He Writes the Best Male Film Characters

Just watched Elizabethtown again on cable today and, I have to admit, I like that movie. Come to think of it, I like almost everything that Cameron Crowe wrote and/or directed. Here are my faves and why I like them, besides having the greatest soundtracks ever:

1. Fast Times at Ridgemont High - the ultimate high school movie of the 80's and Jeff Spicoli (need I say more). Crowe wrote the book and the screenplay but Amy Heckerling directed this movie (she also directed Clueless - the high school movie of the 90's).
   
2. Say Anything... - Lloyd Dobler holding the boombox over his head with Peter Gabriel playing loudly and him trembling uncontrollably after he first sleeps with Diane.
   
3. Singles - hey, if you grew up in the 80's with Cameron Crowe's movies, you feel like his characters are growing up with you. This movie focuses on twenty-something's still searching for love and their identities. Campbell Scott as Steve is such a likable character compared to Matt Dillon's Cliff.
   
4. Jerry Maguire - okay, I'm not a Tom Cruise fan but "Show me the money!" and "You had me at hello" are pretty good lines. Watching the main character transform from an ass to a (hopefully) decent man is something that's rarely seen in mainstream movies.
   
5. Almost Famous - has to be my favorite Crowe film. If you haven't seen it, rent it! The cast is great, the storytelling is wonderful, the music is awesome, and it's a feel good movie that drags you through the scuzz of 70's rock-n-roll scene. The complicated relationship between Russell (the rock-n-roll god), William (the 15-year-old genius) and Penny Lane (the girl in between) is an honest portrayal of how friendships can be formed and broken so easily.
   
6. Elizabethtown - this movie is about journeys - a father's death, a major career failure, finding love and a literal road trip. Orlando Bloom plays Drew Baylor as vulnerable as the director intended him to.

And, yes, I purposely excluded Vanilla Sky from my list. I don't dislike that movie but it's just not one of my faves. Cameron Crowe directed the English version but the original Spanish film was written and directed by Alejandro Amenabar (Abre Los Ojos). Maybe Crowe can't connect with characters that he didn't create? And, maybe that's why I don't like it as much as I like the others.