Almost Famous
Almost Famous
R | 15 September 2000 (USA)
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In 1973, 15-year-old William Miller's unabashed love of music and aspiration to become a rock journalist lands him an assignment from Rolling Stone magazine to interview and tour with the up-and-coming band, Stillwater.

Reviews
WasAnnon

Slow pace in the most part of the movie.

Greenes

Please don't spend money on this.

Invaderbank

The film creates a perfect balance between action and depth of basic needs, in the midst of an infertile atmosphere.

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Kirandeep Yoder

The joyful confection is coated in a sparkly gloss, bright enough to gleam from the darkest, most cynical corners.

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Paul J. Nemecek

Almost Famous is the story of a fifteen-year old boy who becomes a writer for Rolling Stone magazine. This may seem like a pretty farfetched premise, but this film is, in part, the story of writer-director Cameron Crowe who was the youngest writer Rolling Stone ever had. The film, set in the early 70's, is a coming-of-age film about independence, maturation, principles, and compromise.Newcomer Patrick Fugit plays William Miller, the 15-year old who stumbles into the opportunity of a lifetime when the editor of Rolling Stone asks him to do a story on Stillwater, an up-and-coming band. Along the way William meets Penny Lane (Kate Hudson) who describes herself as a band-aide. In the most predictable development in the plot, William falls in love with Penny while Penny falls in love with lead guitarist Russell (played by Billy Crudup). As the story unfolds, William is thrown into the world that Janis Joplin described with the anthem "drugs, sex, and rock and roll."While William is clearly a babe in the woods (and a lamb among wolves), as he struggles to find his way we discover that he is the only person on the scene with a functioning moral compass. William does lose his way at points, but in many ways he becomes the moral center of the Stillwater entourage. Frances McDormand--the Oscar-winning actress who plays William's mother--provides some of the more charming moments in the film. She is the anchor that keeps William connected and grounded. She is also over-the-edge with anxiety and occasionally lectures various members of the Stillwater entourage.In Crowe's previous blockbuster, Jerry Maguire, Crowe gave us a vivid portrait of a sports agent who had become jaded and wanted to recapture some of the innocence he had lost. The moral dimensions and ethical dilemmas are similar here, but in Almost Famous the portrait is of the innocent before the fall. For this kind of portrayal, casting is critical, and newcomer Fugit does not disappoint. Perhaps because this is his first major role it is easy for him to show us the wide-eyed wonder and fear of the émigré from Eden who becomes a babe in Babylon.It is the depiction of Babylon that gets this film its R rating. But the message at the core of the film is G through and through. When William finds his way he finds his voice, and challenges the shallowness and superficiality of the lives of those around him. In so doing, he calls them to a more authentic form of existence, and some of the lives he has touched begin to change for the better. This film has many of the common features of coming-of-age films, but excellent writing, a unique plot line, and excellent performances put this one a bit above the rest.

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oasisnl

This is one of my favourite musical films. A 15 year old boy William miller (patrick fugit) who comes from a rather strict home, wants to be a writer and when rolling stone sends him to interview bands he meets up with some amazing free spirited characters who whisk him up and take him on tour. This is another story were it isn't about the story and is more about the characters and the journey.Patrick fugit is amazing as william an impressionable young boy who is flung in to this world of free love, music, sayings and nicknames on a tour that you wish will never end.Frances Mcdorman is so funny as williams strict mother who is a teacher and proclaims to her class rockstars have kidnapped my son before running out the room. And also a great performance from Zooey Deschanel as williams sister Anita.Billy Crudup, Jason lee are part of the band stillwater who are the up and coming rock band on the brink of stardom but as they get closer the fractures in their band start to appear and rivalries become apparent.Noah Taylor as Dick the bands manager is also funny .He has been with them since the beginning. Also got to mention Jimmy Fallon for his character who takes over the band from Dick.Now my favourite characters are the band aides; Kate Hudson as miss Penny Lane the funniest, free spirited groupie, she fell in love with music and never went home. Anna Paquin as Polexia Aphrodisia is a sort of mysterious character we really don't find much about her but i am drawn to her. Fairuza Balk as the mother figure for the band aides sapphire and bijou phillips as Estrella Starr. Also great performance from Phillip Seymour Hoffman.

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kenysg

So this movie has sort of a cool story but I think it is missing something like there are lot of characters that for me shouldn't be there or their presence doesn't really affects the movie. Like the mom.. I mean, yea, she sorta gives the movie "something" but I mean her role could've been played by someone else that wasn't that... freak. I didn't see her character very useful and I can't find the relationship about that the sister and the mother stopped talking to each other and the boys life. I mean the movie is all about this boy and the other people are just part of it in many ways but not all of them as important as I'd like them to be. It has a weird sense of humour and some kind of "really? bro?" scenes that makes the movie a bit hard to process. Like everything is so easy and hard at the same time and it's a bit hard to go with it.

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kheterpalayush

You have to watch this piece of class. They just don't make them anymore. But what makes this movie so great? Acting, Storyline, Direction, and most importantly how emotions & continuous search for identity in the people leads them in their journey of life. Russel says- " But… it's not what you put in, is it?It's what you leave out. Listen to… listen to Marvin Gaye…A song like "What's Going On." That single "woo" at the end of the second verse – you know that woo – that single "woo."That's what you remember. The silly things, the little things… there's only one, and it makes the song.It's what you leave out. That's rock and roll."And this movie is full of these silly little things.A simple and honest high school boy(William Miller) gets an assignment to review a band. He meets Miss Penny Lane, who is a "band-aid" (euphemism for groupie). Miss Penny Lane's constant desire to do something exciting is what leads her life, and Stillwater's music is what excites her the most. She looks like a free bird who can go anywhere, do anything. But as it turns out this very freedom restricts her from seeing the reality of life, right in front of her. On the other hand, William is just the opposite of Penny, bound by her mother's control. And when these two opposites meet, They make them see the entirety of life and its balanced beautiful nature.

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