Almost Famous
Adored by critics and audiences nationwide, Almost Famous has been hailed as "the year's single most entertaining film!" (Roger Ebert, Ebert & Roeper and the Movies). Writer/Director Cameron Crowe takes you on a heartfelt journey into the world of rock and roll in this "delightful coming-of-age comedy" (David Ansen, Newsweek). It's the opportunity of a lifetime when teenage reporter William Miller lands an assignment from Rolling Stone magazine. Despite the objections of his protective mother, William hits the road with an up-and-coming rock band and finds there's a lot more to write home about than the music.
This "enormously engaging" (Jeffrey Lyons, WNBC) film boasts superb performances by Golden Globe winner Kate Hudson, Frances McDormand, Billy Crudup, Philip Seymour Hoffman and newcomer Patrick Fugit. Featuring a classic rock soundtrack with music from The Who and Elton John, Almost Famous is "an utter delight from the first frame to fade out" (Lou Lumenick, New York Post) and a must-see for every generation.
Member Reviews
A good story with a great soundtrack - teza
I wasn't sure what to expect of this movie and didn't know until the special features that it was based on Cameron Crowe's life. It's mostly a story of relationships, beginning with William's family, his sister and mom (Frances McDormand is fabulous as always). The next is that of William and Lester Bangs, played by Philip Seymour Hoffman (also fabulous as always). Lester mentors William as he becomes a rock critic. Then there are the relationships between William and the band, between the band members themselves, and between them and the groupies/"band-aids," one of whom is Penny Lane, played by Kate Hudson. And it's a story of first love. I haven't been a big Kate Hudson fan, but she's good. Her character is sweet and nuanced. The band is good enough to be a real band, and the plot has enough twists and turns--all more or less believable--to keep things really interesting. The film slows down a bit in places, but I'd watch it again.Almost Famous - TheWiz
Were you a teenager or a person in their early twenties in the late sixties? Did you attend Rock Concerts (something very new on the scene) back then? Did you wear bell bottom jeans, Hindu sandals and burn insence in your room? Were you a musician back then, on stage, gigging in front of energetic youthful non-conformists ready to do anything that was a no-no? Well, I can honestly say I did those things and more! This movie will faithfully (for the most part) take you on a journey back to those days of "Guitar Gods" and beautiful groovy underground people. The pain of a love affair falling apart and the realization that nothing lasts forever, is also a true part of life. It's called, growing up. Oh yes - as usual, Frances McDormand is excellent.Well-Worth The Bus Ride - CharleyJames
Almost Famous is a curiously unfulfilling story about journalism, music and a kid's loss of innocence. Set in the mid-'70s, when Rolling Stone was based in San Francisco and Crowe was writing profiles on David Bowie, Led Zeppelin and Eric Clapton, this is a tender memory piece that vividly captures the look and the language of 1970s rock 'n' roll.
It's an amazing odyssey for William Miller, an uncool kid who becomes a star reporter for Rolling Stone. Because it's so close to the bone, you feel the emotional investment of Crowe: He's taken a huge risk, going so far as to portray his mother as an overprotective harpy.
The problem isn't the casting, writing or the rich detail that Crowe assembled to re-create the period, but the fact that his alter ego is essentially passive. Because William is meant to be a blank slate who merely observes the goofy excess that surrounds him, and not a catalyst for action, he doesn't quite materialize as a character.
The focus falls to less interesting characters. Billy Crudup and Jason Lee play Russell Hammond and Jeff Bebe, the spacey guitarist and arrogant lead singer for Stillwater, an emerging rock band that's meant to be a composite of circa-1973 bands that Crowe encountered.
The best bits show William speaking to veteran rock journalist Lester Bangs (Philip Seymour Hoffman), who warns him to avoid getting close to his rock-star subjects. Hoffman worries that William, with his innocent face and lack of baggage is bound to draw out his subjects' secrets and be drawn into the payola-and-puffery cycle of rock journalism.
Turning one's life into art isn't easy, and Crowe probably got too close to himself and his own personal history to keep everything in perspective.
Despite its flaws, the film is worth the bus ride.
Member Reviews
Read All...
A good story with a great soundtrack - teza
I wasn't sure what to expect of this movie and didn't know until the special features that it was based on Cameron Crowe's life. It's mostly a story of relationships, beginning with William's family, his sister and mom (Frances McDormand is fabulous as always). ...Almost Famous - TheWiz
Were you a teenager or a person in their early twenties in the late sixties? Did you attend Rock Concerts (something very new on the scene) back then? Did you wear bell bottom jeans, Hindu sandals and burn insence in your room? Were you a musician back then, ...Well-Worth The Bus Ride - CharleyJames
Almost Famous is a curiously unfulfilling story about journalism, music and a kid's loss of innocence. Set in the mid-'70s, when Rolling Stone was based in San Francisco and Crowe was writing profiles on David Bowie, Led Zeppelin and Eric Clapton, this is ...