Cameron Crowe

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Sometimes, all you need is a Cameron Crowe movie

By Jason McKinnon on | From jaymckinnon.com

Cameron Crowe’s films have always been hit or miss for me. I had high expectations for films like Vanilla Sky and Elizabethtown but they didn’t inspire me like Jerry Maguire and Almost Famous. The thing about Cameron’s work is that it’s easy to love if you fall for the wonderful characters he creates.

Sometimes All You Need is a cameron crowe movie

That’s the genius of his writing. Whether you love his characters or not you can’t deny how real and relatable they are in their own unique way. For me, Jerry Maguire and Almost Famous are absolute masterpieces and I constantly hold them up as examples of the type of screenwriter I strive to be.

So with the release of the trailer for his next film ‘We Bought A Zoo’, I have high hopes once again that his work will inspire my writing once more.

Jerry Maguire

As a movie fan addicted to screenwriting and a sports nut, it doesn’t get much better than Cameron Crowe’s ‘you had me at hello’ sports agent. I loved Jerry Maguire.

While the entire film is spectacular, it’s the first 15 minutes that inspire. I am a writer after all and watching Tom Cruise piece together his memo (or mission statement) always makes me feel like writing. The idea of seizing a creative burst and filling countless pages with passionate thoughts you believe in is an incredible feeling.

Jerry Maguire Not a memo a mission statement

“It was the oddest most unexpected thing…”

Screenwriters around the world know what it’s like to pull an all-nighter solo with nothing but silence and darkness for company. It’s just you, your story and a glowing screen. The next morning you wake up refreshed but also terrified that your work might not be accepted when you send it out into the world. But you’re proud regardless because you didn’t let the opportunity slip away.

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Almost Famous

I loved Almost Famous for similar reasons. Here is a young writer who wants nothing more than to accomplish his goal of becoming a rock writer.

I love listening to the characters talk about what music means to them. It makes it so easy to love the story when it deals with passion and creativity. As a screenwriter, I love how one article could make or break William’s chances at success. Every word has to be carefully selected. Every quote skillfully chosen. Does he stay true to himself and take the honest approach or risk disappointing the editor of Rolling Stone in exchange for social acceptance.

It’s that choice that inspires me. Writing is hard after all and while I mainly write fiction, the characters are real to me. I owe it to them to be honest and choose every single word carefully. It’s the same way I feel when I’m watching these two films.

We Bought a Zoo

I hope this film will find it’s way next to Jerry Maguire and Almost Famous on my shelf. Who knows how I will relate to the film. The same can be said for any movie really. Fans of film spend their entire lives looking for the special moments that light up their imaginations. Cameron Crowe is responsible for several moments like that but there is always room for more.