50 Best Sports Movies Ever

24. Jerry Maguire

Year: 1996
Sport: American Football
Starring: Tom Cruise, Cuba Gooding Jr., Renée Zellweger, Kelly Preston, Jerry O’Connell, Jay Mohr, Regina King
Director: Cameron Crowe

Polarizing for some, Jerry Maguire found a way to pack a seemingly infinite number of unforgettable scenes into just one film. Whether it’s Cuba Gooding Jr. convincing Tom Cruise to scream, “Show me the money,” or Cruise delivering the timeless, “You had me at hello,” Jerry Maguire is nothing if not quotable.

Beyond the beautiful romance and abrasive relationship between Cruise’s title character and Gooding Jr.’s Rod Tidwell, it was one heck of a sports movie, as well.

Cruise’s role as embattled sports agent Jerry Maguire is one of the most memorable of his career—a testament to the quality of the film considering his vast catalog of appearances. Gooding Jr.’s performance as Tidwell was great enough that he won an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor.

The only performance more memorable than Gooding Jr.’s showing as Tidwell was his exuberant response to winning the Oscar.

The film itself held its own, as Cruise and Gooding Jr. displayed impeccable chemistry.

There are so many quotable moments in Jerry Maguire that simply choosing one clip to include was harder than writing the actual slide.

Jerry Maguire did a wonderful job of focusing on three very important aspects of professional sports. It showed what happens on the field, what it’s like behind the scenes in the life of an agent, and how a personal life can impact both.

Jerry Maguire was funny and romantic, but it was also brutal, honest, and chilling on the football and sports agency fronts.

Next: 23. The Hustler