Writer / director Cameron Crowe ("Fast Times at Ridgemont High," "Say Anything," "Singles," "Jerry Maguire") has lived one hell of a life. Why he waited so long as a film maker to share the remarkable experiences of his youth with the masses is beyond me. In 1969, a time many people consider to be the pinnacle of early rock ‘n roll, Cameron Crowe was only 11 years old. While he had yet to experience the rock movement, his older sister used it to rebel against their mother. When she left home at age 18, she left Cameron with her massive record collection through which he learned to love music. His love for music and writing soon clashed, and through extraordinary circumstances, at age 15, he became a reporter for Rolling Stone. Though I do not know how many details of Crowe's "semi-autobiographical" story are actually true, it provides the basis for quite an entertaining and very funny journey inside of rock ‘n roll's glory days.
Perhaps to help the audience focus more on the story instead of the partial veracity of it all, the name of the character representing Crowe is changed to William Miller (Patrick Fugit). An accelerated, and thus often outcast student, William is in his senior year of high school in 1973 at age 15. His enthusiasm for music captures the attention of Creem Magazine, and aligns him with editor Lester Bangs (Philip Seymour Hoffman - "Boogie Nights," "Magnolia") who will serve as a much needed friend and guide to William during his forthcoming journey.
William's contributions to Creem catch the eye of the influential Rolling Stone Magazine. Having no idea that William is underage, they assign him to do a road report on one of his favorite bands, Stillwater. The report soon becomes a strong possibility for a cover story, and even the prodigy that is William finds himself treading rough water.
Out on the road with Stillwater, William quickly discovers a whole lot more than he ever bargained for. The article itself quickly takes a backseat to the experience of the rock ‘n roll lifestyle into which William is immediately submerged. Though he was not necessarily looking for any of it, the temptations of drugs, booze, girls, sex, parties, and anything else associated with rock ‘n roll quickly find him. One girl in particular, a young follower of Stillwater who calls herself Penny Lane (Kate Hudson - "200 Cigarettes"), comes to form a unique relationship with William. Even though he knows that she is somewhat intimate with the band's lead singer, William finds himself falling in love with her.
Meanwhile, back home, William's troubled mother (Frances McDormand) dreams of Patrick returning home to graduate from high school to a normal life. As one of the film's many running jokes, she calls him up everyday, constantly reminding him not to do drugs. No matter who she has to go through to reach him, whether it be hotel managers or the band members themselves, she is determined to retain a motherly connection to her only son.
Aside from Penny, the other important relationship William forms on the road is with Stillwater's lead singer, Russell Hammond (Billy Crudup - "Jesus' Son," "Sleepers"). Their mutual love for music propels them toward a healthy friendship. However, the idea of a Rolling Stone reporter being friends with the musicians on whom he is reporting is so foreign to Russell that it is not easy at all for him to accept William for who he is. After all, about 90 percent of the Rolling Stone's articles at this point in time were very unfavorable to, sometimes even leading to the destruction of, the bands.
The story is flat out incredible, and made even more so because it is based on reality. Crowe's script is near perfect as he once again demonstrates his ability to give realistic and poignant dialogue to people of all walks of life. Crowe's direction is wonderful in taking us backstage, on stage, and into character's private lives with just the right mix to always keep the film interesting. I have no doubt in my mind that he will earn nominations for Best Director, Best Screenplay, and Best Film at this year's Academy Awards.
While so much of "Almost Famous" is beautifully constructed, there is one very important aspect of the film that bothers me. Our lead actor, newcomer Patrick Fugit, while at times very convincing, is just not quite strong enough to pull off the difficult role. For a first timer, Fugit overall does a very good job, but in many scenes he is unable to pull off the complexities of his character. For example, in a scene near the end in which he confesses his love to an intoxicated Penny Lane, I found myself cringing at how poorly he reads his lines. The supporting actors, notably Billy Crudup, Kate Hudson, and Frances McDormand, all play their characters perfectly. Perhaps their brilliance in their respective roles serves to accentuate the flaws in Fugit's performance.
Crowe's vastly entertaining story and the ease with which he tells it further place him into the top ranks of popular film makers. The only point that he loses from me for "Almost Famous" comes from the weaknesses in Fugit's performance. I, for one, am already looking forward to the next amazing creation (tentatively titled "Vanilla Sky" and starring Tom Cruise and Cameron Diaz!) he will surely send our way.
Cameron Crowe's career trajectory reads like a true Hollywood story--he started out as a 15-year-old writing for Rolling Stone magazine and eventually...More at Family Video
A semi-autobiographical account of how Cameron Crowe got his start in the journalistic world. A young boy is given his first assignment: to cover an u...More at HotMovieSale.com
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