Review: Almost Famous (2000)

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Almost Famous

Rating

Director

Cameron Crowe

Screenplay

Cameron Crowe

Length

2h 02m

Starring

Billy Crudup, Frances McDormand, Kate Hudson, Jason Lee, Patrick Fugit, Michael Angarano, Zooey Deschanel, Anna Paquin, Fairuza Balk, Noah Taylor, John Fedevich, Mark Kozelek, Philip Seymour Hoffman, Liz Stauber, Jimmy Fallon, Olivia Rosewood, Bijou Phillips

MPAA Rating

Buy/Rent Movie

Soundtrack

Poster

Review

Family connections, big dreams and dangerous obsessions have a strange way of destroying a feeble soul in search of a path. “Almost Famous” delves into the lives of parents, writers, musicians and groupies in a decade where rock and roll was fading.

Young William Miller (Patrick Fugit) is a young, enterprising high school student whose age is a mystery only his mother Elaine (Frances McDormand) and sister Anita (Zooey Deschanel) know. Anita rebels against her mother, running away to experience life, leaving behind a single bag full of records and encourages William to listen well, for the wisdom of ages are contained.

William, mother’s pride and joy, falls in love with rock and roll and begins writing articles for penny-ante periodicals and meets a well-known music critic, Lester Bangs (Philip Seymour Hoffman) who encourages him to pursue his dreams. In doing so, he finds himself following the small-time rock group Stillwater and writing articles along the way. Rock giant Rolling Stone takes notice and offers him work covering the band.

Persuaded by the sensationalism of rock and roll, he disregards Lester’s advice and becomes friends with the band and its lead groupie Penny Lane (Kate Hudson). The band’s guitarist Russell Hammond (Billy Crudup) is a burgeoning star, but hazards to break away from the band for fear of alienating them.

“Almost Famous” has a wide range of stereotypical, yet strangely original characters that manage to glorify the rock landscape. All of the loud transgressions of the early 1970s run rampant through writer-director Cameron Crowe’s new film. “Famous” isn’t just about the epithetical sex, drugs and rock and roll; it’s about the lives of those affected by it.

Hudson gives the film’s best performance. The seemingly sex-crazed groupie Penny Lane has seen many things in the backstage parties and hotels on the tours, but manages to retain her idealism. Mislead by many paths, she manages to keep a firm grasp on her reality refusing to vacate it for the unattainable American dream.

Crudup takes Russell from a potentially three-dimensional nobody who wants to be somebody to a well of mixed emotions. On one hand, he fears to leave his bandmates behind, fearing they will hate him for it and on the other, he wants to be far more than he is, a simple guitarist.

McDormand is rather understated as the domineering and thoughtful parent. She doesn’t want her son to do drugs, have sex or enjoy life because it would mean the crashing of his innocence. Her apron strings reach out to nearly strangle the struggling William.

Fugit never reaches his full potential, changing facial expressions only when it suits him, never revealing his internal pain, despite the audience’s necessity to see it. Like a kid in a candy store, he desires nothing more to taste everything and will only stop if he gets sick of the sweet.

The rest of the performances are simply banal. Each character has an idiosyncrasy inherent in a well-written stereotype. Crowe knows how to weave good characters. He understands the necessity to provide enough unique characters for the viewer’s comprehension and yet give them characters they can quickly understand without force-feeding them.

A simple dialogue between William and Penny Lane easily sums up the film. He asks her “Don’t you have any regular friends?” She responds “Famous people are just more interesting.” “Almost Famous” is about fame, but a fame that can only be achieved if one’s heart is in it. To achieve it, you must not only be willing to give up everything, but also be willing to suffer the consequences.

Awards Prospects

This film has Oscar written on it. Not only does it harken back to a long-gone time, but Cameron Crowe is a well-respected filmmaker. On top of that, it’s one of DreamWorks big chances at a nomination. Look for a potential Picture nomination along with Director, Supporting Actress – Frances McDormand, Editing, Production Design and Costume Design.