Almost Famous Review
by "John Beachem" (john_beachem AT hotmail DOT com)October 19th, 2000
ALMOST FAMOUS
Review by John Beachem
* * * * 1/2
Directed by: Cameron Crowe
Written by: Cameron Crowe
At the tail end of the rock and roll era, 1973, William Miller (Patrick Fugit) has just discovered music. His mother, Elaine (Frances McDormand), wouldn't allow her children to listen to rock and roll for years because she claimed it encouraged drugs and promiscuity (She uses Simon and Garfunkle of all bands for an example). Despite his mother, William has made a name for himself writing music reviews for the school paper and underground magazines. His talents are discovered by Lester Bangs (the excellent Philip Seymour Hoffman), the editor of Creeme magazine, who hires William to write a review of Black Sabbath. While waiting for the band, William meets the members of another band, Stillwater. While first rejected, William soon endears himself by befriending the group's lead guitarist, Russell Hammond (Billy Crudup), and Russell's girlfriend (of sorts), Penny Lane (Kate Hudson). Actually, Penny and a small group of other girls are Stillwater's band aids. Band aids are similar to groupies, but they travel with the band so as to give the members encouragement. So, now a friend of the band, William is hired by Rolling Stone magazine to travel with Stillwater, get interviews with the band members, and write an article about them. What was supposed to be a four day trip soon turns into a month long journey.
Let me get one thing out in the open right now. I don't like the 70's. I don't like what they stood for, I don't like the fashions, I don't like the politics. That said, I love 70's music. Not necessarily what was sung, but the way it was sung. Now, please make note of this: if you don't like 70's music, stay far away from "Almost Famous". Classic 70's songs from Led Zepplin, Elton John, and dozens more I'm not even going to try to list are played constantly in this movie. I'm sure you're wondering about the film's humor more than its soundtrack, so let me set your mind at ease. "Almost Famous" is hilarious. I don't mean it's funny to those who are able to capture sly little in-jokes about the seventies, I mean nearly everyone should find this movie to be more than just funny. The dialogue is funny, the banter is funny, there are a few classic slap-stick moments, but none of it feels out of place. It's a tribute to writer/director Cameron Crowe ("Jerry Maguire") that he was able to use so many types of humor yet keep the film feeling real (it is, after all, based on a part of his life).
Amazingly enough, there isn't one standout performance in "Almost Famous". You're probably thinking I've lost my marbles, but it's the truth. Every performance in the movie is so good that no one actor outshines another. Frances McDormand ("Fargo"), being the talented actress she is, manages to make a character who could have been detestable not only sympathetic, but even likeable at times. Philip Seymour Hoffman ("Magnolia") turns in his usual stellar performance, and it's unfortunate his screen time is so limited because he could easily have snagged an Oscar nomination otherwise. Billy Crudup ("The Hi-Lo Country"), who I'm usually not overly fond of, makes Russell into such a likeable character you'll actually feel embarrassed for him when he does stupid things (this happens fairly often) like stand on a roof-top, drugged up, screaming "I am a golden god!" Kate Hudson is simply magnificent as the object of William's affections. She has an excellent scene, which could easily have been made melodramatic, where William tells her Russell traded her off for a case of beer. Tears just barely come to her eyes, and she turns away for a split second. She looks back, her eyes red, but a smile on her face, and asks "What kind of beer?" It's enough to break your heart. Finally we have newcomer Patrick Fugit. If this boy doesn't get a nomination come Oscar time someone's going to hang. William Miller is easily the most endearing movie character not only this year, but in the past three or four years too. Part of this is due to the way he is written, but all the credit should still go to Fugit.
One of the things that really amazed me about this movie was that Crowe managed to keep it paced so well. Every time a dramatic moment would arise, I expected it to drag on far longer than was necessary. Imagine my surprise when Crowe would keep these moments just long enough to get his message across, before throwing us another really funny scene. Some of my favorites were the conversations people would have with Elaine. These scenes wouldn't seem half as funny if it weren't for one thing, the characters are so real. Take a scene where Elaine is talking to Russell on the phone. He starts off full of rock star bravado, telling her not to worry about her son. Ten seconds later, he's been reduced to saying "Yes Ma'am" to everything in an almost child-like voice. This wouldn't have been half as funny if we hadn't come to know Russell. Crowe's real gift is his ability to infuse even the most minor of characters with a distinct and endearing personality. In a lesser movie, a character like Lester Bangs would have been nothing more than a distant mentor to William. Here, even with his limited screen time, he comes to life.
Are there flaws in "Almost Famous"? Yes, but they're negligible. I suppose the primary one would be that a few characters don't get the amount of screen time they deserved. Jason Lee's lead singer, for example, may get a decent amount of screen time, but other than a few rants against Russell he doesn't say much. I guess this was supposed to parallel the situation his character is in, always playing second fiddle to Russell, but that doesn't explain poor Anna Paquin. Paquin is one of the most gifted young actresses in Hollywood, and here, just like in "Hurlyburly", her screen time as one of the band aids is almost non-existent. Okay, I don't want to complain about this great movie anymore. These minor complaints pale in comparison to what a great film Cameron Crowe has given us. In a year of mediocre films, this one deserves to be seen by everyone. While the film does run a full 122 minutes, it doesn't feel nearly that long. I'd recommend "Almost Famous" to nearly everyone, unless you truly detest seventies music, and give it a well earned four and a half out of five stars.
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Past reviews can be found at:
http://www.epinions.com/user-elerad or
http://us.imdb.com/ReviewsBy?John+Beachem
* * * * * - One of the best movies of the year.
* * * * - Great flick, try and catch this one.
* * * - Okay movie, hits and misses.
* * - Pretty bad, see it at your own risk.
* - See this one only if you enjoy pain.
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Originally posted in the rec.arts.movies.reviews newsgroup. Copyright belongs to original author unless otherwise stated. We take no responsibilities nor do we endorse the contents of this review.
