In his first film since Jerry Maguire, director Cameron Crowe takes us on a rollicking, episodic, and autobiographical journey behind the curtain of 1970s rock-'n'-roll. One of this generation's premier screenwriters, Crowe proves once again that he has an unflappable knack for injecting big-studio projects with an intimacy and warmth usually reserved for smaller indie fare. And at a time when both Hollywood and independent flicks seem to be suffering from a dire case of the blahs, Almost Famous doesn't disappoint, soaring as a thoroughly entertaining hybrid of the two.
The film is based on Crowe's real-life experiences as a young reporter for Rolling Stone magazine back in 1973, covering the backstage antics of such super groups as Led Zeppelin and the Allman Brothers. In Famous, Crowe's 15-year-old alter ego William Miller (Patrick Fugit) accepts a writing assignment for Stone to profile the touring, up-and-coming, and fictional rock band Stillwater, fronted by lead singer Jeff Bebe (Jason Lee) and enigmatic lead guitarist Russell Hammond (Billy Crudup).
Though initially perceived as "the enemy" by the band, William successfully befriends the members of Stillwater, over the objections of his protective mother (Frances McDormand) — who calls incessantly to harass both her son and those around him ("Your mom kind of freaked me out," says one). Of course, finding himself caring about this extended rock-'n'-roll family won't make it any easier for William to tell their story impartially. Helping the young writer find his way in these dizzying surroundings are terminally "uncool" rock critic Lester Bangs (Philip Seymour Hoffman) and, more significantly, alluring "band aide" Penny Lane (Kate Hudson), to whom both William and Russell eventually take more than just a liking.
Though the story itself is routine in many ways, and the ending is somewhat soft, there are two attributes that make Almost Famous great. First are the uniformly terrific performances from the entire cast, particularly by Hudson, who is sexy, elusive, and thoroughly enchanting in a star-making role. McDormand also stands out, managing to be both hilarious ("Rock stars have kidnapped my son!") and moving despite the handicap of delivering most of her lines into a telephone.
The second, and probably most important factor behind Almost Famous' genius is the wealth of magical movie moments with which Cameron dots his labor of love. In many ways, the difference between a good film and a great one is in the number of classic scenes and memorable lines that a movie delivers, and, like the director/writer's previous efforts (Fast Times at Ridgemont High's script, Say Anything, Jerry Maguire), Almost Famous is full of them. In fact, every character (with the exception of the underused Anna Paquin) owns at least one glorious moment, from Jason Lee as the self-absorbed lead singer ("I'm the front man! You're the lead guitarist with mystique!") to Zooey Deschanel as William's rebellious sister Anita, who inspires the young writer by leaving her record collection to him with a note attached: "It will set you free."
If for no other reason, Almost Famous delights because it refreshingly captures the essence of a less inhibited, pre-MTV rock-'n'-roll generation — complete with a smashing soundtrack of '70s-era classics punctuated by a sequence featuring Elton John's "Tiny Dancer." The film examines, in a very human way, the peculiar conflict that those who frequent this musical netherworld inevitably encounter between "keeping it real" and being eternally "cool." Far from the safety of his simple beginnings back in San Diego, William will find a way to merge the two — ultimately discovering that there's a big, exciting world out there where "It's all happening!"
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