Jerry Maguire (1996)

Any idea what Tom Cruise said when they offered him the role of Jerry Maguire? “SHOW ME THE MONEY!!” All jokes aside, Cruise must have jumped at the chance to play this wise-cracking NBA agent after reading Cameron Crowe’s fantastic script. As the title suggests, the film focuses on Mr. Maguire – a loud-mouth, big-shot who after being unceremoniously fired from an international sports management company, decides to get his life together and is joined on his journey of soul-searching by his only remaining client, Rod Tidwell (Cuba Gooding Jr.), and wistful single mother/possible love interest Dorothy Boyd (Renée Zellweger).

Though the film is set within the world of American Football, Cruise’s central performance helps it focus on his character’s journey of self-reflection, relatable to all walks of life.