We all need a good sense of autonomy, of the strength to cope with change. It doesn’t feel good to be blown this way and that by the will or determination of others all the time. We need some sense that we are choosing. Making choices is a good way to feel empowered. Feeling a helpless victim is never a good place to be.
In Jerry Maguire we encounter a world of power. Jerry is a sports agent representing and promoting the interests of sportsmen and women. Sport is about competition – competing against others and competing with past performances. It requires great strength, both physical and psychological.
Jerry has a crisis early on in the movie. It’s a crisis of authenticity. He profoundly reconsiders his values and decides he needs to change his focus towards the human beings he represents and away from the narrow pursuit of wealth which the industry pursues.
In the early part of this story we see a man who may be making good choices based on compassionate values, but whose power is disappearing very, very quickly. Watch the early scenes where he tries to reposition himself and his business. The loss of power is painful, humiliating and embarrassing to witness.
What do you think of Jerry’s early power? Is it real? If it is, then why doesn’t it fulfill him?
As the story unfolds we see a real maturation of a character. There are many themes in this movie, not least the importance of authenticity, the importance of relationships, and of love. But the theme I’d like you to consider is the one of power – autonomy, self-actualisation, strength, the capacity to cope with change and the ability to grasp what needs addressed and to become a consciously active player in your own life.
This is a story of how someone finds their true power and in the process grows a whole better life.
Take a look at two of the main characters – Jerry Maguire and Dorothy Boyd. What do you think about how they experience their losses of power, and how they gain it?
Jerry Maguire
