Running time: 122 minutes
Starring: Billy Crudup, Frances McDormand, Kate Hudson, Jason Lee, Patrick Fugit, Anna Paquin, Fairuza Balk, Noah Taylor, Philip Seymour Hoffman
Rating 7 out of 10
Almost Famous is director and writer Cameron Crowe's nostalgic and autobiographical depiction of his early obsession with music and, as a naïve and impressionable 15-year-old, his baptism in the intoxicating font of rock journalism. Set in 1973, a period when music was searching for an identity as the peace and love of the sixties was only an acid flashback away and punk had yet to vent its spleen, Crowe's world is still innocent and safe.
The film mixes fact with fiction. The central band, Stillwater, fronted by the wistful Russell Hammond (Billy Crudup), is an amalgam of many of the bands Crowe encountered during his stint at Rolling Stone, while some of the characters are key figures of the time. The evocative soundtrack and clothes are essential elements in recreating the look and feel of a period that now appears so benign.
William Miller, played with a subtle blend of vulnerability and maturity by Patrick Fugit, is how Crowe saw himself: an awkward, sheltered boy yearning to belong. Brought up by their overly protective mother (Frances McDormand) William's world opens up when his older sister leaves home and donates her illicit record collection to the curious teenager. He escapes into music and soon becomes an authority, writing for his school magazine before encountering the iconoclastic rock journalist Lester Bangs, played with mischievous glee by the wonderful Philip Seymour Hoffman, who gives him invaluable advice and his first commission.
When he later gets an invitation to write for Rolling Stone and tour with the ascending Stillwater, Miller becomes exposed to the nefarious goings on associated with life on the road. He is both exhilarated and appalled, his conservative upbringing has ill-prepared him to deal with the world of drugs, groupies and egocentric musicians.
Crowe confesses to spending ten years writing and then abandoning the script as he struggled to find the core of the story. And while Almost Famous is engaging enough, you sense that ultimately Crowe was still undecided as the various storylines compete for attention. There's William's relationship with his mother as he tries to reconcile his loyalty with his newly found independence. There's his infatuation with the vivacious and tragic groupie Penny Lane (Kate Hudson). There's the conflict between his objectivity as a journalist, to be "unmerciful" as Bangs commands, and his desire to be accepted by his heroes.
In the end the one thing that emerges with clarity is Crowe's love of music. The film is an impassioned tribute to the invigorating effects music has on our lives. It's about how it awakens us, educates us, entertains us, unites us, divides us and ultimately defines us. As music is something that has affected us all, there will be something in the film we can all identify with, but ultimately it's a very personal film. And one whose author is reflected in every frame.
Crowe, best known for Jerry Maguire, has a reputation for being sweet and charming and like the movie's young William enjoys a close relationship with his mother. But while these are all worthy attributes, they aren't synonymous with rock and roll and his desire to please prevents him from delving too deeply into the characters and the subject matter. Crowe's fond recollections of the time coupled with the inevitable halcyon haze of nostalgia lend the film an unrealistic hue, so although we come away smiling, as the smile fades so does the film's impact.
The film mixes fact with fiction. The central band, Stillwater, fronted by the wistful Russell Hammond (Billy Crudup), is an amalgam of many of the bands Crowe encountered during his stint at Rolling Stone, while some of the characters are key figures of the time. The evocative soundtrack and clothes are essential elements in recreating the look and feel of a period that now appears so benign.
William Miller, played with a subtle blend of vulnerability and maturity by Patrick Fugit, is how Crowe saw himself: an awkward, sheltered boy yearning to belong. Brought up by their overly protective mother (Frances McDormand) William's world opens up when his older sister leaves home and donates her illicit record collection to the curious teenager. He escapes into music and soon becomes an authority, writing for his school magazine before encountering the iconoclastic rock journalist Lester Bangs, played with mischievous glee by the wonderful Philip Seymour Hoffman, who gives him invaluable advice and his first commission.
When he later gets an invitation to write for Rolling Stone and tour with the ascending Stillwater, Miller becomes exposed to the nefarious goings on associated with life on the road. He is both exhilarated and appalled, his conservative upbringing has ill-prepared him to deal with the world of drugs, groupies and egocentric musicians.
Crowe confesses to spending ten years writing and then abandoning the script as he struggled to find the core of the story. And while Almost Famous is engaging enough, you sense that ultimately Crowe was still undecided as the various storylines compete for attention. There's William's relationship with his mother as he tries to reconcile his loyalty with his newly found independence. There's his infatuation with the vivacious and tragic groupie Penny Lane (Kate Hudson). There's the conflict between his objectivity as a journalist, to be "unmerciful" as Bangs commands, and his desire to be accepted by his heroes.
In the end the one thing that emerges with clarity is Crowe's love of music. The film is an impassioned tribute to the invigorating effects music has on our lives. It's about how it awakens us, educates us, entertains us, unites us, divides us and ultimately defines us. As music is something that has affected us all, there will be something in the film we can all identify with, but ultimately it's a very personal film. And one whose author is reflected in every frame.
Crowe, best known for Jerry Maguire, has a reputation for being sweet and charming and like the movie's young William enjoys a close relationship with his mother. But while these are all worthy attributes, they aren't synonymous with rock and roll and his desire to please prevents him from delving too deeply into the characters and the subject matter. Crowe's fond recollections of the time coupled with the inevitable halcyon haze of nostalgia lend the film an unrealistic hue, so although we come away smiling, as the smile fades so does the film's impact.
