_**Leaving the fast lane of greed for friendship, love and… loyalty**_ A quick-talking big-time sports agent (Tom Cruise) has an epiphany and swiftly loses his job with a big sports management corporation, but retains one loyal colleague (Renee Zellweger) and one outrageous NFL client (Cuba Gooding Jr). Can they rise from the ashes? Kelly Preston, Bonnie Hunt and Regina King are also on hand. Jerry Maguire” (1996) is equal parts spirited drama, romantic comedy and sports flick. It effectively illustrates how the fast-paced cutthroat world isn’t interested in inspiring, well-meaning truth, but that doesn’t negate the value of honest friendship, genuine love and, most of all, loyalty. It’s all-around ‘hip’ and entertaining, slowing down for the mid-section. But the last act drives everything home and is moving. It pretty much represents the best of the sometimes dubious genre (romcom). The film runs 2 hours, 19 minutes, and was shot in the Los Angeles area as well as the Phoenix/Tempe region of Arizona, including Lost Dutchman State Park just east of there. GRADE: A-

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“Jerry” (Tom Cruise) is a successful sports agent who spins the most outrageous yarns to his would-be clients in return for their business and could probably sell sand to a Bedouin. Then, well he has a bit of a brain freeze and decides to reveal some of the tricks of his trade to the great unwashed. All that does it get him canned, but not before he can rescue one client from his rapidly dwindling sources of employment. That is American football nonentity “Tidwell” (Cuba Gooding Jnr.). Now he’s a bit of a pratt, but is a decent and untypically loyal cove who is happily married to “Marcee” (Regina King) and he has potential for a $10 millions contract - if only he can knuckle down and show he has that elusive star quality that brings in the big bucks. Meantime, “Jerry” meets and falls head over heels with “Dorothy” (Renée Zellweger). They marry but we quickly discover that that’s not the adrenaline rush he is needing. Yep, he needs his bro-dance partner to get onto that ball park and do the business. This sees one of Cruise’s more natural performances as he delivers, initially at any rate, quite a compelling impersonation of a venal manipulator out to promise the moon. As the story moves along, though, his role is rather subsumed into a gloop of cheese that’s only really saved by an engaging and enthusiastic effort from a no holes barred Gooding who enters into the spirit of his character quite enjoyably. Zellweger has her moments too, but for the most part her character is consigned to a fairly predicable story arc that doesn’t really add much to what is essentially a story about loyalty and learning to appreciate what really matters in life. Well that, and a sock in the eye to the old boss too! It’s quite pithily scripted and whizzes along poking a little fun at the excesses of an industry that massively overpays for mediocrity, hype and is largely devoid of folks with too much soul.

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