Almost Famous (2000)

Excellent, Without a doubt!!

In truth, there is barely enough story here to make a film.

A clunky actioner with a handful of cool moments.

Yes, absolutely, there is fun to be had, as well as many, many things to go boom, all amid an atmospheric urban jungle.

'Almost Famous' is an almost-perfect film, with its suitable cast and pumping soundtrack. Director Cameron Crowe loosely based this film on his own experience as a journalist for Rolling Stone at the young age of sixteen and results in a film that is essentially a tribute to the rock-and-roll era of the 1970's. Full of tracks from musical icons in the 70's, such as David Bowie, Led Zeppelin and Elton Job, and a great costume design, this film succeeds in its portrayal of the 70's, and will appeal to not only those who lived in that era, but also those who came into this world long after it. However, it's through the acting that this movie really shines. Every cast member does a great job in their roles, with the clear standouts being Kate Hudson and Billy Crudup, but it's definitely Frances McDormand who steals every scene she is in and is the best part of this film. Crowe's screenplay is another highlight of the film and is well deserving of its Academy Award win in 2001. The only flaw in this film is that at times, it can be quite unrealistic with its lack of emotional complexity in some characters - particularly the protagonist. Thankfully, this is not to the film's demise as it's nothing more than a feel-good movie with great music and an engaging story.

Anyone who was there will notice that this film captures almost perfectly what it was like when the music appeared. I was on stage with Led Zeppelin, Johnny Winter, etc. I could never convey the excitement and love of this era's music but this film absolutely did. Thank you Cameron for taking the time and effort to portray this PERFECT time of life. We were special, gifted, enlightened to be able to experience these events.The music clips were absolutely capturing the element of life as a teen in 1973. God Bless everyone who was involved with this film, I have never seen anything like this that took me back to when I was this young. I feel so forlorn that life is so different now given the musical options we have and rarely listen to anything now. Sigh. High recommend for those who were there, for those who wanted to be there, and for those who have no clue what it was like then. I feel so sorry for anyone who missed this era. Thank GOD I was!

I saw this movie for the first time recently and I have to say it's probably one of the most touching films I've ever experienced. There's really something special about it. I can't really put my finger on it, but there's something that makes it really different; it gives off a certain mood that I've never before experienced in film. Maybe it's the music, which is incredible and perfectly sets the tone and the mood in each given scene. Maybe it's Kate Hudson's incomparable Penny Lane, who is not only a joy to watch on the screen but also a surprisingly complex and even tragic character, a truly amazing performance by Hudson in this role.The fact is, pretty much everything about this film is stellar. It flawlessly encompasses an era.The casting is brilliant, and pretty much every actor delivers a solid performance. Phillip Seymour Hoffman is remarkable as always and steals every scene he's in. It's also quite a fun movie, and some of the scenes with the band members got me laughing pretty hard. The script is very sharp and relatable. It's surprisingly lengthy, but it always felt light; I never felt bored or uninterested at any point.It has it's flaws, as all movies do, but not many are too noticeable. I think the biggest problem is that the whole thing is just so incredibly sweet that it's almost too much so. It can't really help it though. It's just so touching in so many different ways. I actually kind of wanted to hug someone while watching it, and that doesn't happen often from watching a movie.Overall, a very heartwarming and memorable film. The characters are relatable and the execution of the story is very realistic. It was fun from beginning to end. It quite funny at times, and quite moving in others.It had me singing "Tiny Dancer" for days...

The kid is named William Miller in the movie; he's played by Patrick Fugit as a boy shaped by the fierce values of his mother, who drives him to the concert that will change his life, and drops him off with the mantra "Don't do drugs!" The character and the story are based on the life of Cameron Crowe, the film's writer-director, who indeed was a teenage Rolling Stone writer, and who knows how lucky he was. Crowe grew up to write and direct "Say Anything" (1989), one of the best movies ever made about teenagers; in this movie, he surpasses himself.The movie is not just about William Miller. It's about the time, and the band, and the early 1970s, when idealism collided with commerce. The band he hooks up with is named Stillwater. He talks his way backstage in San Diego by knowing the band members' names and hurling accurate compliments at them as they hurry into the arena. William wins the sympathy of Russell Hammond (Billy Crudup), the guitarist, who lets him in. Backstage, he meets his guide to this new world, a girl who says her name is Penny Lane (Kate Hudson). She is not a groupie, she explains indignantly, but a Band Aide. She is, of course, a groupie but has so much theory about her role, it's almost as if sex for her is a philosophical exercise.William's mom, Elaine (Frances McDormand), is a college professor who believes in vegetarianism, progressive politics and the corrupting influence of rock music. Banning the rock albums of her older daughter Anita (Zooey Deschanel), she holds up an album cover and asks her to look at the telltale signs in Simon and Garfunkel's eyes: "Pot!" Anita leaves, bequeathing her albums to William, who finds a note in one of them: "This song explains why I'm leaving home to become a stewardess." Its lyrics are: "I walked out to look for America." That's what William does. He intends to be away from school for only a few days. But as Russell and the rest of Stillwater grow accustomed to his presence, he finds himself on the bus and driving far into the Southwest. Along the way, he observes the tension between Russell and Jeff Bebe (Jason Lee), the lead singer, who thinks Russell is getting more attention than his role definition deserves: "I'm the lead singer, and you're the guitarist with mystique." William has two guardian angels to watch over him. One is Penny Lane, who is almost as young as he is, but lies about her age. William loves her, or thinks he does, but she loves Russell, or says she does, and William admires Russell, too, and Russell maintains a reserve that makes it hard to know what he thinks. He has the scowl and the facial hair of a rock star, but is still only in his early 20s, and one of the best moments in the movie comes when William's mom lectures him over the phone about the dangers to her son: "Do I make myself clear?" "Yes, ma'am," he says, reverting to childhood.William's other angel is the legendary rock critic Lester Bangs (Philip Seymour Hoffman), then the editor of Creem: "So you're the kid who's been sending me those articles from your school paper." He ignores the kid's age, trusts his talent and shares his credo: "Be honest and unmerciful." During moments of crisis on the road, William calls Bangs for advice.Lester Bangs was a real person, and so are Ben Fong-Torres and Jann Wenner of Rolling Stone, played by look-alike actors. The movie's sense of time and place is so acute it's possible to believe Stillwater was a real band. As William watches, the band members get a hit record, a hotshot producer tries to take over from the guy who's always managed them, they switch from a bus to an airplane, and there are ego wars, not least when a T-shirt photo places Russell in the foreground and has the other band members out of focus (there's a little "This Is Spinal Tap" here)."Almost Famous" is about the world of rock, but it's not a rock film, it's a coming-of-age film, about an idealistic kid who sees the real world, witnesses its cruelties and heartbreaks, and yet finds much room for hope. The Penny Lane character is written with particular delicacy, as she tries to justify her existence and explain her values (in a milieu that seems to have none). It breaks William's heart to see how the married Russell mistreats her. But Penny denies being hurt. Kate Hudson has one scene so well-acted, it takes her character to another level. William tells her, "He sold you to Humble Pie for 50 bucks and a case of beer." Watch the silence, the brave smile, the tear and the precise spin she puts on the words, "What kind of beer?" It's not an easy laugh. It's a whole world of insight.What thrums beneath "Almost Famous" is Cameron Crowe's gratitude. His William Miller is not an alienated bore, but a kid who had the good fortune to have a wonderful mother and great sister, to meet the right rock star in Russell (there would have been wrong ones), and to have the kind of love for Penny Lane that will arm him for the future and give him a deeper understanding of the mysteries of women. Looking at William--earnestly grasping his tape recorder, trying to get an interview, desperately going to Bangs for advice, terrified as Ben Fong-Torres rails about deadlines, crushed when it looks as if his story will be rejected--we know we're looking at a kid who has the right stuff and will go far. Someday he might even direct a movie like "Almost Famous." Note: Why did they give an R rating to a movie perfect for teenagers?