You are not cool, and other things we learned from the movies.
1. From Almost Famous: Lester Bangs (Philip Seymour Hoffman) gives young rock journalist and Cameron Crowe stand-in William Miller (Patrick Fugit) advice to live by. (Rock journalist: a job description that barely exists anymore.)
We should commit this speech to memory.
You made friends with them. See, friendship is the booze they feed you. They want you to get drunk on feeling like you belong.
They make you feel cool. And hey. I met you. You are not cool.
We’re uncool. And while women will always be a problem for us, most of the great art in the world is about that very same problem. Good-looking people don’t have any spine. Their art never lasts. They get the girls, but we’re smarter.
Great art is about conflict and pain and guilt and longing and love disguised as sex, and sex disguised as love…and let’s face it, you got a big head start.
The only true currency in this bankrupt world is what you share with someone else when you’re uncool.
My advice to you. I know you think those guys are your friends. You wanna be a true friend to them? Be honest, and unmerciful.
Philip Seymour Hoffman would have been 48 years old today. As long as people watch movies PSH will live on.
Another line from Almost Famous, wrongly attributed to Goethe by William’s mom (Frances McDormand):
Be brave and mighty forces will come to your aid.
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