Almost Famous is a Cameron Crowe written and directed movie about rock and roll. But it’s far more than that – it’s a timeless coming-of-age story that appeals to viewers regardless of whether or not they were around during the 70s. It’s about bands, music, and life on the road, during the era of “sex, drugs, and rock ‘n’ roll,” and the movie doesn’t shy away from showing the extremes of the time.
Set in 1973-1974, the movie is very loosely based on Cameron Crowe’s formative years, blissfully misspent road-tripping with the likes of Led Zeppelin, The Eagles and the Allman Brothers among others.
It’s the story of a somewhat naive, but brilliant 15-year-old kid named William Miller, who through a bit of luck gets assigned by Rolling Stone magazine to do a profile of the rising rock band, Stillwater. However, the magazine has no idea of his age, as they hired him sight unseen. Undaunted, he presses on with his assignment, sometimes phoning his friend, the veteran critic Lester Bangs for advice. And he plunges into the experience that will make, mold, shape, and forever change him.
He encounters Penny Lane and her “Bandaides” (aka groupies) very early on, and they all entice him with the excesses of the 70s, including him losing his virginity to several of the Bandaides in a group–sex-orgy free-for-all. All the while, his mother, played by Frances McDormand, lurks in the background, making daily phone calls that scare his new friends, and earnestly telling them all “Don’t Do Drugs.” William is jokingly called “the enemy” by the band because he is a rock journalist, but all the same, he begins to lose his objectivity as he becomes integrated into their inner circle. Various escapades take them across the country, winding up in NYC, initially on a bus until their new “manager” takes over. He gets them a private plane, where they nearly die, and all have a “coming to God” moment. It’s a story of the struggles of success, the rise to fame, and how one new band handles it.
The casting was very impressive. Patrick Fugit as William Miller was beyond brilliant. He played the part of the aspiring journalist perfectly. Kate Hudson as the ethereal, utterly charming yet worldly-wise Penny Lane was totally spot on. Philip Seymour Hoffman as Lester Bangs, the caustic, sarcastic, yet delightfully hilarious critic was inspired. Billy Crudup as Russell Hammond was a true treat, with the right amount of sarcastic wit tempered by the fact that he saw young Miller as both a kid, a novice, and an equal. He begrudgingly takes him under his wing to a certain extent, however, Hammond is also very immature and childlike at times. The scene where he’s on LSD and goes on the roof of a fan’s house screaming “I’m a Golden God” is just hilarious and leads to one of the best scenes in the movie – the scene on the bus where they all bond while singing Elton John’s song Tiny Dancer.
This movie was like a big, warm hug when it was first released 20 years ago and remains so today. The music is timeless, and the underlying story is one told time and time again. As someone who grew up in the 70s, I can relate to all the characters. As someone who grew up around music, I can relate even more. Music gets into your blood. It becomes a part of your existence. Music is life.
Tami Danielson is the main in-house blogger and Director of Operations for Pop-Daze. She was raised in California and Florida and currently resides in Oregon. Tami has written for a variety of periodicals and has provided digital marketing services for a number of artists. She can be reached at [email protected]
