ALMOST FAMOUS
"Almost Famous" is a rollicking tale inspired by Cameron Crowe’s early days as a fifteen year old fledgling writer for Rolling Stone magazine. His alter ego, William Miller (Patrick Fugit), is on a quest to find out what inspires a rock group called Stillwater in the spring of 1973. He discovers that the group’s egos are often bigger than their talent even though they pour their life’s blood into their music. They see themselves as a privileged lot who can use or abuse their adoring fans and the Band-Aids - a bunch of groupies headed by Penny Lane (Kate Hudson). She believes she is the muse who inspires her lead guitarist lover, Russell Hammond (Billy Crudup), to create his best work. Penny also thinks he’s a cut above the rest and hopes William will make him look good in his finished piece for Rolling Stone at the end of the band’s tour. Things don’t turn out the way she expects. William not only shifts his focus from Russell’s guitar licks to the personalities of the band but he innocently falls in love with Penny.
"Almost Famous" has all the trappings of a 70’s nostalgia trip with a soundtrack that clearly evokes the era. Yet, underneath its smooth veneer is the age old story of a teenage boy’s infatuation with the ‘older’ woman. William’s view of Penny Lane is tempered by his experience with the other women in his life. He has his sister Anita’s (Zooey Deschnel) sense of independence and his mother’s ethics. His uncommon bond with them is felt throughout "Almost Famous" from the moment Anita gives him her cool record collection to his mother’s tailing him and Stillwater across the country by telephone four years later. Even Russell Hammond is affected by her homey vibes. He says Mrs. Miller (Frances McDormand) freaks him out. William respects women and they respond in kind. Penny Lane admits to being almost as young as William but her age is as much a mystery as her real name. Miller’s awe of Hammond’s talent begins to wan as his attraction toward Penny begins to peak. This group dynamic forges the links that trace William’s personal growth from an ambivalent observer of the rock scene to an active participant in the lives of the people who live it.. The one thing William can’t do that everyone else does so easily is lie.
William’s mentor, the legendary Lester Bangs (Philip Seymour Hoffman) of Creem magazine, warns him early on not to be seduced by the perks of the rock scene. If William wants to evolve into a real journalist, he has to be an impartial observer, otherwise he’ll just be another rock fan, like Penny Lane, hanging on to the tail of a band’s comet until it burns out.
William Miller’s perception of Penny Lane dominates "Almost Famous." The camera embraces her. She lights up William’s life like a torch from the moment she steps out from the night shadows in a parking lot until her flame is extinguished by her lifestyle. Beautifully lit close ups and medium shots give way to half hidden profiles and long shots that get longer as she distances herself from the rock crowd. Her fate shapes the forces of William’s conversion from a wide eyed innocent to an objective journalist. In the end William must remain true to himself. He has to describe the members of Stillwater the way others see them, not as they see themselves.
Cameron Crowe rightfully rewards the last moments of "Almost Famous" to Mrs. Miller. In effect, the movie becomes a valentine to family values when she welcomes William home like a prodigal son who has bourne witness to a life of sex’n drugs’n rock’n roll. Even his long departed sister and Russell Hammond get a reprieve from dear old mom. It’s corny as hell, but Cameron Crowe is an artist who knows how to bring it all back home! The guy has not made a bad film. (He did write one turkey, "The Wild Life"). He may have created a few over the top lines like ‘you complete me’ for "Jerry Maguire," but you can’t deny Crowe’s uncanny ability to create complex characters that reflect the best and worst in human nature. "Almost Famous" is destined to become a classic that transcends its carefully detailed sense of time and place.
Two other films that evoke the music and times of the early days of Rock’n Roll.
"American Hot Wax" (1978) - This movie got trashed when it was first released, but time has been kind to it. Tim McIntire plays pioneer DJ Allen Freed in this nostalgic replica of the type of movies Freed produced in the fifties to bring lesser known rock acts to the big screen before they were allowed on television. Chuck Berry and Jerry Lee Lewis make their dutiful appearance but it’s fun to see an early appearance of Jay Leno and Fran Drescher.
"The Idolmaker" (1980) - Ray Sharkey plays a songwriter/producer who molds a young Peter Gallagher into a teen idol in a film that bridges the gap between Elvis Presley’s induction into the Army and the arrival of the Beatles. The scenario prefigures the rise of the singer/songwriter in its finale.
One movie that captured the spirit of the mid sixties and the other that trailed in its shadow
"A Hard Day’s Night" (1964) - The Beatles classic about a day in the life when they were only too glad to exploit the distinct personalities created for the media. No discussion of Rock movies is complete without it.
"Having a Wild Weekend" aka "Catch Us If You Can" (1965) - The Dave Clark Five had twelve top twenty hits between the Springs of 1964 to 1965 so the idea of following in the footsteps of the Beatles with their own movie sounded like a good idea. The movie still holds up as a timepiece to the era while it’s plot about searching for a dream getaway doesn’t..