Review by Jim Chastain II
Norman Transcript

Almost Famous (Dreamworks Pictures) is one of those rare films that charms you at the very beginning and never lets you go. Long after the credits have ended, you still find yourself trying to take it all in.

Always witty and often profound, Almost Famous makes a mockery of most of the other films released this year in terms of writing, vision, music, and acting. It makes you shake your head and wonder why all movies, or at least a lot more, can’t be this inspired. It is undoubtedly one of the best films of the year.

Almost Famous is the semi-autobiographical story of writer/director Cameron Crowe, whose previous efforts include such lesser gems as Jerry Maguire, Fast Times at Ridgemont High, and Say Anything. Crowe was a rock and roll journalist for Rolling Stone Magazine at the inconceivably young age of sixteen, and he eventually became the magazine’s associate editor. Here, he gets the opportunity to tell what it was like for an upright, and somewhat naive, young man to hang out with some up-and-coming rock bands in the early seventies. (Crowe covered such bands as Led Zeppelin, the Eagles, the Who, Lynyrd Skynyrd, and the Allman Brothers.)

Like Crowe, the film’s central character, William Miller (Patrick Fugit), receives several incredible breaks that result in the once in a lifetime opportunity to become a rock journalist for Rolling Stone. William’s lucky streak leads him away from his wise, but over-protective, mother (Frances McDormand) and on the road with the fictitious band Stillwater. Here William’s coming-of-age story begins.

As expected, William is quickly confronted with all the temptations life with a group of less than wholesome rock stars offers. Fame, power, drugs, sex, money. The band members hold these enticements in the palm of their hand, and they dangle them in front of William’s fascinated eyes like meat before a hungry dog. What will William do? Will he cave in to his temptations? Will he become somebody other than the person he was brought up to be? Will he write a honest story about a band that is seemingly hell-bent on destroying itself? Or will he yield to the band’s subtle attempts at bribery and portray them as cool?

Almost Famous succeeds, not because of its unique setting or interesting story, but because it tells a universal tale we can all understand: the story of someone making difficult choices under difficult circumstances. We can sympathize with William when he falls in love with Penny Lane, a charismatic groupie of sorts, because we’ve all been there; we know of the pain that is sure to follow. We can understand when William makes compromises, for we all know what it’s like to want to fit in. We can feel William’s pain as his decisions lead him to uncover hurtful tidbits of truth about life, because such painful discoveries are common to the human experience.

Almost Famous also succeeds because it creates unique characters that literally leap off the screen, characters who defy stereotypes. This success is due to a combination of superior writing and acting.

I have struggled to decide who, if anybody, gives the best performance in this film. A good case can be made for all of the key actors and actresses. McDormand is outstanding as Elaine, the mother who fluctuates between protecting her children and letting them go. Philip Seymour Hoffman is equally brilliant as Lester Bangs, William’s journalistic mentor. Each moment spent with Lester is a treasure filled with interesting insights and hysterical observations. Likewise, Kate Hudson is truly wonderful as Penny Lane, Billy Crudup is nearly flawless in the role of rock star Russell Hammond, and Zooey Deschanel is memorable as William’s sister Anita. Patrick Fugit makes a good first impression as young William. But, for me, Jason Lee, who plays Stillwater’s distrustful lead singer, was the stand-out in this group of outstanding performances. (Please, let someone here be nominated for an Oscar.)

I could write much more. However, I will simply end by saying Almost Famous is everything I hoped it would be and much, much more. Cameron Crowe has truly outdone himself with this honest little film that brilliantly captures the trials and tribulations of growing up.

The film is rated R for language, drug content, and brief nudity. I would note, however, that I have seen many PG-13 films with content that was much more objectionable, but much less meaningful.

RATING A

© 2000 Jim Chastain II