The only true currency in this bankrupt world… is what you share with someone else when you’re uncool. -Lester Bangs

Let’s talk about my favorite movie of all time.

For years and years, when people asked me what my favorite movie was, I had no idea what to answer. I love movies, I am all about movies. I have been ever since I was a kid. I will watch just about anything. So naturally, when asked that question, I would tell whoever that there were “way too many to pick just one”. As I got older, my answer to that question would depend on the people I was with. If I was with cool kids, it would be whatever Will Ferrell movie was out at the time. If I was with arty people, it would be whatever terrible, controversial, foreign film was out at the time. You now how it goes. It is very strange how your choice in movies can define you.

When I realized that little fact above, I started thinking twice about my choice for favorite movie. If my choice defines me, don’t I want a trendy, awful movie telling people who I am. So one night, during my sophomore year of college, I sat down and really thought about it. What movie really says something to me? What movie means something to me? And it didn’t take long to settle on Almost Famous.

Almost Famous is pretty much a loose autobiography written and directed by Cameron Crowe. It’s about a 15 year old nerdy kid who grew up in an oppressive, single parent household. He is a writer, who loves rock and roll. After incessantly submitting his stories to various magazines (something I have actually done), he ends up getting hired by Rolling Stone to follow a band called Stillwater and write an article about them. He becomes friend with the band and the groupies (“We are NOT groupies! WE are Band-Aids”), one in particular named Penny Lane. Long story short, he grows up and learns a bunch of stuff. I can’t really accurately describe the wonderful nature of this movie on my lame blog. Go watch it.

This movie changed me. After watching it, it sort of changed my outlook on things. This nerdy kid grew up to be CAMERON CROWE! If he could do it, what is stopping me? I wanted to go on adventures with rock stars and write for Rolling Stone! It kind of inspired me to dream big, to break out of my small town mode, where everybody had these simple expectations of me. It made me want to do BIG things. Not really tour with rock bands and do drugs and sleep with groupies, because that is not really me, but to do something truly awesome. And even though right now I am a lame low-life and a temp. job that I hate, I still believe that maybe I could still do something great.

Have any movies ever inspired you guys?