Almost Famous

The Good: Defines 1970's

culture and embraces rock

and roll

The Bad: Somewhat cheesy

and predictable

Bottom Line: A Band in the

1970's is followed by a

teenage boy, looking for life's

answers and a taste of fun in

the wide world of rock and

roll.

Being a music fanatic, I chose a subcategory depicting every great movie centered around the theme of music. As for this movie, “Almost” Famous? I think not. It surpasses the “almost” mark by a mile, affirming this movie to be one of the great movies of our generation, especially regarding the exceptional topic of music.

One of the great (or horrible, depending how you look at it) things about our generation is our true dedication to our time period. We are born and raised in the new millennium, and know it. Everything we do and everything we say is generated from current times. From “lol’s” to ugg boots, our world is being forwarded every single day with new technological crazes and popular fashion. A main reason film is so appreciable is that it can transport anyone to a different time period, and make them recognize things within themselves that can connect to a whole different time. This concept is something we as a young culture are not used to. We are so caught up in our current lives, rarely do we have the opportunity to transport ourselves backwards to the 1970‘s. Cameron Crowe did an impeccable job capturing the essence of 1973, and at the same time, making this film relatable to teen’s in our current society. Although the events that take place in the movie are centered around things that would happen in the 1970s and not today, teens can relate to the bigger idea (such as the love story that takes place).

William Miller, actor Patrick Fugit, is our lovable, sheltered main character, who is the typical awkward boy, lost in the whirlwind of high school. He gets a once in a lifetime opportunity to write an article for Rolling Stones Magazine about the up and coming band “Stillwater.” They pay for him to follow the band around for a small section of their tour, and discover what the band is really about. He soon finds himself swept into the world of women, drugs, and rock and roll. He becomes entranced with the members of the band, and gets to know everyone on a more personal level- even their groupies, who prefer to refer to themselves as “Band-Aids.” He falls in love with the beautiful, mysterious Penny Lane, played by actress Kate Hudson, and holds onto this infatuation throughout the film.

The main premise of the film is William attempting to finish his article on time, which seems to be a problem because of the flaky, uncontrolled band members he can’t seem to contain for a simple interview. Although the movie is somewhat predictable, Crowe’s humor develops the movie so the viewer cannot help but smile. The witty dialogue and the embarrassing things that happen to William show Crowe’s comedic style. The 70’s were known as wild times, especially in the rock and roll world, and Crowe seizes this lifestyle to the T. Much of the movie was based on his own experiences as a teenager also writing for a music magazine just like William was in the 1970’s, which made most of the events in the movie much more credible. The mother/son relationship in the movie is one of the best comedic additions in the film. The mother constantly serves to bring laughter into the movie and reinforce the idea that William really is so young compared to the other characters he dealt with. In the “extras” portion on the DVD, Crowe said in the interview that his mother was constantly calling and worrying about him just like William’s, and it was an instrumental part of the experience- he definitely could not leave her character out.

The average viewer may not know what the 70’s were like, but after viewing this movie, have a much better idea for the lifestyle that was led. William has to overcome many hardships, most which refer directly to that time period. From drug overdoses, to house parties, to “life on the road”, the viewer is immersed in the 1973 and learn to love the era throughout everything. Scenes throughout the movie reflect these bigger issues Crowe brings up. Drugs, especially in the rock and roll world of that time, were in heavy use, and Crowe doesn’t hold back in showing this dark side of fame. He regularly showed the characters engaging in marijuana use, and taking prescription pills. In one depressing scene, Penny Lane had a drug overdose, and young William was the only one there to help her, and clearly the only one who cared. Crowe also showed the band lifestyle, giving insides into how living on the road was. This was a major aspect of the film, because capturing this era was the basis of the movie. All the drama that comes about from traveling across the country, what happens behind stage, and the interaction between other bands was the best part about the film.

One of the most famous scenes in the film is the “tiny dancer” scene. The song by Elton John was released in 1971, and still very popular in 1973. The Band’s group dynamics were suffering at this point in the movie, and the scene demonstrated the important influence music held in that time. All the characters are sitting in complete silence on the bus, trying to avoid the awkward fight they were all engaging in, when Tiny Dancer comes over the speaker. Slowly but surely the entire band begins to sing along, and in that moment the viewer realized that throughout all of the bands personal issues, music is what matters. Music is the reason they were all brought together. This holds significant beyond this individual scene in the respect that in 1973, rock and roll truly was a lifestyle. These people lived, breathed, and died for the music. Crowe reiterates this thought through many events, like the “Tiny Dancer” scene.

The soundtrack in itself could put the 80’s, 90’s and today’s music combined to shame. Every song choice was so thought out for the individual scene and emotions being expressed, and encompasses the real bands of the 1960’s. Simon and Garfunkel, Lynyrd Skynyrd, Led Zeppelin, and Cat Stevens are just a few of the artists featured in the film. If you have no intention of seeing the film, which I highly do not recommend, at least check out the soundtrack- trust me. If the soundtrack isn’t enough to convince you to watch the life-changing film, you will at least have 19 new songs that will alter your world.