There's a script in development in Hollywood right now called Untitled Cameron Crowe Project. I don't think I've heard a more promising film title all year.

It's been three years since Crowe's last film, Elizabethtown, and eight years since his last indisputably great film, Almost Famous. During that time, Hollywood has given us over thirty watered-down, PG-13-rated horror movies; seven ghastly parody movies with the word "Movie" in their title; and six unfunny, unromantic romantic-comedies starring Kate Hudson, who had appeared to be such a promising young talent when she'd turned in her Oscar-nominated performance in Almost Famous.

Speaking of Oscars, let's take a look at some of the films that have been winning those things lately. No Country for Old Men, The Departed, Crash, Million Dollar Baby -- I'm not going to argue against the greatness of any of these films, but you have to admit the Best Picture race has been on a pretty bleak streak the past few years. Sure, the Oscars will throw a Best Original Screenplay bone to a feel-good film like Juno or Little Miss Sunshine, but there was a time (not too long ago) when the major studios didn't leave it entirely up to the indies to produce intelligent, entertaining, Oscar-worthy movies about real people dealing with real human issues to the tune of amazing soundtracks.

I don't think it's an exaggeration to say that since Crowe hit his post-Famous rough patch, Hollywood has lost interest in making the thoughtful, funny, hopeful kinds of films Crowe excels at. Can you think of a single rom-com that's produced a catchphrase as memorable as the one-two punch of "You complete me/You had me at hello" in the twelve years since Jerry Maguire? Have we seen another movie with music so deeply embedded in its DNA it could make an entire scene of Kate Hudson twirling not seem gratuitous? Will any movie moment ever replace the image from Say Anything of John Cusack standing in that driveway, holding that boom box, as the definitive standard of cinematic grand romantic gestures? And when you realize that the answer to all of those questions is a flat-out "No!" how can you not get excited that there's an Untitled Cameron Crowe Project on its way?

Two guys at Gone Elsewhere have gotten their hands on Crowe's heavily guarded script. Without giving too much away, they let us know that the film is about an angry, romantically challenged military contractor who gets a shot at redemption when the U.S. Army asks him to travel to Hawaii to help launch a satellite. During the mission, he falls in love with a female military officer. James and Nick express some valid concerns over some Hawaiian mysticism in the plot, as well as the casting of the broadly comedic Ben Stiller and Reese Witherspoon in the lead roles. After all, the supernatural didn't work for Crowe in Vanilla Sky, and dubious casting choices hurt the dramatic impact of Elizabethtown. Still, these guys are cautiously optimistic (emphasis on the optimistic) about the film because Crowe manages to create two more interesting, relatable characters in a grounded, believable relationship.

It's great to hear the film get a vote of confidence, even at this early stage, but truthfully, I didn't even need to read all that analysis. They had me at Untitled Cameron Crowe Project.

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