The only true currency in this bankrupt world is what we share with someone else when we're uncool.

It's all happening! This is a recurring line in Almost Famous. As is the concept of rock music being your home. This is the definitive movie for any fan of classic rock. It captures the feeling of loving rock. This is how I feel when I listen to classic rock. I can barely even express how this movie makes me feel. It is like nothing else in popular cinema. And the soundtrack. The sheer amazingness of the music of Almost Famous is almost unspeakable. The Who, Led Zeppelin, Elton John, all used brilliantly. The music all feels perfect for the scenes in which it is used. And the scene on the bus. The Tiny Dancer scene, one of the greatest scenes in a movie of the past 15 years. I well up every single time. There is something more than I can explain in that scene. The music can bring people together and transcend the fights and the mistakes. Music can help people.

And my second favourite scene: on the plane when they think they are going to crash. The things people will say, the truth comes out. It is another moment of brilliance that can ring some bells about the things we keep to ourselves and the things we want to say. It is about people. About life. There are real emotions in this movie.

The character of Penny Lane is also a breath of fresh air in otherwise stale cinematic women. She is different. She is both independent and vulnerable. She loves the music and she lives her life. She might not make the best decisions, but she feels real. Unfortunately Kate Hudson has not had another role this good since this film. I saw something in her that I don't often see in big deal, mainstream movies. She gets it. The absolute all-consuming love for rock and roll. A time before I was even alive this I miss like crazy. I wish I could have been there.

I wish I could have lived William's life. Touring with the band, writing for Rolling Stone magazine. Learning about life. He was so young and naive and dealt with situations far beyond what he was ready for. And he was living his life. They all were. It was a special time in music. Patrick Fugit has the perfect face for this role. I honestly don't understand why he doesn't have more of a career. And Frances McDormand as his mother is pure genius, as expected. She is overprotective, but William is her 15 year old son. She is fantastic. 

Of course, the feeling of truth of the movie is likely there because this is loosely based on a time in writer/director Cameron Crowe's life, but that doesn't make it any less amazing. Also, I love Cameron Crowe. Say Anything, Singles, Jerry Maguire, Elizabethtown and of course Almost Famous all occupy places on my DVD shelf and I love them all. They all represent a slice of life that feels real to me, something I can relate to.

I generally hate when people ask me what my favourite movie is. It is too impossibly difficult to pick just one. But I think Almost Famous would make my top 5.