In the film Jerry Maguire, Jerry is presented as a successful but troubled man. At the time, he has a fiancée named Avery. However, as the film progresses he develops an emotional connection for Dorothy and her son Ray. This sense of connection stems from the emotional support that Dorothy offers Jerry through troubled stage. Later his feelings for Dorothy get deeper, so he leaves his fiancée Avery. Though Jerry is still emotionally unstable, he marries Dorothy with quick pace. This film does not define love as that of a traditional story of archetypal love between two young people who are in a rough situation but make love possible. Rather, the couple is older and they both face adult issues such as being a single mother and an emotionally unstable man. Love is made possible through the emotional support that Dorothy offers Jerry, and the father figure that Jerry offers Dorothy’s son Ray.
In an attempt to get rid of his stress, Jerry writes a mission statement about to better serve his clients. Dorothy feels “inspired” by his mission statement. The mission statement is the reason that Dorothy feels closer to Jerry, and so when Jerry gets fired from his job, Dorothy leaves with him. Then, they begin to work together. However, Jerry continues to feel troubled by his state of unemployment and turns to Avery for support. Avery is not a very emotionally supportive type of woman so she neglects him. Thus, Jerry goes to Dorothy for support. Throughout the movie, Dorothy is always willing to support Jerry through his troubles.
Initially, Jerry’s primary concern is his client Rod Tidwell and his job as a sports manager. Nevertheless, Jerry enjoys Dorothy’s companionship and support so he continues to seek her compassion. Dorothy learns that she has a secure job in San Diego and tells Jerry that she might need to leave. Since Jerry is attached to her supportiveness, he leaves his fiancée and asks Dorothy to marry him. At the time Jerry is not in love with Dorothy, and when Dorothy finds out she breaks up the relationship. At the end of the film Jerry realizes that he cannot be without his wife and asks her to take him back. Of course, Dorothy is very much in love with his so she takes him back without doubt.
The film defines love between two people as an emotionally attached and emotionally supportive type of relationship. Jerry is the emotionally attached and Dorothy is the emotionally supportive which is probably due to being a single mother. Even though Dorothy is presented as the more emotionally stable in the relationship, she is seen as submissive to Jerry when she takes him back without doubt. Thus, love is also defined as the woman supporting the man at his every request. In effect, love is made possible as long as the woman continues to be supportive of the man, and the man can come back whenever he needs the woman. Also, Dorothy and Jerry both fit each other’s needs due to the state of their lives (Dorothy a single mother and Jerry in need of emotional support) which made them the perfect ingredients to each other’s love story.
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