Elizabethtown is the latest effort from the wonderful Cameron Crowe, the gifted writer/director who brought us Almost Famous, Jerry Maguire, and Say Anything. With his new film, Crowe once again mixes romance, rock n' roll, and a sense of whimsy.

Elizabethtown features Orlando Bloom (in his first major contemporary role) as Drew Baylor, a hot shot shoe designer who suffers the first major blow of his professional career. Shortly thereafter, he learns of his father's untimely death. In an attempt to flee his recent career slide and make arrangements for his recently deceased father, he makes the long trek to his old stomping ground in Kentucky to take care of some personal business and do a little soul searching in the process. During his journey, Drew meets Claire Colburn (Kirsten Dunst), a free spirited airline attendant who immediately tickles his fancy.

So right out of the gate, let it be known that Elizabethtown bares a striking resemblance to last year's sleeper Garden State, but before everyone paints Cameron Crowe a thief, let it be known that Zach Braff's exceptional debut is guilty of dipping into Crowe's back catalog, so I'd say the two film makers are even. All things considered, I'd say that I was more moved by Garden State, but both films suffer from a little to much meandering.

Orlando Bloom tries to break free of his "period piece" restraints to mixed effect. He's likable enough I suppose, but he just isn't able to carry this movie on his shoulders (and don't get me started on his less than impressive American accent). Kirsten Dunst, on the other hand, virtually overplays her role as the offbeat woman in Drew's life. There was something natural, sweet and effortless in the way Natalie Portman graced the screen in Garden State, and while Dunst is occasionally charming here, I always felt like she was pushing a little too hard. Susan Sarandon is surprisingly ineffective as a newly widowed woman, and the fashion in which she deals with her recent loss, is shockingly cliched.

Following the death of her husband, she immediately takes up hobbies that she probably wouldn't have considered while her husband was alive (i.e. cooking and tap dancing), and while I suppose that's the whole point, I found the scenario rather routine. Alec Baldwin plays scene stealer once again as Drew's intimidating boss. Like Christopher Walken, Baldwin is one of those actors who quite often becomes the center of attention when he's on screen. He has a ball with this small role, and I enjoyed every second of it. One of my favorite performances in Elizabethtown comes courtesy of Paul Schneider as Drew's goofy cousin. It's a small role to be sure (and I got the distinct impression that there was more of him in the extended version that screened at the Toronto Film Festival), but Schneider makes the most of it in a sweet, winning turn.

There is greatness in this movie. Moments of pure magic that only a guy like Cameron Crowe can deliver. For instance, I love the scene in which Drew and Claire visit Colonel Saunders' grave, and Claire proclaims him the Jim Morrison of Kentucky. I also enjoyed the overall message of Elizabethtown. The movie suggests that there's nothing wrong with failure. Failure is a part of the learning process, and you shouldn't give up, even if a billion dollar deal blows up in your face. Or how about the wonderful townsfolk who reside in Drew's hometown. These people are full of love, and it's through them that Drew is able to connect with his dead father. All beautiful traits. But this is a major problem I have with the film. It's a movie of moments. As a whole it comes up short. Too many sequences start off strong then fall flat. Take for instance an intimate cell phone call between Drew and Claire. This would have been a beautiful sequence had it lasted five minutes. Instead, it goes on for about twelve minutes. Or how about a montage featuring Drew driving the countryside with his cremated father in the passenger seat. This sequence also runs too long.

I've been a huge fan of Cameron Crowe for years. I just love the way this guy writes dialogue and he seems to have a real feel for human nature. What's more Crowe has an incredible knack for picking classic songs that perfectly compliment a scene. That is, until this slight misfire. Don't get me wrong. Elizabethtown does get it right on occasion such as a classic moment in which the southern rock anthem Free Bird is performed in a fashion I won't soon forget. But whereas in so many other Crowe films, music is used to compliment a scene, here, they often take over the scene making several sequences a tad self conscious.

Elizabethtown is a movie I really wanted to love, but in the end, I think it's at the lower end of the spectrum of Crowe's efforts. For me, it lacks the romanticism of Say Anything and Jerry Maguire, and the rock n' roll bliss of Almost Famous. And while Vanilla Sky was a major departure for the director, even it seemed to maintain a certain kind of rhythm. Elizabethtown is certainly the best movie this particular weekend had to offer (don't bother with The Fog or Domino), but I have to admit, I'd hoped for a little bit more.