Writer/director Cameron Crowe is best known for his romantic comedies- namely Say Anything, Jerry Maguire, and Almost Famous- and tear-inducing lines like ‘You complete me’ and ‘You had me at hello.’ What’s not as well know is the motivational messages found in Crowe’s films. Nearly all his movies, in fact, have characters trumpeting the virtues of being bold and taking risks. Yes, the author of Fast Times at Ridgemont High– and creator of the iconic Spicoli- is really (egads) a self-help guru. Here’s my top ten Crowisms… with apologies for Elizabethtown, hardly the trophy of his oeuvre, making three appearances (blame the plot, which revolves around a mammoth failure and is therefore ripe with encouraging badinage).

WE BOUGHT A ZOO: You know, sometimes all you need is 20 seconds of insane courage. Just, literally, 20 seconds of just embarrassing bravery. And I promise you, something great will come of it.                                                                                   

ELIZABETHTOWN: No true fiasco ever began as a quest for mere adequacy. A motto of the British Special Air Force is: ‘Those who risk, win.’                                 

SAY ANYTHING: Nobody thinks it will work, do they?/No. You just described every great success story.

VANILLA SKY: Every passing minute is another chance to turn it all around.

JERRY MAGUIRE: That’s how you become great, man. Hang your balls out there!         

ELIZABETHTOWN: You failed. You think I care about that? I do understand. You wanna be really great? Then have the courage to fail big and stick around. Make them wonder why you’re still. 

FAST TIMES AT RIDGEMONT HIGH: That’s what I do. I mean I just send out this vibe and I have personally found that women do respond. I mean, something happens./Well, naturally something happens. I mean, you put the vibe out to 30 million chicks, something is gonna happen./That’s the idea, Rat. That’s the attitude. 

VANILLA SKY: Most of us live our whole lives… without any real adventure to call our own.

ALMOST FAMOUS: I didn’t invent the rainy day, man. I just own the best umbrella.     

ELIZABETHTOWN: You have five minutes to wallow in the delicious misery. Enjoy it, embrace it, discard it. And proceed.