Almost Famous
Grade: A
Cast:
Patrick Fugit, Billy Crudup, Kate Hudson, Frances McDormand, Jason Lee, Fairuza Balk, Anna Paquin, Zooey Deschanel and Philip Seymour Hoffman
Director: Cameron Crowe
Screenplay: Cameron Crowe
Rated R for language


Every once in a while, a movie comes along in which you come out of the theater with a spring in your step and a twinkle in your eye. Until late-September of this year, we had not had that film yet. Now, along comes "Almost Famous" and sweeps the audience off of it's feet with it's sparkling script and exceptional performances.

"Almost Famous" tells the tale of a fifteen year old boy named William Miller (Fugit) who has been skipped ahead two grades by his overbearing, overzealous college professor of a mother, Elaine (McDormand). After getting in a fight about music with her mother, William's older sister Anita (Zooey Deschanel) leaves to become a stewardess. Before leaving though, she lets William know that she has left him a gift under his bed. Anxious to figure out what it is, he rushes to his room and uncovers all of her records. He's hooked, and over the next few years, his interest grows.

Soon he is sending reviews and articles to magazines like "Creem," and also to his idol: legendary rock critic Lester Bangs (Philip Seymour Hoffman). One day, after meeting the "uncool" Mr. Bangs, he gets a call from "Rolling Stone Magazine." They want him to do a piece on the rising band Stillwater. Surprisingly, his mom lets him go on tour with the group, however, he has a hard time getting back stage to meet the band.

Along the way, he meets a "Band Aid" named Penny Lane (Hudson). She calls herself a "Band Aid" because she views it as being more philosophical than being your token groupie. Groupies are there for the sex and the chance to be close to someone famous; "Band Aids" are more into the music, and if there is sex involved, then so be it. But to them, it's not about that.

On the road, William befriends the guitarist of Stillwater, Russel (Crudup). A rule of thumb that Lester Bangs teaches William is not to befriend the band. When you do, you become partial and you want them to look good in the article. Unwittingly, William does. In the end, it's a fatal flaw (even though pretty much everything works out).

As you watch "Almost Famous," you get the aura of the 60s in full force. The time in which this film takes place is a transitional period in music. Rock 'n roll is on the way out, and disco is becoming the new thing. But you get a sense of the band's desperation to keep it alive. You can feel their "rock 'n roll-ain't-gonna-die-if-I've-got-anything-to-do-with-it" mentality, and it keeps the picture afloat. That is the energy that saturates every reel of film that is shown to us.

William is the only real adult in this movie. There may be people older than him running around in the background, but he has the only true sense of who he is, and who he wants to be. He has high standard of morals and doesn't waver from them. However, the bandmates and the "Band Aids" are all portrayed as reckless denizens of a crazy life in rock 'n roll.

The actors in this film are uniformly marvelous. Newcomer Patrick Fugit attacks his role with vigor and conviction. Some of his emotional scenes are a little flat however, but, we can expect big things from this kid in the future. It's nice to see a fifteen year old character in a film actually look like he is fifteen instead of having some thirty year old in the role. Billy Crudup is perfect as Russel. He captures the essence of a self-obsessed rock star.

Kate Hudson is a revelation. After roles in films like "200 Cigarettes", she has finally gotten it right playing Penny Lane. Not only is she beautiful, but her performance is exceptional. She embodies a confused and lost girl. Her strong emotional scenes at the end of the film are beneficial to her, and her breakdown is believeable. Also, watch out for Philip Seymour Hoffman ("Magnolia"), who is also great.

Probably the thing I liked most about "Almost Famous" is that there is not good guy or bad guy. It's just a nice, sweet story about an innocent teenager who gets swept up into the crazy world of rock 'n roll. He happens to fall in love with someone who is kind of out of his reach. And yes, there's a love triangle, but it's not as cliche as you might think. No one is at each other's throats, it's silent confrontation throughout. No one raises their voice at any time. That's part of the genius of Cameron Crowe's screenplay.

Cameron Crowe captures on film what has yet to be captured. It's better than most films at showing what it's like to be famous. Plus, it presents us with a strong newcomer into the acting world, and shows us just how good some current stars can be.


-Brian Jones, 2000/2002