 Taglone: One day, you'll be cool. Writer and director Cameron Crowe's experiences as a teenage rock journalist - he was a regular contributor to Rolling Stone while still in high school inspired this coming-of-age story about a 15-year-old boy hitting the road with an up-and-coming rock band in the early 1970s. Elaine Miller (Frances McDormand) is a bright, loving, but strict single parent whose distrust of rock music and fears about drug use have helped to drive a wedge between herself and her two children, Anita (Zooey Deschanel) and William (Patrick Fugit). Anita rebels by dropping out of school and becoming a stewardess, but William makes something of his love of rock & roll by writing album reviews for a local underground newspaper. William's work attracts the attention of Lester Bangs (Philip Seymour Hoffman), editor of renegade rock magazine Creem, who takes William under his wing and gives him his first professional writing assignment - covering a Black Sabbath concert. Storyline: William Miller is a 15 year old kid hired by Rolling Stone magazine to tour with and write about Stillwater, an up and coming rock band. This wonderfully witty coming-of-age film follows William as he falls face first to confront life, love, and lingo. Written by Filmtwob Reviewer's Note: Reviewed by Martin Liebman, January 24, 2011 -- Ah, to be young and naïve again, not to dodge the responsibilities of adulthood but to once again enjoy that period of discovery; of burgeoning understanding; and to see the world as it appears in that innocent youthful bubble, as it should be, and as it really is as all three converge into some twisted uncertainty that doesn't make a whole lot of sense but sure is cool to see develop. And it's how they develop that is ultimately the driving force in one's own personal development on the way to adulthood. Almost Famous is a movie about youth, about seeing things as they really are, about learning what matters in life. It's a film about honesty, integrity, discovery, and the realities of the world colliding with the carefreeness of youth, that first taste of freedom, and that first hint of love. It's a rare movie that's as honest as it is sweet, as meaningful as it is fun, as funny as it is sad, a complete picture that's an unmistakable classic not of music but of life. And those are the best kinds of movies: movies about life. Life as it is, not as it should be or is not, but instead built around truths that might not be fair, might not be easy, or might not be obvious, but truths nonetheless where eyes are opened and the soul is fulfilled on a journey that teaches not what it means to exist but what it means to truly live. William Miller was once a decidedly uncool genius who skipped a few grades and was the object of his derision by his more "mature" classmates who might outnumber and outgrow the diminutive boy, but they certainly don't outsmart him. William's home life is in a bit of turmoil, too. His sister Anita (Zooey Deschanel) is leaving home to find herself as she flies the friendly skies the world over, and she leaves her contraband record collection to young William. Their mother (Frances McDormand) disapproves of the pervasion that is then-modern-day Rock music, but that doesn't stop William from embracing the collection and becoming a walking encyclopedia of all things Rock. Now aged 15, William (Patrick Fugit) has landed a job as a writer for Creem magazine after impressing the jaded music critic Lester Bangs (Philip Seymour Hoffman) with his passion, writing style, and dedication to what Bangs calls a dying genre. On his first assignment for Creem (a 1,000 word article on Black Sabbath), William stumbles upon a group of "Band Aids" -- call them roadies, call them groupies, call them wandering souls -- led by the mysterious Penny Lane (Kate Hudson) while also immediately impressing a midlevel Rock band called Stillwater with his passionate and intelligent compliments. Though there's hints of conflict between the band's lead singer Jeff Bebe (Jason Lee) and lead guitarist Russell Hammond (Billy Crudup), the group as a whole takes a liking to William "The Enemy" Rock Journalist; he's invited to join the group on tour and also lands himself a juicy gig with none other than Rolling Stone magazine -- believing William to be an adult -- with the task of writing a lengthy article on Stillwater. As William tours the country, gets to know the band, find himself attracted to Penny Lane (who has her eye on Russell), worries his mother sick, struggles with deadlines, misses graduation, lies about his age, and experiences the ins and outs of life firsthand, he comes to realize that this multitude of experience -- for better or for worse -- will shape his life and define who he'll be as he leaps headfirst into adulthood. Director Cameron Crowe's Almost Famous is a semi-autobiographical picture and the best in the director's short but impressive filmography, topping even his Best Picture-nominated Jerry Maguire maybe not in sheer popularity but certainly in heart and honesty. It's a picture that's constructed on several levels, each one integral both to the overreaching story and the broader themes buried underneath the façade of life on the road with a Rock band. Almost Famous is a movie that works entirely on its honesty. It's characters are far from perfect -- they mistreat one another, sometimes lack respect, lie about a myriad of things, and so forth -- but underneath the deceit is a sincerity to explore, to find out what this thing called life really means and what is it that really matters in it. The lies and the differences stem from the characters' belief that they need earn the "okay" from the outside world to be who they are or, at least, find out who they are. They live in a world of labels, where music is labeled as "filth" and fans are labeled as "groupies" and writers are labeled as "enemies." Maybe it's not outward labels but inward truths, not titles but honest souls that make men, and Almost Famous is about scraping off those labels to find out what's really underneath them. That's the whole point of the movie; discovery doesn't happen for everybody by adhering to societal norms or falling into a predetermined structure. Going on the road with a midlevel Rock band is not the one and only means of self-discovery, but for the characters of Almost Famous, it is, and that's why the movie works: they find the place they need to be and the people they need to be with to find themselves, souls that find their place in the world through the prism of Rock 'n' Roll. For some, that experience leads them elsewhere; others discover destiny, but all of them learn something about one another, themselves, and the world in which they live that becomes a little more revealing following their interpersonal and interconnected journies on the road to discovery in the guise of a fun, sometimes foolhardy, sometimes challenging, sometimes happy, sometimes sad, but unquestionably necessary Rock 'n' Roll tour that, for the core group of Almost Famous, is about far more than music. Almost Famous is also built around a sense of reality that speaks the language of music but also communicates straight with the heart and soul. It's a genuine picture that transcends its setting -- its music, even -- in favor of a greater message about truth, whether that's truth in living, truth in music, truth in writing, or personal truth. Good, bad, or indifferent, truth is what matters in Almost Famous and, by extension, the world in which the characters live and explore. Reality is what comes from that truth and honesty; reality is the destination for that journey of discovery, the realization of what is and is not real for every individual. Music, obviously, plays a key factor in the film's journey towards reality. Is there reality in the music? Is there personal truth to it? Is the music about self-promotion, about landing a paying gig, about that old "sex, drugs, and rock 'n' roll" lifestyle, or is there something more to it? For those who can look beyond the superficial, there's plenty of truth and, ultimately, reality to be found. The music is a gateway to camaraderie and friendship, a key that unlocks the door to greater understanding not through notes and lyrics but, for these characters, their very essences as the experience of music shapes them, molds them into who they are and need to be. Almost Famous doesn't find the essence of music -- that's different for every individual listener -- but it instead finds the essence of life through music. It's a blueprint, of sorts, not written in stone but certainly serving as a demonstration on what it means to really live, to find oneself, to use those things in life that call out, that will become something important, that say "hey, listen to me! I'm part of your destiny!" For some that's music; for others, writing, sports, a call to serve. Whatever it may be, its essence is found in Almost Famous, a film that does indeed transcend what it seems to be in favor of what it really is: a fascinating journey of discovery on multiple levels for multiple characters that's as touching as it is because of its adherence to honesty, truth, and reality throughout. Ultimately, though, beyond the meaning and soul-stirring themes lies a movie that's just sweet. Sure it's challenging at times, not always happy-go-lucky, but through the prism of its reality and honesty lies a movie with its heart in exactly the right place, a picture that blends meaning and a feel-good tenor perfectly. Better still, it's in no way a "cheesy" feel good movie. Almost Famous never panders and never feels forced; it instead feels good and right because it's so genuine, because it's characters are so true, and its purpose so multi-layered. Outside of Cameron Crowe's exceptional script, standout direction, and first-class soundtrack -- three elements that aren't getting their just due in this review but need to be mentioned -- the film's best technical asset lies in its acting. There's not a dud performance to be found in Almost Famous; the picture boasts a number of seamless efforts that immediately and without fail pull the audience into the world of 1970s Rock and Roll and the formative time of the characters' lives. The cast, to a player, understands the layers of the script and the themes it's aiming for, knowing that the characters are the glue that holds it together, that their journey is what matters beyond the excellent period setting, fantastic costumes, and killer soundtrack. There's a depth to every character -- there are few movies that have as many dynamic characters as there are here -- that helps shape the overall structure of the film and reinforce its primary themes of honesty and reality set against the backdrop of music. Frances McDormand is fantastic as the lovable, well-meaning "antagonist" who refuses to see the power not of music but of the soul to see beyond stereotypes and instead find the value in a journey of exploration that's not about the body or even the mind, but of the soul. Patrick Fugit excels as William "The Enemy," turning in an exceptional performance that conveys not only smarts but a sense of wonder and awe, at first at the position he's in and the people he meets but, ultimately, the world he discovers and the person within himself he finds. There are many other first-rate performances in Almost Famous, though none might be so good as Phillip Seymour Hoffman's turn as the grizzled music critic who's William's mentor of sorts, a sage who might be cynical about music but knows what it means to find oneself and a place in the world that's been shaped by a passion for music. Almost Famous will mean something different to every viewer. For some it will be a picture of self-discovery; others will see in it a journey towards an understanding not of self but of life; and others still will find a film that's simply the best movie about Rock 'n' Roll ever made. No matter how the film is viewed -- and it's easy to see and appreciate all three -- Almost Famous is unquestionably one of the best of the 2000s. It's a picture that's so well-rounded in terms of its look, style, music, acting, and story, that it's easy to see why the film enjoys practically limitless replay value. There won't be too many movies released to Blu-ray this year that are better than Almost Famous, but Paramount's release probably won't find a spot in the top 10 thanks to a rather lackluster presentation. A flawed but sturdy 1080p transfer, a good lossless soundtrack, and a collection of extras that are lengthy but not particularly deep all make Almost Famous a release that's almost great. Fans are going to buy anyway -- and they should -- because the movie's worth the price of admission and the disc is an upgrade over standard DVD; it's just not up to the standards of the best releases. [CSW] -3.6- So what's not to like about a shy awkward teenager struggling to be a journalist? Almost Famous is Cameron Crowe's semi-autobigraphical story of an aspiring rock journalist who goes on tour with a band in the 1970's. If it sounds familiar, it's probably because the story is hardly new. There have been dozens of movies made about the rock and roll lifestyle: the drugs, the sex, the fights, and all the bumps on the road to success. So what sets Almost Famous apart? The acting, for one. Frances McDormand was brilliant as William's (newcomer Patrick Fugit) well-meaning but overbearing mother. Fugit, for his part, had a convincing performance as the shy, awkward teenager struggling to be a journalist but at the same time aching to belong. Kate Hudson, in her breakout role as groupie "Penny Lane", gave her character depth beyond what might have been a limiting role.Cast Notes: Billy Crudup (Russell Hammond), Frances McDormand (Elaine Miller), Kate Hudson (Penny Lane), Jason Lee (Jeff Bebe), Patrick Fugit (William Miller), Zooey Deschanel (Anita Miller), Michael Angarano (Young William), Anna Paquin (Polexia Aphrodisia), Fairuza Balk (Sapphire), Noah Taylor (Dick Roswell), John Fedevich (Ed Vallencourt), Mark Kozelek (Larry Fellows), Philip Seymour Hoffman (Lester Bangs), Liz Stauber (Leslie), Jimmy Fallon (Dennis Hope). IMDb Rating (04/22/14): 8.0/10 from 57,932 users IMDb Rating (03/10/12): 8.0/10 from 40,154 users
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