Cameron Crowe has been one of the most well-respected filmmakers in Hollywood over the past three decades. After making a name for himself as a screenwriter behind the classic '80s teen comedy Fast Times at Ridgemont High, Crowe proved his directorial acumen by the end of the decade with his feature directorial debut, Say Anything.
After scoring a few more hits in the 1990s, Crowe won an Academy Award for Best Original Screenplay for his 2000 semi-autobiographical road drama Almost Famous. However, critics and filmgoers alike have not been too kind to Crowe's body of work over the past decade or so.
10 Aloha (2015) — 20%
Aloha is not only the lowest-rated movie of Crowe's directorial canon to date, but it also suffered severe public backlash for whitewashing the lead Chinese character Allison Ng (Emma Stone).
Also written by Crowe, the film follows U.S. Defense Contractor Brian Gilcrest (Bradley Cooper), who returns to Hawaii to organize a ceremony and admire his biggest accomplishments. Once there, he slowly falls for the lippy Air Force chaperone, Allison Ng, while catching up with his former girlfriend Tracy (Rachel McAdams).
9 Elizabethtown (2005) — 28%
Orlando Bloom stars a depressed rich cordwainer who, on the brink of committing suicide due to a massive financial failure at work, receives a phone call that his father passed away.
Instead of joining his father in the grave, Drew returns home to Elizabethtown, Kentucky to pay his respects. Upon arrival, Drew meets Claire (Kirsten Dunst), a wise and wily young lady who seems to have all the answers to Drew's problems. As Claire opens Drew's heart and mind, the grief-stricken young man begins to find a ray of hope.
8 Vanilla Sky (2001) — 42%
In this remake of Alejandro Amenábar's 1997 film Open Your Eyes— also starring Penélope Cruz— Vanilla Sky finds Tom Cruise an arrogant publishing tycoon who tells his life story in flashback from a prison cell.
Trapped in a confusing vortex of lucid dreams, David (Cruise) becomes involved in a scheme to find a cure for terminal illnesses while he wears a prosthetic mask to shroud his true identity. Paul McCartney wrote the title track for the film, which earned Oscar and Golden Globe nominations.
7 We Bought A Zoo (2011) — 65%
The most recent movie of Crowe's to receive decent critical reviews is We Bought a Zoo, a story he adapted from Benjamin Mee's autobiographical book of the same name.
Matt Damon stars as Mee, a father in Southern California who decides to refurbish a moldering zoo with his two children. His daughter Rosie (Maggie Elizabeth Jones) is ecstatic over the prospect, but his son Dylan (Colin Ford) is not. Benjamin hires Kelly (Scarlett Johansson) to help renovate and run the zoo, which ultimately brings the family closer than ever before.
6 Pearl Jam Twenty (2011) — 68%
As a former Rolling Stone journalist, Crowe has made a few music documentaries in his day, but none have reached the same level of critical acclaim as Pearl Jam Twenty.
Just as it sounds, the film is a celebration of the Seattle grunge band's 20th anniversary in the music industry. Eddie Vedder and the other band members are on hand to recount their rise from obscurity to becoming one of the most popular American bands of the 1990s.
5 Fast Times At Ridgemont High (1982) — 78%
Although the film was directed by Amy Heckerling, Fast Times At Ridgemont High remains one of Crowe's most memorable movies to date. Crowe adapted the screenplay for the film from his own book of the same name, the success of which immediately launched his career in Hollywood.
The movie follows an assortment of high school teenagers as they deal with adolescent angst tied to school, sex, drugs, relationships, and dead-end jobs.
4 Singles (1992) — 79%
In his second feature film as a director, Crowe avoided the sophomore slump that often dogs young filmmakers with the well-received Singles. Set in Seattle, the film follows a collection of lonely twenty-somethings living in the same apartment complex as they struggle to navigate romantic commitment.
Starring Matt Dillon, Bridget Fonda, Kyra Sedgwick, and Bill Pullman, Singles was praised for its authentic depiction of a very specific time and place— namely the Seattle grunge scene which is reinforced through the soundtrack featuring Pearl Jam, Soundgarden, Alice in Chains, et al.
3 Jerry Maguire (1996) — 83%
Crowe earned the first Oscar nods of his career for producing and writing Jerry Maguire, an emotionally resonant rom-com nominated for Best Picture in 1997. Cuba Gooding Jr. was named Best Supporting Actor for his role in the film.
Jerry Maguire (Tom Cruise) is a sports-agent whose career is on the rocks. Struggling to find new clients, Maguire starts his own agency with his former colleague, Dorothy (Renee Zellweger). When Maguire begins spending more time with Dorothy and her son Ray (Jonathan Lipnicki), he realizes there is more to life than his job.
2 Almost Famous (2000) — 89%
In terms of honors and awards, Almost Famous is Crowe's crowning achievement. The film earned Crowe an Academy Award for Best Screenplay Directly Written for the Screen.
The semi-autobiographical road movie follows William Miller (Patrick Fugit), a high-schooler afforded the opportunity to write a band profile for Rolling Stone magazine. Miller hits the road with fictional '70s rock band Stillwater, learning the tricks of the trade along the way. When William falls for "band aid" Penny Lane (Kate Hudson), his outlook on life is forever changed.
1 Say Anything... (1989) — 98%
According to Rotten Tomatoes, Crowe's first film as a director is still his best. Say Anything features John Cusack as lovelorn high-school student Lloyd Dobler, a generic everyman who gets a chance to date the smartest girl in school.
When Lloyd summons the courage to ask Diane Court (Ione Skye) out for a date, he's shocked at her acceptance. They slowly forge a romantic bond, which becomes threatened by Diane's lengthy scholastic trip abroad. As Lloyd tries to win over Diane's overprotective father, Diane must decide what she truly wants in life.
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