In the movie "Jerry Maguire," Scientologist Tom Cruise takes the title role as an ultra slick sports agent.

Maguire gets a twang of conscience after visiting an injured hockey player client in the hospital. The player's son is unimpressed with Jerry's handling (which is to say non-handling) of the situation, and tells him so, in no uncertain terms.

Soon after, Jerry stays up most of the night and writes a "Mission Statement," which he distributes to the agency personnel. This soul-searching document questions their commitment to the long term welfare of their clients, and suggests that the agency and the clients would be better served if the company had fewer clients. Maximizing dollars should not be the only issue. (Why not? It works for Scientology.)

Apparently, there is a harsh corporate policy against mission statements, because Jerry is fired the very next day! To make matters worse (and hard to understand) he is identified as a founder of the organization, but is fired by a young hotshot he hired.

Nobody stays on his side except Dorothy, a single-mom bookkeeper, who had always admired him from afar. The two agree to form a new agency, hoping to pick up many of Jerry's former clients. Things don't quite work out, though, and Jerry ends up with a single client: wide receiver Rod Tidwell. This athlete agrees to stay with him --for the moment--if Jerry can "Show him the money."

POINT OF ORDER: If Jerry is so great, how did he lose all his clients? This is never explained, but since it is essential to the plot, we must let it go.

Jerry and Dorothy really struggle in the business, but build a relationship, after Jerry's girlfriend dumps him. In fact, Jerry and Dorothy get married. Dorothy confesses that she fell in love with him because of the mission statement. Honest.

Then comes the big disappointment. Jerry's sure thing signing of a big-time football prospect falls through. The turncoat naturally goes with the bad guy former agency. (Maybe there was a reason Jerry got fired.)

It's panic time. If Jerry doesn't get a super deal for Tidwell, he's dead. To make matters worse, he doesn't know if he still loves Dorothy. After all, they've been married a few weeks, by now.

Jerry keeps bugging Tidwell's team, but they feel that Rod is playing below his potential.

Everything is resolved during a game, when Tidwell makes a circus catch in the end zone. He falls to the turf but doesn't get up--for a long time. Everyone is terribly concerned. But, this is Hollywood. Not to worry. It turns out that he is just luxuriating in the moment and is unhurt.

Tidwell gets the big contract, Jerry rediscovers that he loves Dorothy, and everything is sweetness and light.

But wait a minute. It WAS all about money, after all. The team shows Rod the money, and everything is A-OK. I'm confused. What about the injured hockey player? What if Tidwell really had gotten hurt on that play?

Where is Maguire's personal concern for his client, or his wife, for that matter? Hey...it'll happen. Just show him the money.