Almost Famous (2000) Review

 

Almost Famous (2000)

Almost Famous follows William Miller, a high school music journalist, who lands an assignment from Rolling Stone magazine to interview up-and-coming band Stillwater, thus embarking on an eye-opening journey into the world of rock ‘n’ roll during the band’s seminal tour. 

This semi-autobiographical movie from director Cameron Crowe, where he was once in the shoes of young William Miller, journeying across the vast, many a-conquered landscape of 1970s rock dominated America, is perhaps one of the most genuine and inspiring musical dramas to date. Crowe, being a former music journalist himself, understands music while also understanding the role it plays in young people, and how it shapes them moving into adulthood. Almost Famous takes that literally. Throwing William to the wolves and not just letting him listen but experience. Experience the complexities of the music industry, the parties, the drugs, the sex, the fights, the hardships, all of it. 

And the vessel for this experience? Stillwater—a fictional amalgamation of the Allman Brothers Band and The Eagles (I assume), basked in all their beautifully toxic glory. Letting William see and feel their emotions is crucial to his growth as a young man, something his overbearing mother could never instill upon him: identity. It’s on this journey with Penny and Stillwater that he learns who he is, who he wants to be, and who he loves. It gives him perspective for the little things, something even Russel must learn from time to time. 

Crowe puts you in the shoes of William because at one point, he is all of us. Innocent, looking for a cause to get behind and curious about everything the world has to offer. William, clutching his pencil, with his notes strewn everywhere, carrying around a tape recorder everywhere he goes fully feels like the kid who would grow up to create an Almost Famous and recreate this unbelievable time of insecurity, passion, and anguish. You feel every note of emotion that rings out from the stage, to the affectionately awkward bus ride which brings them all back together with Elton John’s Tiny Dancer. And with a hell of a soundtrack to boot, there’s no question why Almost Famous is the perfect coming of age story, even five decades after it’s set. 

We get a phenomenal cast that includes Jason Lee, Kate Hudson, Philip Seymour Hoffman, Frances McDormand, Anna Paquin, Billy Crudup, and Patrick Fugit. This is the role that made me fall in love with Crudup, with him bringing such a deeply personal and awe inspiring performance that almost, for a second, makes you believe in the earnesty of rockstars. Lee brings all the lovely nihilism we know him for and McDormand is great, accurately depicting our own concerns and worries for her son, while growing on the viewers as the one seeming voice of reason. I also quite like the innocence of a young, steadfast Fugit who genuinely makes you believe in this kid, way over his head but struggling to adapt and grow. It’s real. 

Almost Famous, directed by Cameron Crowe, takes us deep into the heart of rock, even giving us some of the thrills that come with the territory, but it’s not about rock as a whole. It’s about a young kid, coming of age and seeing the world, honestly, for the first time. Seeing it’s heartbreak, it’s joys, and the often sad realities of a misunderstood time and the characters that populate the golden era of rock. 

9.2/10