‘Jerry Maguire’ More Truth Than Fantasy

There always have been movies about cops, crooks, cowboys and cartoon characters. But, now, a new subject is on the marquee. Right there, next to The Crucible, is Jerry Maguire.

The film is a romantic comedy. Tom Cruise plays an agent who falls in love with a young, single mom with few prospects and a simple lifestyle. He also has one client, an Arizona Cardinals receiver, who catches a game-winning touchdown pass against the Dallas Cowboys at sold-out Sun Devil Stadium.

No, it’s not a fantasy.

“I thought it was realistic,” said Mike Alm, who works for agents in the Phoenix branch of ProServ, a national firm.

The realism is in a cynical world that has turned Cruise’s character into a guy who struggles with any emotion that isn’t motivated by money, or power, or competition.

Until the end, it’s not a pretty picture. But most agents don’t seem to be complaining about an image of a used-car salesman dressed like Pat Riley. That’s because Cruise’s character turns out to be an agent whose heart doesn’t have a loophole. Hmm. Maybe it is a fantasy.

Not so, said agent Leigh Steinberg, who worked as a consultant on the film. In part, Cruise’s character, Maguire, is said to be based on him.

“It’s a story primarily of someone struggling to deal with an ethical work style and a functional relationship in a world that makes those difficult,” said Steinberg, who represents a Who’s Who of NFL quarterbacks. “In the story, (Maguire) leaves a multinational, huge firm. He writes a mission statement that says they should be more ethical, take fewer clients, and the company fires him.

“So, then he’s off on his own, practicing in a house. For years, I was practicing law out of my house with just a secretary.”

In the film, Maguire battles to save one client, receiver Rod Tidwell, played by Cuba Gooding Jr., who has Charles Barkley’s mannerisms. The agent and the player develop a compelling friendship.

“I think that’s a fair portrayal of some agents’ relationships with their clients,” said Alm, who works at acquiring clients for ProServ. “Unfortunately, the larger the company you are, you can’t have that personable a relationship. You try to.

“When a player selects an agent, it goes beyond just a business decision. From the agent’s side of it, it also goes beyond just a business relationship.”