Jerry Maguire

Cameron Crowe’s “Jerry Maguire” seems to have taken on a kitschy life of its own, which is a shame considering it’s actually a damn fine film.

It tells the story of a sports agent (Tom Cruise) undergoing an identity crisis. The shame is that at the beginning, he seems to love his job. Then he realises how things are changing around him and just how poorly equipped he is to adjust. Overwhelmed by the person he’s become, one night, unable to sleep, he writes a mission statement. He’s so excited by his revelation that he hands it out to everyone at his agency. He wakes up the next morning and realises his mistake, but it’s too late to turn back and before long he is fired. Jerry takes with him the only two clients willing to work with him, one of whom is played by Cuba Gooding Jr. Gooding won a much-deserved Oscar as Rod Tidwell, for a performance that’s terrific, once you get over the whole “Show me the money” line.

Jerry soon falls in love with the Dorothy Boyd (Rene Zellweger) character; who believes in his mission statement. Their relationship is complicated by her son, Ray, who is precocious, adorable and falls in love with Jerry more quickly than his mum does.

In a strange way, the film is a romantic comedy. Crowe as a writer is unparalleled. He has such an unpredictable sense of humour. Having made films like “Almost Famous,” it’s no wonder he is so talented at creating such lovable characters.