The site of James Dean's legendary, fatal car crash is the setting for this reflective, eccentric drama about idolatry, lost hopes, and aging. Max Harris (John Mahoney) owns and operates a diner/service station in the small, deserted town of Cholame, CA, just down the street from the James Dean Memorial. His placid existence is disrupted by the appearance of a slick movie crew, eager to shoot a quickie flick in the area that references Dean's life. Max is nonplused, although his employees (Ian Gomez and Virginia Madsen) are smitten with the flashy production. Even more aggravating to Max is the emergence of a reporter (Linda Emond) who suspects that he has a long-buried secret regarding the fallen idol. Almost Salinas premiered at the USA Film Festival before making the rounds of the country's second-tier fests.