Almost Famous Review
by Michael Redman (redman AT bluemarble DOT net)November 30th, 2000
Almost is good enough
Almost Famous
A film review by Michael Redman
Copyright 2000 by Michael Redman
***1/2 (out of ****)
Nostalgia, as the old saw goes, isn't what it used to be. Now that the Boomers are aging, albeit as slowly as they possibly can, the country's youthful memories are of sex, drugs and rock and roll. Certainly much more interesting than Ozzie and Harriet.
Writer and Director Cameron Crowe's young years were what we aspired to in our teenage years. If we couldn't be rock and roll stars, we wanted to be rock and roll journalists. Now we can live them vicariously.
Fueled by his sister's legacy of albums left to him when she escaped home, 15 year old William Miller (a thinly-disguised Crowe played by Patrick Fugit) wrangles a writing assignment from "Rolling Stone" magazine. He's to tour with the bluesy grunge band Stillwater and it's everything you would imagine rock journalism to be in the early seventies.
William falls into it all head over heels. With stars in his eyes, he can't quite figure out how to write his story. He likes these guys, but how can he tell the truth and not make them hate him?
Crowe does a commendable job of bringing his characters to life. Even the jerks are real people who turn out not to be totally evil at all. Billy Crudup as guitarist Russell and Fugit both are the real deal. Frances McDormand is great as William's eccentric rock-hating mother. Philip Seymour Hoffman chews up the screen as critic Lester "Rock Is Dead" Bangs from "Creem" magazine.
But the soul of rock and this film is embodied by 16 year old Penny Lane (Goldie Hawn's daughter Kate Hudson). The leader of the groupies… make that "Band Aids", Penny _is_ what rock and roll is all about.
If the early seventies had an "it" girl, she would be it. A combination of a Greek muse and a teenage boy's wet dream, she doesn't walk, she dances and skips and floats. She doesn't talk, she oozes poetry and life. She is the memory of the girl every guy wanted...and probably still does.
The film works well. As it finds its way towards the end, it falters some, dragging now and then. But then miraculously life is resurrected for an improbable but tasty ending.
(And those who didn't become rock journalists, reviewed films. Email your tales of early seventies decadence to [email protected].)
[This appeared in the 9/21/2000 "Bloomington Independent", Bloomington, Indiana. Michael Redman can be contacted at [email protected].] --
mailto:[email protected]
Film reviews archive:
http://us.imdb.com/ReviewsBy?Michael+Redman
--
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.
