Jerry Maguire Page #5

DOOLER:

I like that guy.

(The movie, which plays simultaneously with the conversation,

is a Hi-8 confessional of Jerry's former girlfriends.

MICHAEL JORDAN is cut into this, nodding, as if he were

actually interviewing. The effect is funny, but the

confessions are brutally honest. There is The One He Was Too

Good For, The One He Wasn't Good Enough For ("He hated being

alone.") The Still in Love Girlfriend, The Punk Rock

girlfriend ("Sports makes me ill"), The Now Married With Kids

Girlfriend, The Cynical Girlfriend ("Beneath the cute

exterior, more cute exterior.") The Purely Sexual Girlfriend,

The Brainy Girlfriend, ("Great at friendship, bad at

intimacy") and even the Girlfriend Who Does A Great Jerry

Imitation (rubbing her face, she does a flawless Jerry-on-his-

way-to-the-airport). All seem to agree on some basic points

(and if necessary maybe Jordan narrates the following

information to underscore it.) Jerry always has a

girlfriend, and many met him on the first day he'd broken up

with the last one. The relationship always competes with his

job, and the job always wins. The final confrontation

happens somewhere around the 18-month mark. Sequence ends

with Avery in character, wielding a blowtorch, threatening to

burn all these old phone numbers.)

JERRY:

(wounded good sport)

... this is... uh... too funny...

DOOLER:

They ain't laughing, man.

Something's wrong.

Jerry nods, takes a swig of beer. He knows the response is

little more than polite. None of the other agents can keep

eye contact with him. Dooler is right. On the screen, the

finale features a good-humored collage of Jerry photos, cut

to music.

INT. SMI OFFICE -- DAY

Elevator doors open. Maguire is now paranoid. He walks

through the buzzing SMI headquarters, heading for his corner

office. He is like an FBI man searching treetops and corners

for the Gunman. Everywhere he looks is a potential Grassy

Knoll.

_

24.

He passes Fellow Agents, always smiling, giving a word of

encouragement to an Agent having an emotional hallway

conversation with an Athlete, even bends down to check the

sheet of slides being approved by a very large but seated

Basketball Player. Moving forward. There is trouble in the

air, but only he seems to sense it. He turns corner and is

met by assistant WENDY, who hands him a long list of calls.

The sheet flaps against his leg as she moves with him toward

his back office.

WENDY:

(as in 'get ready')

Marcee's here. She's already in

your office.

JERRY:

Thanks, Wendy.

INT. JERRY MAGUIRE'S OFFICE -- DAY

Jerry enters his corner office overlooking both the shiny

waters of Newport Beach and a large mall parking lot. Already

standing, reading the mail on his desk is lively MARCEE

TIDWELL, 25. African-American, gorgeous, a heat-seeking

smartbomb. She is also five months pregnant.

JERRY:

Marcee. How's my favorite

player's wife?

MARCEE:

Jerry, Rod is very very upset.

Tyson, no!

Across the room, 4 year-old menace TYSON ceases trying to pry

a plexiglass case off the wall.

JERRY:

Tyson, hello.

Tyson just stares at Jerry. Jerry has little luck with kids.

He gives Marcee a quick peck and heads for the fridge. He

grabs a two-pint bottle of orange Gatorade -- another

habit -- and sits down at his desk. He slips into crisis

mode like an old shirt.

JERRY:

(continuing)

How can I make your life better?

MARCEE:

I know you say to take the Arizona

offer, but my husband needs more

recognition.

(more)

_

25.

MARCEE (cont'd)

He is the biggest, fastest,

raddest wide-receiver in the

league. Now I don't know what you

do for your four-percent

--The door opens, Bob Sugar pokes his head in.

SUGAR:

Cronin's okay for lunch?

JERRY:

Marcee -- this is one of our

agents. This is Bob Sugar, who

needs to learn to knock.

SUGAR:

Pleasure.

MARCEE:

You've called our house, right?

SUGAR:

Sorry to interrupt you guys.

Sugar exits. Marcee resumes at the exact point, at the exact

level of intensity.

MARCEE:

Now I don't know what you do for

your five-percent, but this man,

my husband has a whole plan, an

image... we majored in marketing,

Jerry, and when you put him in a

Waterbed Warehouse commercial,

excuse me, you are making him

common. He is pure gold and

you're giving him "Waterbed

Warehouse" when he deserves the

big four -- shoe, car, clothing-

line, soft-drink. The four jewels

of the celebrity endorsement

dollar.

Jerry finds himself admiring her drive, and she commands the

best in him. The desk buzzes, and Jerry ignores it.

MARCEE:

(continuing)

You gonna get that --

JERRY:

Not a chance.

She smiles.

_26.

JERRY:

(continuing)

Marcee, things are changing around

here. You and Rod will have my

total personal attention.

MARCEE:

(upping the ante)

Damn right, and you can start by

taking Rod's poster and putting it

where people can see it!

JERRY:

(it's infectious)

Damn right.

He climbs up on the edge of his sofa, and reaches for the

poster with his hanging device. True to Marcee's complaint,

the poster hangs in the upper Siberian region of his wall.

MARCEE:

Look at that handsome man, trying

to build a life up there by the

air-conditioner. We're coming to

get ya, darlin! We are so close

to having it all!

ON THE POSTER -- CLOSE

It is the kind of poster that is strictly the domain of

second-tier players. Commanding wide-receiver ROD TIDWELL,

27, stands shirtless, hands on hips, looking vaguelyl

uncomfortable. Emplazoned above his head: IN ROD WE TRUST.

Elsewhere in the room, we hear the inevitable crash

("Tyson!").

EXT. CRONIN'S GRILL -- AFTERNOON

Crowded outdoor restaurant in the business district. Jerry

sits down opposite Bob Sugar, still making a few notes.

JERRY:

Gimme a second here... Tidwell...

Arizona contract... new glass

cabinet...

SUGAR:

You okay?

JERRY:

(looking up)

I'm fine. What's up?

SUGAR:

I came here to let you go.

_

27.

JERRY:

Pardon me?

SUGAR:

Came here to fire you, Jerry.

For a long moment there is only silence. They study each

other. These are two smart boys, each one anticipating the

other's next three or four moves.

SUGAR:

(continuing)

It's real, Jerry. You... you

should say something.

Suddenly he's flushed, a little embarrassed.

JERRY:

Aw sh*t...the crowded

restaurant... so there's no

scene...

SUGAR:

I know. It sucks. I suck.

In a back room, the waiters are singing the restaurant's

"Birthday Song" to someone else. Jerry is dying.

JERRY:

You...

SUGAR:

(razor sharp)

You did this to yourself. You

said "fewer clients." You put it

all on paper. Scully was very

upset. Heart attacks make some

people sweeter, but not him. You

did this to yourself --

Jerry's mouth opens to finish his sentence, but before he can

speak, Sugar continues.

SUGAR:

(continuing)

-- although I do gotta hand it to

you. For about five minutes you

had everyone applauding smaller

revenues.

Quietly, Maguire finishes the sentence he started earlier.

JERRY:

You... ungrateful... unctuous...

_

28.

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