January 3, 2017

Blu-Ray Review: JERRY MAGUIRE: 20th ANNIVERSARY EDITION

Starring Tom Cruise, Cuba Gooding Jr., Renee Zellweger, Kelly Preston, Jerry O'Connell, Jay Mohr, Bonnie Hunt. Directed by Cameron Crowe. (1996, 138 min).

Has it really been 20 years since Jerry Maguire was first released? It seems like only yesterday that I was dragged to go see it for date night and ended up liking it more than my wife did.

A lot has changed since then. Tom Cruise now spends most of his screen time running from explosions; Oscar winner Cuba Gooding Jr. has nabbed more than his fair share of Razzie nominations; Renee Zellweger has the Bridget Jones franchise to remind us she's still working. It's also an anniversary of-sorts for writer/director Cameron Crowe...15 years since his last interesting film.

"There. Are. No. Paper. Towels!"
All that being said, the movie itself has held up better over the years than some of its participants. Though I personally prefer Cruise's latter-day career, where he's given up all pretenses of being a serious actor to focus on simply being Tom Cruise, Gooding would never be as enjoyably brash as he is here, nor would Zellweger achieve the same level of congenial charm. And with all due respect to the autobiographical Almost Famous, this is Crowe's sharpest screenplay. The obligatory love story is nothing we haven't seen in countless other films, but what still makes Jerry Maguire crackle – besides the performances – is its apparent insider knowledge of the world of sports agents. At no time does the viewer ever doubt this is how the job operates, and that Maguire himself is an anomaly in this cut-throat, ego-stroking profession.

"Mission? What mission? What the hell are you talking about?"
So of course, when you throw in more celebrity cameos than one can possibly catch with one viewing, dialogue that has become pop culture vernacular and an irresistible resolution, Jerry Maguire has enjoyed a lengthy shelf life, which also means a lot of folks probably already have it on video. This Blu-Ray has many bonus features from previous releases, but adds some new stuff that'll be hard for fans to pass up, including a lengthy retrospective documentary and never-before-seen deleted scenes. My favorite, however, is the inclusion of the soundtrack CD featuring songs by the likes of Bruce Springsteen, The Who, Bob Dylan and Paul McCartney. Personally, I wish more studios would do this with their Blu-Ray releases rather than include a DVD copy I'll likely never use.

While it's still more amusing to watch Tom Cruise run toward the camera like he's on fire, Jerry Maguire remains one of his most endearing audience pleasers, one of those so-called date movies that appeals to both sexes. Of the many home video editions out there, this is probably the definitive one, with enough new kibbles to make it worth double-dipping.

EXTRA KIBBLES:
NEW:JERRY MAGUIRE: WE MEET AGAIN” (3 part retrospective with vintage footage & interviews and new interviews with Tom Cruise & writer/director Cameron Crowe).
NEW: DELETED/EXTENDED SCENES
NEW: PHOTO GALLERY
PICTURE-IN-PICTURE VISUAL COMMENTARY (with Tom Cruise, Cuba Gooding Jr., Renee Zellweger & Cameron Crowe).
DELETED SCENES & REHEARSAL FOOTAGE (both with commentary).
MY FIRST COMMERCIAL” (an amusing Reebok commercial featuring the Rod Tidwell character)
DREW ROSENHAUS: HOW TO BE A SPORTS AGENT”
MAKING-OF FEATURETTE
MUSIC VIDEO: Bruce Springsteen's “Secret Garden”
JERRY MAGUIRE'S “MISSION STATEMENT” (reprinted in the supplemental booklet)
ORIGINAL SOUNDTRACK CD

KITTY CONSENSUS:
PURR-R-R...LIKE A GOOD SCRATCH BEHIND THE EARS

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