Show Me The Writing

The year is 1970. A young boy, looking to escape boredom and an oppresive mother, leaves his San Diego home to go on the road with a rock band and report back to a rock magazine. The scenario served as the basis for one of my all-time favorite movies "Almost Famous" and is based on the life of one of my favorite writers, Cameron Crowe.

Crowe grew up a very bright child and as a result of skipping grades, was several years younger than his high school classmates. To make up for lacking in the social life department, he joined his high school newspaper and by age 13 was writing for a local San Diego rock newspaper. He graduated high school by age 15 and while on a trip to LA, met Ben Fong Torres, who hired Crowe to write for Rolling Stone. He shortly joined the magazine staff becoming Contributing Editor and Associate Editor. He was, and still is, the magazines all-time youngest contributor.

Crowe was a fan of a lot of 70's hard rock bands and would write about bands the older writers hated. It was this reason he would get a lot of major interviews. In an interview with the San Francisco Chronicle Fong-Torres remarked, ""He was the guy we sent out after some difficult customers. He covered the bands that hated Rolling Stone."

At age 22, Crowe felt a career change was needed. When Rolling Stone moved from LA to NY, Crowe stayed behind to work on a book idea he had. It was about a young guy posing as a high school student and the types of kids at the school. "Fast Times At Ridgemont High" was optioned as a movie before the book even came out. And a career as a screenwriter was born.

Crowe is responsible for some of my favorite movies. Aside from "Almost Famous" and "Elizabethtown", Crowe wrote and directed "Jerry Maguire". "Jerry Maguire" is the story of a egocentric, money driven sports agent who develops a conscience and realizes he has a heart and soul. Heart and soul are at the center of most Cameron Crowe movies. From Penny Lane to Rod Tidwell, Crowe writes characters and stories that are funny and have heart. He shows the human and funny side of life.

Cameron Crowe is a hero to me as a writer and as someone who knew what he wanted to do from the get go! He lived his dream, reinventied himself and continues to be succesful to this day. I hope to someday read a review of my screenplay and have it remind the reviewer of Cameron Crowe! Like this post? Please share it, bookmark it or leave a comment.