(SPOILERS: Almost Famous)
William is a high school senior and aspiring rock journalist who has gotten his first big assignment to cover the band Stillwater on tour. Penny is a groupie (she says band-aid) who is in a relationship with Stillwater’s lead guitarist, Russell. The band is about to head to New York where Russell’s wife is, and William has witnessed Russell arranging to send Penny with another band for the time being. In this scene Penny is trying to find out what William knows. Here’s the dialogue as it is in the movie:
PENNY: I can read you. I know what you're thinking.
WILLIAM: What's that?
P: You're worried about me and Russell.
W: Yeah, I gotta work on that.
P: You're so sweet. God, if there was more of you in him.
W: Don't tell me this stuff. I wanna like him.
P: Did you miss your test or something?
W: You have no idea.
P: Look, I know I'm not on the plane. I'm not going on some other band's bus. I could go with the Stillwater road crew but that would be pathetic... and the girls are all going with Humble Pie. So, if you could find out from Russell--Forget it. I'm flying to New York myself. I've got a bunch of partial tickets. I know his ex-wife... current-girlfriend thing is gonna be there.
W: I'm not sure that's a good idea.
P: What are you saying? Did Russell say something?
W: I don't know anything.
P: Well, I know he wants me there.
W: Wake up! Don't go to New York.
P: Why are you yelling at me?
W: I thought we were going to Morocco. There is no Morocco. There's never been a Morocco. There's not even a Penny Lane. I don't even know your real name.
P: If I ever met a man in the real world who looked at me the way you just looked at me--
W: When and where does this "real world" occur? I mean, I am really confused here. All these rules and all these sayings and nicknames.
P: Honey, you're too sweet for rock and roll.
W: Sweet? Where do you get off? Where do you get sweet? I am dark and mysterious and pissed off! And I could be very dangerous to all of you. I am not sweet! And you should know that about me. I am the Enemy!
P: Look, you should be happy for me. You don't know what he says to me in private. Maybe it is love, as much as it can be for somebody--
W: Who sold you to Humble Pie for 50 bucks and a case of beer? I was there. I was there! Oh, God. I'm sorry.
P: What kind of beer?
It’s Penny’s scene and her objective (her want) is to find out what William knows. That’s what’s driving the scene. William’s objective is to keep her from going to New York which he knows would be a disaster. If we tried to write the scene with only that information, we might write some bad, on-the-nose dialogue such as:
PENNY: Has Russell said anything about me coming to New York?
WILLIAM: He doesn’t want you to go.
P: Are you sure? I know his wife is going to be there but I know Russell really loves me.
W: I don't think you should go.
P: Yeah, but I can't trust you. You're kind of naive.
W: I'm not as naive as you think I am.
P: So how do you know he doesn't want me to go?
W: He traded you to Humble Pie for 50 bucks and a case of beer.
P: That bastard!
But Cameron Crowe adds in secondary objectives for each character that are obstacles for their main objectives and force them to approach their goals obliquely.
In Penny’s case her identity is all about being an unflappable rock goddess. She wants information, but she doesn’t want to admit that William might know something she doesn’t and she doesn’t want to show vulnerability.
William on the other hand has a crush on Penny. He doesn’t want her to go to New York, but he also doesn’t want to hurt her. So he’s trying to convince her without revealing what Russell did.
Here’s the actual dialogue again with comments from me in italics. I’ve also included the “intentions” that I would assign to many of the lines.
PENNY: I can read you. I know what you're thinking.
WILLIAM: What's that?
P: You're worried about me and Russell.
(Intention: To get him to talk about it. Penny’s trying to get William to volunteer information without having to ask any questions by making it his problem.)
W: Yeah, I gotta work on that.
(Intention: To avoid the topic)
P: You're so sweet. God, if there was more of you in him.
(Intention: To butter him up.)
W: Don't tell me this stuff. I wanna like him.
(Intention: To put down Russell.)
P: Did you miss your test or something?
(Intention: To blame him. Penny tries to attribute his mood to something besides Russell.)
W: You have no idea.
P: Look, I know I'm not on the plane. I'm not going on some other band's bus. I could go with the Stillwater road crew but that would be pathetic... and the girls are all going with Humble Pie. So, if you could find out from Russell—
(She starts out trying to prove she really knows what’s going on but then she slips and reveals her vulnerability – and stops herself when she realizes that’s what she’s done.)
P: Forget it. I'm flying to New York myself. I've got a bunch of partial tickets. I know his ex-wife... current-girlfriend thing is gonna be there.
(Intention: To end it. Penny’s trying to regain her illusion of control of the situation.)
W: I'm not sure that's a good idea.
(Intention: To warn her.)
P: What are you saying? Did Russell say something?
W: I don't know anything.
(Intention: To escape.)
P: Well, I know he wants me there.
(Intention: To prove it.)
W: Wake up! Don't go to New York.
(Intention: To warn her.)
P: Why are you yelling at me?
(Intention: To blame him.)
W: I thought we were going to Morocco. There is no Morocco. There's never been a Morocco. There's not even a Penny Lane. I don't even know your real name.
(Intention: To attack. Here William starts challenging the fantasy world Penny constantly constructs for herself which he blames for her inability to see how Russell uses her.)
P: If I ever met a man in the real world who looked at me the way you just looked at me—
(Penny is defending her fantasy world.)
W: When and where does this “real world” occur? I mean, I am really confused here. All these rules and all these sayings and nicknames.
P: Honey, you're too sweet for rock and roll.
(Intention: To dismiss him. Penny belittles his wisdom because she’s afraid of what he might tell her.)
W: Sweet? Where do you get off? Where do you get sweet? I am dark and mysterious and pissed off! And I could be very dangerous to all of you. I am not sweet! And you should know that about me. I am the Enemy!
(Intention: To demand respect. He wants her to trust his judgment of the situation.)
P: Look, you should be happy for me. You don't know what he says to me in private. Maybe it is love, as much as it can be for somebody—
(Intention: To prove Russell loves her. Penny is trying to convince William he’s wrong about Russell. And subconsciously she’s trying to convince herself. If William believes it, she can, too.)
W: Who sold you to Humble Pie for 50 bucks and a case of beer? I was there. I was there! Oh, God. I'm sorry.
(Intention: To prove it. William finally snaps and reveals his secret. When he sees how much it hurts her he immediately feels bad.)
P: What kind of beer?
(Intention: To make light of it. Penny doesn’t want to admit she’s hurt.)
The text of the scene starts out about New York travel plans and then veers into an argument about Penny’s tall tales and William’s innocence. But the subtext is all about Penny’s romantic relationships with Russell and William. To get that kind of layered dialogue you need rich, complex characters. Which Cameron Crowe has created in spades!
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