Bob Sugar contacts Cushman's dad while Jerry is in the lobby with Tidwell and re-signs Cushman to SMI. Jerry is devastated and turns to his fiancée Avery for support, but she rebukes him and he breaks up with her. He then turns to Dorothy, becoming closer to her young son, Ray, and eventually starts a relationship with her. However, Dorothy contemplates moving to San Diego as she has a secure job offer there.

Jerry concentrates all his efforts on Tidwell, now his only client, who turns out to be very difficult to satisfy. Over the next several months, the two direct harsh criticism towards each other with Rod claiming that Jerry is not trying hard enough to get him a contract while Jerry claims that Rod is not proving himself worthy of the money for which he asks.

Jerry marries Dorothy to help them both stay afloat financially and to keep her from moving away. He is emotionally and physically distant during the marriage, but is clearly invested in becoming a father to Ray. Although Dorothy is totally in love with him, she breaks up with him because she believes he does not love her.

Bob Sugar attempts to steal Rod, but is rebuked by Rod and Jerry. The two reconcile soon after. Rod plays well but appears to receive a serious injury when catching a touchdown. He recovers, however, and dances for the crowd, which cheers wildly. Afterwards, Jerry and Rod embrace in front of other athletes and sports agents and show how their relationship has progressed from a strictly business one to a close personal one, which was one of the points Jerry made in his mission statement. Jerry then flies back home to meet Dorothy to tell her that he loves her and wants her in his life (she tells him "You had me at hello").

Rod Tidwell later appears on a sports show. Unbeknownst to him, Jerry has secured him an $11.2 million contract with the Cardinals that will allow him to finish his pro football career in Arizona. The visibly emotional Tidwell proceeds to thank everyone and extends warm gratitude to Jerry. Jerry speaks with several other pro athletes, some of whom have read his earlier mission statement and respect his work with Tidwell. The film ends with Jerry, Dorothy and Ray walking in the park and stumbling across a Little League baseball game. When the ball lands near them, Ray throws it back; a surprised Jerry then comments on his natural throwing ability, much to Dorothy's dismay.

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 Cushman
• Jay Mohr as Bob Sugar
• Bonnie Hunt as Laurel, Dorothy's sister
• Regina King as Marcee Tidwell
• Jonathan Lipnicki as Ray Boyd
• Jeremy Suarez as Tyson Tidwell
• Todd Louiso as Chad the Nanny
• Mark Pellington as Bill Dooler
• Jared Jussim as Dicky Fox
• Beau Bridges as Matt Cushman
• Ingrid Beer as Anne-Louise
• Glenn Frey as Dennis Wilburn
• Mark Pellington as Bill
• Drake Bell as Jesse Remo

Reception

Jerry Maguire remains popular because of its memorable quotations, including "Show me the money!" (shouted repeatedly in a phone exchange between Rod Tidwell and Jerry Maguire), "You complete me", "Help me help you", and "You had me at 'hello'" (said by Dorothy Boyd after a lengthy romantic plea by Jerry Maguire), and "Kwan" (a word used by Rod Tidwell meaning love, respect, community, and money; also spelled 'quan' and 'quawn') mentioned by Tidwell to illustrate the difference between himself and other football players: "Other football players may have the coin, but they won't have the 'Quan'". These lines are largely attributed to Cameron Crowe, director and screenwriter of the film.

The film was well received, with Cuba Gooding, Jr. winning 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, although Renée Zellweger missed out on a nomination for her portrayal of Dorothy Boyd, it was Zellweger's breakout role. The film itself was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Picture, and crew members on the film were nominated for Best Screenplay and Best Film Editing awards.

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.^[2][3]

Accolades

Academy Awards

• Best Actor (Cruise, nominated)
• Best Editing (nominated)
• Best Picture (nominated)
• Best Screenplay – Original (Crowe, nominated)
• Best Supporting Actor (Gooding Jr., won)

Chicago Film Critics Association

• Best Supporting Actor (Gooding Jr., won)

Directors Guild of America

• Outstanding Directing – Motion Pictures (Crowe, nominated)

Golden Globe Awards

• Best Actor – Motion Picture Musical or Comedy (Cruise, won)
• Best Film – Musical or Comedy (nominated)
• Best Supporting Actor – Motion Picture (Gooding Jr., nominated)

Image Awards

• Outstanding Actor – Motion Picture (Gooding Jr., nominated)

Satellite Awards

• Best Actor – Motion Picture Musical or Comedy (Cruise, won)
• Best Supporting Actor – Motion Picture Musical or Comedy (Gooding Jr., won)
• Best Supporting Actress – Motion Picture Musical or Comedy (Zellweger, nominated)

Screen Actors Guild

• Outstanding Actor – Motion Picture (Cruise, nominated)
• Outstanding Supporting Actor (Gooding Jr., won)
• Outstanding Supporting Actress (Zellweger, nominated)

Writers Guild of America

• Best Screenplay – Original (Crowe, nominated)

Cameos and trivia

• Philadelphia Eagles owner Jeffrey Lurie, ESPN draft guru Mel Kiper Jr., former NFL quarterbacks Drew Bledsoe, Troy Aikman, and Warren Moon, German ice skater Katarina Witt and former Detroit Lions coach Wayne Fontes play themselves in the film.
• Other NFL players that make cameos as themselves are Tim McDonald, Johnnie Morton, Rick Mirer, Rob Moore, Ki-Jana Carter, Herman Moore, Art Monk, Kerry Collins, and Dean Biasucci
• Deion Sanders was the athlete who Cuba Gooding Jr. modeled his character after.
• Sportscasters Al Michaels, Frank Gifford, Roy Firestone, Mike Tirico, and Dan Dierdorf also make cameos.
• Current Houston Rocket Brent Barry is featured in the film as an athlete who wouldn't sign an autograph for a young boy.
• Actresses portraying ex-girlfriends of Maguire include Alison Armitage, Emily Procter, and Stacey Williams. Reagan Gomez-Preston also had a minor role in the film as part of the Tidwell family.
• Alice in Chains guitarist Jerry Cantrell makes a brief appearance in the film as a copier store clerk.
• The Maguire character is based on Leigh Steinberg who had a cameo at the end of the film. Cruise has also said he drew inspiration from Sidney Falco, the Tony Curtis-played publicity agent in Sweet Smell of Success.
• The score for the film was composed by Nancy Wilson, Cameron Crowe's wife and guitarist in the band Heart.
• Tom Hanks was originally offered the title role, but turned it down. The producers also approached John Travolta.
• The film features a character, "Bob Sugar", who is based in large part on Drew Rosenhaus (who also makes a cameo appearance as himself), one of the National Football League's most aggressive sports agents. He is named for musician Bob Mould and his band Sugar.
• Legendary film director Billy Wilder was originally offered the cameo role of McGuire's mentor Dicky Fox, but turned it down after much pleading by both Crowe and Cruise. Wilder later collaborated with Crowe on a book of interviews about the Director's career.
• On May 8, 2009, The Strathmore Players released their theatrical adaptation of the film, entitled, "Jerry Maguire: The Musical," to great critical acclaim. It was debuted at UCLA's annual Spring Sing competition before an audience of 7,500 people and a panel of celebrity judges. Not only did it win the competition (Judges' Choice), but it was the recipient of the first-ever Bruins' Choice award as well. Written and directed by Justin Wedell, JMTM launched a new frontier for both Spring Sing and UCLA, garnering both a hype and success unprecedented in the competition.
• Jay Mohr (Bob Sugar) played Jerry O'Connell's (Kush) best friend Dorfman on the short-lived ABC sitcom Camp Wilder three years before the release of this film.
• The house Renee Zellwegger's character Dorothy Boyd lived in was filmed in the "Tree Section" of Manhattan Beach and is located 527 23rd Street.^{[citation needed]}
• Renee Zellwegger and Tom Cruise's first date was filmed at Paco's Tacos at 4141 South Centinela Avenue in Los Angeles, CA.^{[citation needed]}
• As of January 2010, comedy site Everything is Terrible announced their desire to amass the largest private collection of copies of Jerry Maguire on VHS. A drive was started asking fans to donate their VHS copies of the movie to the cause.

Parodies and cultural references

• In the 1998 comedy film A Night at the Roxbury, the Butabi brothers share the exchange that Jerry and Dorothy have in the film when they say "You complete me/You had me at hello."
• The Joker in The Dark Knight humorously quotes Maguire when he tells Batman "You complete me."
• The entire scene where Jerry Maguire is leaving SMI is parodied in Dave Chappelle's film Half Baked, when Jim Breuer's character gets fired from the record store and asks "Who's coming with me?!" as Jerry McGuire did. A female co-worker Jan, played by Laura Silverman eventually says that she will go with him in the same timid way that Renée Zellweger does.
• Sid in Ice Age: The Meltdown humorously quotes Maguire when he tells Manny, "She completes you."
• In the animated film Shark Tale, Oscar (Will Smith) triumphantly yells "You had me at hello!" during a mocked battle. Angie, played by Renee Zellwegger, appropriately raises an eyebrow at the comment.
• In a 2005 episode of Danny Phantom One of the charecters is watching TV in a hospital until he destroys it by shooting a power blast from his eyes by accident. He then says "Aww Just as he was going to say "You complete me"

Soundtrack

As with all of Cameron Crowe's films, the soundtrack constitutes an important backdrop to the film (Crowe was a journalist with Rolling Stone in the 1970s). Highlights include:

• The Durutti Column performing "Requiem Again"
• Rickie Lee Jones performing "The Horses"
• The Replacements performing "I'll Be You"
• Paul McCartney performing "Momma Miss America", a song also used as background music to documentary footage on Bermuda Triangle socialite Cindy Greatrex
• Paul McCartney performing "Singalong Junk"
• Elvis Presley performing "Pocket Full of Rainbows"
• Herb Alpert & The Tijuana Brass performing "The Lonely Bull"
• Merrilee Rush performing "Angel of the Morning"
• The Who performing "Magic Bus", & "Getting In Tune"
• Nirvana performing "Something in the Way"
• AC/DC performing "For Those About to Rock (We Salute You)"
• Tom Petty performing "Free Fallin'"
• Neil Young performing "World on a String"
• Bob Dylan performing "Shelter from the Storm"
• Bruce Springsteen performing "Secret Garden"
• a clip of John Coltrane, Miles Davis, & Charles Mingus performing (Mingus' piece is "Haitian Fight Song")

"Secret Garden", originally a Springsteen track from 1995, was re-released in 1997, after its exposure in the film and on the soundtrack, and peaked at #19 on the Billboard Hot 100.

The film was scored by his wife, Nancy Wilson of the rock band Heart.

See also

Film portal

• 1996 in film
• Cinema of the United States
• List of American films of 1996

References

External links

• Jerry Maguire at the Internet Movie Database
• The Jerry Maguire Journal, a log kept by Crowe during the film's production and published in Rolling Stone in December 1996.
• "Things we think and do not say", the memo that led Maguire to establish his own agency
• Jerry Maguire, film script (text document)
• Fake story on ESPN news detailing the career of Rod Tidwell

From Wikiquote

Jerry Maguire is a 1996 film starring Tom Cruise about a sports agent who has a moral epiphany and is fired for expressing it, who then decides to put his new philosophy to the test as an independent with the only athlete who stays with him.

Written and directed by Cameron Crowe.

Jerry Maguire

• Two nights later in Miami at our corporate conference, a breakthrough. Breakdown? Breakthrough. It was the oddest, most unexpected thing. I began writing what they call a Mission Statement for my company. You know -- a Mission Statement -- a suggestion for the future. What started out as one page became twenty-five. Suddenly I was my father's son. I was remembering the simple pleasures of this job, how I ended up here out of law school, the way a stadium sounds when one of my players performs well on the field... And suddenly it was all pretty clear. The answer was fewer clients. Caring for them, caring for ourselves, and the games too. Starting our lives, really. Hey, I'll be the first to admit it. What I was writing was somewhat "touchy feely." I didn't care. I had lost the ability to bullshit. It was the me I'd always wanted to be.

• I will not rest until I have you holding a Coke, wearing your own shoe, playing a Sega game featuring you, while singing your own song in a new commercial, starring you, broadcast during the Superbowl, in a game that you are winning, and I will not sleep until that happens. I'll give you fifteen minutes to call me back.

• [to Rod] I am out here for you. You don't know what it's like to be ME out here for YOU. It is an up-at-dawn, pride-swallowing siege that I will never fully tell you about, ok? Help me... help you. Help me, help you.

Dialogue

Ray: What's wrong, mom?

Dorothy: First class is what's wrong. It used to be a better meal. Now it's a better life.

Rod: Now to recap, I want to stay in Arizona. I want my new contract. I like you, you're nice to my wife.

Jerry: That's that's great. I'm really... happy.

Rod: Are you listenin'?

Jerry: Yes!

Rod: This is what I'm gonna do for you: God bless you, Jerry. But this is what you gonna do for me, Jerry?

Jerry: Yeah, what can I do for you, Rod? You just tell me what can I do for you?

Rod: It's something very personal, a very important thing. Hell! It's a family motto. Are you ready Jerry? I wanna make sure you're ready, brother. Here it is: Show me the money. Show! Me! The! Money! Jerry, it is such a pleasure to say that! Say it with me one time, Jerry.

Jerry: Show you the money.

Rod: No, no. You can do better than that! I want you to say it brother with meaning! Hey, I got Bob Sugar on the other line I bet you he can say it!

Jerry: Yeah, yeah, no, no, no. Show you the money.

Rod: No! Not show you! Show me the money!

Jerry: Show me the money!

Rod: Yeah! Louder!

Jerry: Show me the money!

Rod: I need to feel you Jerry!

Jerry: Show me the money! Show me the money!

Rod: I love black people.

Jerry: I love black people!

Rod: Who's your motherfucker, Jerry?

Jerry: You're my motherfucker! Show me the money!

Rod: Uh! Congratulations, you're still my agent.

Jerry: I started talking with Dennis Wilburn about your renegotiation.

Rod: Talking. Jerry Rice, Andre Reed, Chris Carter... I smoke all these fools. They are making the big sweet dollars. They are making the... kwan, and you are talking.

Jerry: Kwam. That's your word?

Rod: Yeah, man, it means love, respect, community... and the dollars too. The whole package. The kwam.

Jerry: Great word. Towel?

Rod: No, I air-dry.

Jerry: Rod, I say this with great respect, but those players you mentioned are marquee players...

Rod: Marquee?!?

Jerry: Here's what I'm saying. This is a renegotiation. We want more from them, so let's show them more from us. Let's show them your pure joy of the game, let's bury the attitude a little, let's show them --

Rod: You're telling me to dance.

Jerry: No, I'm saying to be --

Rod: "Love me love me love me... put me on t.v." That's the iconography of rascism, man!

Jerry: Rod, I'm not a rascist. I'm telling you to be the best version of you, to get back to the guy who first started playing this game. Way back when you were a kid. It wasn't just about the money, was it?...Was it?

Rod: Do your job, man, don't tell me to dance.

Jerry: Fine. Fine. Fine, fine, fine, fine, fine.

Rod: I'm an athlete, not an entertainer. These are the ABC's of ME. Get it? I do not dance.

Dorothy: Maybe I am taking advantage. Am I a bad person? All I know is that I found someone who was charming and popular and not-so-nice to me -- and he died. Okay? So why should I let this guy go, when everything in my body says this one is the one.

Laurel: Easy, hon, I was just looking for fun details --

Dorothy: Oh, well, why didn't you say so? And oh, I don't know if you're interested in this detail, but I was just about to tell you that I love him. I love him, and I don't care what you think. I love him for the man he wants to be, and I love him for the man he almost is. I love him.

[Looking over an inadequate contract offer]

Jerry: I'll go back to them.

Marcee: And say what? "Please remove your dick from my ass"?! I'm sorry. I'm just a little pregnant right now.

Jerry: Can I ask you a question totally unrelated to your career?

Rod: Oh, we gonna be friends now?

Jerry: What do you know about dating a single mother?

Rod: Oh I know plenty. I was raised by a single mother.

Jerry: Tell me, because it's been a month, and she's about to take another job in San Diego.

Rod: First, single mothers don't "date." They have been to the circus, you know what I'm saying? They have been to the puppet show and they have seen the strings. You love her?

Jerry: How do I know?

Rod: You know when you know. It makes you shiver, it eats at your insides. You know?

Jerry: No, I don't know.

Rod: Then you gotta have The Talk.

Jerry: But I sure don't like that she's leaving.

Rod: Well, that ain't fair to her. A single mother, that's a sacred thing, man.

Jerry: The kid is amazing.

Rod: No. A real man does not shoplift the "pooty" from a single mom.

Jerry: I didn't "shoplift the pooty." We were thrown together and -- I mean it's two mutual people who -- Alright, I shoplifted the pooty.

Rod: Shame on you. Shame on you.

Dorothy: I took advantage of you and worst of all, I'm not alone. I did this with a kid. I was just on some ride where I thought I was in 1ove enough for both of us. I did this. And at least I can do something about it now.

Jerry: Well -- I'm not the guy who's going to run. I stick.

Dorothy: I don't need you to "stick."

Jerry: What do you want from me? My soul?

Dorothy: Why not? I deserve that much.

Jerry: What if I'm just not built that way?

Dorothy: I think we made a mistake here.

Jerry: What if it's true? "Great at friendship bad at intimacy." I mean, come on. It's the theme of my bachelor party film --

Dorothy: I know. I watched it. I sort of know it by heart.

Jerry: I don't like to give up.

Dorothy: Oh please. My need to make the best of things, and your need to be what, "responsible"... if one of us doesn't say something now we might lose ten years being polite about it. Why don't we call this next road trip what it is. A nice long break.

Jerry: What about Ray?

Dorothy: There's no question you'll be friends. Of course you'll be friends.

Jerry: So this break... is a break-up.

Dorothy: Come on, Jerry. You know this isn't easy for me. I mean, on the surface, you'd almost think everything was fine. See, I've got this great guy who loves my kid -- and he sure does like me a lot. I can't live that way. It's not the way I'm built.

Jerry: Hello. I'm looking for my wife. Alright. If this is where it has to happen, then this is where it has to happen. I'm not letting you get rid of me. How about that? This used to be my specialty. I was good in a living room. Send me in there, I'll do it alone. And now I just... I don't know...but our little company had a good night tonight. A really big night. But it wasn't complete, it wasn't nearly close to being in the same vicinity as complete, because I couldn't share it with you. I couldn't hear your voice, or laugh about it with you. I missed my wife. We live in a cynical world, and we work in a business of tough competitors, I love you. You complete me. And I just...

Dorothy: Shut up. Just shut up. You had me at hello.

Taglines

• Everybody loved him... Everybody disappeared.

• The rest of his life begins now.

• The journey is everything.

• Show me the money!

Cast

• Tom Cruise - Jerry Maguire
• Cuba Gooding Jr. - Rod Tidwell
• Renée Zellweger - Dorothy Boyd
• Kelly Preston - Avery Bishop
• Jerry O'Connell - Frank Cushman
• Jay Mohr - Bob Sugar
• Bonnie Hunt - Laurel Boyd
• Regina King - Marcee Tidwell
• Jonathan Lipnicki - Ray Boyd
• Todd Louiso - Chad the Nanny
• Mark Pellington - Bill Dooler
• Jeremy Suarez - Tyson Tidwell
• Jared Jussim - Dicky Fox
• Glenn Frey - Dennis Wilburn
• Eric Stoltz - Ethan Valhere
• Beau Bridges - Matt Cushman
• Lucy Liu - Former Girlfriend
• Emily Procter - Former Girlfriend
• Roy Firestone - Himself
• Al Michaels - Himself
• Dan Dierdorf - Himself
• Frank Gifford - Himself
• Mel Kiper - Himself
• Jeffrey Lurie - Himself (as Jeff Lurie)
• Drew Rosenhaus - Himself
• Rich Kotite - Himself
• Mike Tirico - Himself
• Wayne Fontes - Himself
• Johnnie Morton - Himself
• Rick Mirer - Himself
• Drew Bledsoe - Himself
• Rob Moore - Himself
• Ki-Jana Carter - Himself
• Herman Moore - Himself
• Art Monk - Himself
• Troy Aikman - Himself
• Katarina Witt - Herself
• Warren Moon - Himself
• Kerry Collins - Himself
• Jim Irsay - Himself

External links

Wikipedia has an article about:

Jerry Maguire

• Jerry Maguire quotes at the Internet Movie Database
• Jerry Maguire at Rotten Tomatoes