Almost FamousThe best lesson for any aspiring writer: write what you know. It's the lesson one has to assume filmmaker Cameron Crowe had at the forefront of his mind when he made Almost Famous, a semi-autobiographical, semi-fictionalized account of a young man's emergence as a rock journalist, covering and discovering in the company of a rising rock band in the early 1970s. What begins as an amateur assignment for William Miller (Patrick Fugit) becomes an absolute adventure for him in his trek across the USA with the composite band, Stillwater, notably in his bonding with lead guitarist, Russell Hammond (Billy Crudup), and the inevitable love triangle between them and his unrequited love, "Penny Lane" (Kate Hudson).
|
|
There's something inescapably ironic about sitting here, just like young William Miller, confronted with the challenge of a blank screen, just as he does when he recollects the memories of his crazy, mixed up journey, his awakening, as he prepares his "think piece about the mid-level band confronted with the challenges of stardom" that is Stillwater. But more importantly, what all of it meant to him...how those events molded him into becoming someone new, breaking free of the cocoon of adolescence. That's the key to Almost Famous; the rock and roll is but a backdrop...but what a backdrop. Almost Famous does not lack in recreating the time and place of the early Seventies, the long hair and bellbottoms, and other superficial elements. But more than that, it is a slice of the life of rock, a moment captured in celluloid and in print, of tours and buses, of parties and Polaroids, of loves lost and loves never to be. William's affection for Penny Lane--who masks her identity in the persona of a "band-aide" (which is certainly not a groupie)--is sweet; but any young man whose lived a life like William will certainly know that "sweet" isn't what gets the girl, what makes you "cool" in the rock star sense. It's tough to see that then, of course--time proves that this is irrelevant, but man, does it hurt along the way. Tasked by Rolling Stone magazine to write about the emergent band, William makes the thrust of his article the essential interview with Russell, a man who proclaims to be in love with the music--and is convincing, compared to arrogant frontman, Jeff Bebe (Jason Lee). But every opportunity to get the goods on Russell ends up with Will forced to encounter him in an intimate situation with his crush, Penny. So while William honestly admires and even idolizes Russell, he is torn because he senses that Russell is merely using Penny, inconsiderate of her own obsession with the guitarist, heartbroken at watching one of his idols diminish in scale by taking advantage of the girl he loves. But when the chips fall, and William is faced with the ultimate truth--the blank page--he must heed the advice offered by the man who gave him the much needed push in the first place, Lester Bangs (Philip Seymour Hoffman): "Be honest and unmerciful".
Almost Famous exists at its core as a nostalgic flashback, a recollection not of a period in history, where an overprotective mom like Elaine Miller (Frances McDormand) desperately pleads for her son to avoid drugs--even proclaiming Simon and Garfunkel to be purveyors of pot--but a memory of a very personal time and a very personal place. When Will's sister, Anita (Zooey Deschanel), finally has enough and takes off (literally) to become a stewardess, she leaves her collection of forbidden LPs stashed under Will's bed in a satchel, the interior of which is a perfect distillation of some of rock's greatest works by rock's greatest performers, including The Who's Tommy, which carries a hand-written scribble serving as a kind of incantation, prompting the young Will (Michael Angarano) to play the record by candlelight so that he may see his future unfold before his eyes. That, too, is Almost Famous. Lester's assignment takes him to a Black Sabbath concert to interview the band, where his is unceremoniously refused entry; but it is his determination to not walk away empty handed, approaching Stillwater and offering his observations (and flattery) ultimately opens the door to his future. While Will's future includes accompanying Stillwater on their "Almost Famous" tour, either by apprehension or his upbringing, he remains (mostly) removed from the hedonism of the events, observing and learning, a behavior which earns him the nickname of "The Enemy", since as a journalist, it is assumed that he will ultimately swipe aside the glitz of the showmanship to reveal the grimy underside of rock and roll, and in turn fail to make the six-string idols "look cool".
Cameron Crowe toured with bands such as Fleetwood Mac, Led Zeppelin, and more; so it's no surprise that Stillwater and the hotel antics and backstage goings on bear the kind of rock and roll mystique and drama which made these bands more than just great musicians but iconic characters of a dynamic realm. Maybe some of those moments are based on real ones--rumor has it (and it's always rumors) that Jimmy Page commented at the premiere of Almost Famous that he did indeed call himself a "golden god"--and maybe some of them are the dreams of rock and roll, descended from musical Valhalla. Either way, memories and nostalgia play to both, and make it both recognizable and comfortable as a pair of worn jeans, as though we were there, feeling what Will feels. Almost Famous has an impressive musical score, jam packed with a bevy of classic rock, most of which is instantly recognizable to fans of the period; the original music of the band, Stillwater, which was written and performed in part by actual rock stars, including Peter Frampton, Mike McCready, and Nancy Wilson, fits right in there. The music is a soundtrack for Will's life, a theme common in Cameron Crowe's films, but especially relevant in Almost Famous, the chords thrumming as the heartbeat of his awakening, the lifeblood of the film. People and places carry a legendary quality about them, but are also given a humanity that makes them authentic. We never really see Black Sabbath or David Bowie first hand, but we know that they're there in this world which the groupies describe is "all happening". Will and Penny bond over their mutual hometown, but also over their deception about their age, claiming to be older than they really are, both trying to grow up as fast as they can, while in actuality, both are mature for their age. Will has always been a bit of a prodigy, entering school early, skipping a grade; Penny exudes a muse-like grace, a charm which instantly attracts Will and ensnares Russell the moment they lock eyes. I'm sure I'm not alone in saying that I've known a girl like Penny Lane in my life--and felt for her the same way--so the fact that she seems to be this embodiment of that elusive, wistful, perfect love is not just fantasy, it's reality as it exists in the mind's eye, in that safe, locked away place rarely shared with others: the heart. Honest and unmerciful.
Recommended for: Fans of a heartfelt drama about growing up and falling in love, of rock and roll and discovering what matters in life. It's a great musical poem of a coming of age story, and one to which any aspiring writer who's loved and lost can instantly relate. (How's that for a thousand words, Lester?)
Almost Famous exists at its core as a nostalgic flashback, a recollection not of a period in history, where an overprotective mom like Elaine Miller (Frances McDormand) desperately pleads for her son to avoid drugs--even proclaiming Simon and Garfunkel to be purveyors of pot--but a memory of a very personal time and a very personal place. When Will's sister, Anita (Zooey Deschanel), finally has enough and takes off (literally) to become a stewardess, she leaves her collection of forbidden LPs stashed under Will's bed in a satchel, the interior of which is a perfect distillation of some of rock's greatest works by rock's greatest performers, including The Who's Tommy, which carries a hand-written scribble serving as a kind of incantation, prompting the young Will (Michael Angarano) to play the record by candlelight so that he may see his future unfold before his eyes. That, too, is Almost Famous. Lester's assignment takes him to a Black Sabbath concert to interview the band, where his is unceremoniously refused entry; but it is his determination to not walk away empty handed, approaching Stillwater and offering his observations (and flattery) ultimately opens the door to his future. While Will's future includes accompanying Stillwater on their "Almost Famous" tour, either by apprehension or his upbringing, he remains (mostly) removed from the hedonism of the events, observing and learning, a behavior which earns him the nickname of "The Enemy", since as a journalist, it is assumed that he will ultimately swipe aside the glitz of the showmanship to reveal the grimy underside of rock and roll, and in turn fail to make the six-string idols "look cool".
Cameron Crowe toured with bands such as Fleetwood Mac, Led Zeppelin, and more; so it's no surprise that Stillwater and the hotel antics and backstage goings on bear the kind of rock and roll mystique and drama which made these bands more than just great musicians but iconic characters of a dynamic realm. Maybe some of those moments are based on real ones--rumor has it (and it's always rumors) that Jimmy Page commented at the premiere of Almost Famous that he did indeed call himself a "golden god"--and maybe some of them are the dreams of rock and roll, descended from musical Valhalla. Either way, memories and nostalgia play to both, and make it both recognizable and comfortable as a pair of worn jeans, as though we were there, feeling what Will feels. Almost Famous has an impressive musical score, jam packed with a bevy of classic rock, most of which is instantly recognizable to fans of the period; the original music of the band, Stillwater, which was written and performed in part by actual rock stars, including Peter Frampton, Mike McCready, and Nancy Wilson, fits right in there. The music is a soundtrack for Will's life, a theme common in Cameron Crowe's films, but especially relevant in Almost Famous, the chords thrumming as the heartbeat of his awakening, the lifeblood of the film. People and places carry a legendary quality about them, but are also given a humanity that makes them authentic. We never really see Black Sabbath or David Bowie first hand, but we know that they're there in this world which the groupies describe is "all happening". Will and Penny bond over their mutual hometown, but also over their deception about their age, claiming to be older than they really are, both trying to grow up as fast as they can, while in actuality, both are mature for their age. Will has always been a bit of a prodigy, entering school early, skipping a grade; Penny exudes a muse-like grace, a charm which instantly attracts Will and ensnares Russell the moment they lock eyes. I'm sure I'm not alone in saying that I've known a girl like Penny Lane in my life--and felt for her the same way--so the fact that she seems to be this embodiment of that elusive, wistful, perfect love is not just fantasy, it's reality as it exists in the mind's eye, in that safe, locked away place rarely shared with others: the heart. Honest and unmerciful.
Recommended for: Fans of a heartfelt drama about growing up and falling in love, of rock and roll and discovering what matters in life. It's a great musical poem of a coming of age story, and one to which any aspiring writer who's loved and lost can instantly relate. (How's that for a thousand words, Lester?)