Jerry Maguire Page #9

MATT CUSHMAN'S VOICE

No sports agents allowed! Ha ha.

Jerry spots the small electronic camera pointed at him from

the upper-corner of this rustic home. The door buzzes.

INT. CUSHMAN HALLWAY/DEN -- DAY

Jerry follows the voice down a hallway loaded with Cush

memorabilia. Righteous indignation building.

MATT CUSHMAN'S VOICE

I'm in the back den, Jerry.

He moves into the den, finding MATT CUSHMAN, 40, who stands

at the living room bar. Two framed game jerseys on the wall.

A large draped American flag above the bar. He is a J. Crew

cowboy.

MATT:

You like a Bloody Beer, Jerry?

Beer and tomato juice --

_

46.

JERRY:

No thanks.

Maguire takes a breath, and sharply begins his pitch.

JERRY:

(continuing)

Matt, I came here because in all

honesty your son is just another

piece of cattle to SMI. But to

me --

MATT:

(overlapping)

We decided to stay with you.

On pure instinct, he hugs Matt Cushman. The move surprises

them both. And somewhere out of nowhere, come a few

surprising tears of relief. He has been spared.

JERRY:

Oh, thank you.

MATT:

Told myself -- if he shows up,

we'll stick with him.

JERRY:

You know, I'm not a hugger and

yet... I can't let go.

Matt laughs, as Cush lopes in from the kitchen. Little

brother KEITH, 14, enters with him.

CUSH:

Hey, Jerry, what's been going on?

INT. DEN -- LATER DAY -- HANDHELD

Cush, Matt and Jerry brainstorm around the ceremonial "wagon-

wheel table" where decisions are made in this house. Jerry

is giddy, charged up, a part of the human race again.

MATT:

I want him to go number one in the

draft, and I want him to play.

JERRY:

It's either going to be Denver or

San Diego trading up to take him.

CUSH:

(big grin)

Hell, I'll either surf or ski. I

don't care.

_

47.

MATT:

Denver is where he should be.

JERRY:

I'll give it everything.

MATT:

You know I don't do "contracts."

But'cha do have my word, and it's

stronger than oak.

Jerry toasts Matt with a bloody beer. A good day.

INT. RENT-A-CAR/TEXAS -- DAY

Jerry drives back on the same bumpy road. On the radio, it's

the Rolling Stones. He wants to sing along. He thinks he

knows the words, but...

JERRY:

(sings)

Feelin...

He realizes he doesn't know the words at all. He switches

channels. Finds a Rush song, with ornate lyrics. No one will

ever know what the words are. He switches again and finds

"Let's Groove Tonight" by Earth, Wind and Fire. Excellent.

He begins singing nonsense noises, passionately. Switches

again. All he wants is to sing along with a song he knows.

Finally he finds Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers' "Refugee."

He drives through the countryside, singing the call and

response of the song, like a happy idiot.

INT. DALLAS/FT. WORTH AIRPORT -- DAY

Jerry turns into shot. He's on the pay-phone. He's jacked.

JERRY:

Dorothy? Jerry Maguire! Is Avery

there? Where can I reach her?

INTERCUT:

INT. DOROTHY/LAUREL'S HOUSE -- DAY

Dorothy is at her home work desk. Curious and nervous about

the new arrangement.

DOROTHY:

Uh, she had to fly to Atlanta,

didn't leave me her hotel number.

_

48.

Through the back kitchen door comes CHAD THE NANNY, 29, red

hair cropped above the ear. Baggy overalls. Slipping through

life with little turbulence. He's with Ray, who holds pieces

of wood and a hammer.

CHAD:

The new playhouse rocks, Dotty.

RAY:

(jumping)

Yeah!

DOROTHY:

Honey -- later, okay?

(Ray jumps on her)

Whoop. Wait.

JERRY:

Hello?

DOROTHY:

(back to phone)

Sorry, that's my son and the

nanny. I had the calls transferred

to my home so I could go over your

stuff.

Chad now notices the slight excited tone in her demeanor. He

sits down nearby and listens to her talk to Maguire.

JERRY:

No, that's fine. What calls came

in today?

DOROTHY:

Wait. That's yesterday, from the

other office. Today is...

She flips the call record from yesterday --150 calls -- to

today, which is blank.

DOROTHY:

(continuing)

... light.

JERRY:

Sh*t, it's just so frustrating to

not be able to talk to Avery --

AVERY:

Wait a minute, it has to be one of

the NFL hotels we do business

with -- let me look -- but in the

meantime, about this job --

_

49.

She reaches over Ray to get to her laptop and buzzes through

a list of phone numbers. Jerry can't help but share the qood

news:

JERRY:

(importantly)

Dorothy, let me tell you

something, we are back. We are so

very very back. I re-signed Cush.

We're set.

DOROTHY:

We are?

JERRY:

It's all going to work.

DOROTHY:

I just got goosebumps.

She examines her own skin with surprise.

JERRY:

(manic, quiet)

It's all going to work. We're

going to save the world.

DOROTHY:

Well, I'm happy for you.

JERRY:

Happy for us.

Oddly, the phrase affects her physically.

DOROTHY:

Happy for us... okay. Here's the

number. 404-453-2222.

JERRY:

Thanks.

DOROTHY:

Call me later, hon.

She hangs up, and looks over to Laurel and Chad. Both of them

stare at her.

DOROTHY:

(continuing)

Wait. Did I just say "hon" to him?

CHAD:

(laughing)

Yeah, Dotty. You did.

_

50.

DOROTHY:

Twenty six years old. I'm already

saying "hon". Hug your mother

quickly --

Chad looks at her, something is different about Dorothy.

Laurel walks away, sharing a look with Chad.

INT. DALLAS AIRPORT -- DAY

Jerry is now teeming with energy, professional and sexual.

JERRY:

Avery, I signed Cush. Again.

INTERCUT:

INT. ATLANTA HOTEL SUITE -- DAY

Avery in mid-conference with four other NFL men in background.

AVERY:

YA-HOOOO-SIE!

It is the victory call of the competitive girl, and she falls

back into a chair, kicking her expensive shoes onto the bed.

In the b.g. we see the hungry look of her male co-workers.

Part of them lusts after her. The larger part knows she

would demolish them, and pick her teeth with their bones.

JERRY:

I know. Sorry I threw a scare

into our lives there --

AVERY:

Don't worry about it -- I never

told you what I thought of that

memo either --

JERRY:

Well, no you didn't --

AVERY:

You lost your head, it happens.

(quickly)

I'm so f***in jazzed! Listen.

I'm going to have to fly to

Chicago tomorrow, how 'bout if we

meet in the Dallas airport and we

all fly into New York together for

the draft?

JERRY:

It's a plan -- --

_

51.

AVERY:

I'll set it up with your girl.

Woo! This is when it's good,

Jerry. Enjoy it. Live it. Love

it. And when I see you, I'm going

to give you the best blow job of

your life.

He hangs up, staring at the phone. In the room with Avery,

the co-workers look at each other. She is far, far out of

their league.

INT. DOROTHY'S CAR -- LATER MORNING -- DRIVING

Dorothy Boyd speeds Jerry to the airport, the electricity

fills the car. On the radio, a sports station debates the

future of Cushman. as Jerry whips through a stack of sports

pages.

DOROTHY:

Avery'll meet you at the B gate at

4:
15. Don't be late. Tidwell will

already be there.

JERRY:

(nods to Ray)

Hey, man, you know they have big

balloons built into cars?

RAY:

No.

JERRY:

They do, my brother.

Rate this script:5.0 / 1 vote