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10 of 10 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Show Me the Funny, June 22, 2002
I'll start this review off by saying Cameron Crowe is amazing. If you liked Almost Famous and/or Say Anything, then you'll love this film.Jerry Maguire (Tom Cruise) is an unscrupulous sports agent who has an epiphany one sleepless night in a hotel, prompting him to write a mission statement that he distributes throughout his agency. Heartfelt and honest, the mission statement gets him fired and garners the respect of a lonely single mother, Dorothy Boyd (played by the charming Zellweger). He retains a sole client, the over-the-top Rod Tidwell (Cuba Gooding Jr.), and much hilarity ensues. The acting is A+ all around. Cruise shines in the title role, earning a much-deserved Best Actor Oscar nod. He nails every expression and detail, making even Jerry the jerk likable at the beginning of the film. Cuba Gooding Jr. is fabulous, as usual. He steals every scene he's in and has amazing chemistry with both Tom Cruise and Regina King (Mrs. Tidwell). Bravo on the Best Supporting Actor Oscar, Cuba. Renee Zellweger is charming in her breakthrough role as Dorothy, "the world's oldest 26 year-old". Kelly Preston surprised me as the tough-as-nails, abrasive Avery. She does an excellent job with her supporting role. The entire supporting cast really makes the film work. Jay Mohr, Regina King, Kelly Preston, Jonathan Lipnicki (absolutely adorable), Bonnie Hunt and Jerry O'Connell provide a solid framework for both the story and the main cast. Todd Louiso is my favorite supporting actor. He plays the 'nanny' and is a riot. Crowe does an excellent job of constucting a film with parallel stories, one moral and one romantic. He paints vivid, likeable characters with witty dialogue. Although predictable (What do you expect from a romantic comedy? They're all predictable.), this film is enjoyable whether you watch it for the first time or the ninety-first time. The DVD is excellent and chock full of special features. The most notable being the commentary done by Cameron Crowe, Tom Cruise, Cuba Gooding Jr., and Renee Zellweger.
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