Almost Famous (2000)

User Rating:

8.0/10   

Director:

Cameron Crowe

Writer (WGA):

Cameron Crowe (written by)

Release Date:

13 September 2000 (USA)

Genre:

Drama | Music

Tagline:

Experience it. Enjoy it. Just don't fall for it.

Plot:

A high-school boy is given the chance to write a story for Rolling Stone Magazine about an up-and-coming rock band as he accompanies it on their concert tour.

Plot Keywords:

Tour | Rolling Stone Magazine | Rock Band | Coming Of Age | High School

Awards:

Won Oscar. Another 44 wins & 76 nominations

US TV Schedule:

Sat. Nov. 14	8:00 PM	CW
Sat. Nov. 21	1:30 PM	CW

Cast

Billy Crudup	...	Russell Hammond
Frances McDormand	...	Elaine Miller
Kate Hudson	...	Penny Lane
Jason Lee	...	Jeff Bebe
Patrick Fugit	...	William Miller
Zooey Deschanel	...	Anita Miller
Michael Angarano	...	Young William
Anna Paquin	...	Polexia Aphrodisia
Fairuza Balk	...	Sapphire
Noah Taylor	...	Dick Roswell
John Fedevich	...	Ed Vallencourt
Mark Kozelek	...	Larry Fellows
Philip Seymour Hoffman	...	Lester Bangs
Liz Stauber	...	Leslie
Jimmy Fallon	...	Dennis Hope

Also Known As:

Something Real (USA) (working title)
Stillwater (USA) (working title)
The Uncool (USA) (working title)
Untitled Cameron Crowe Project (USA) (working title)
Untitled: Almost Famous the Bootleg Cut (USA) (director's cut (DVD title))

MPAA:

Rated R for language, drug content and brief nudity.

Runtime:

122 min | USA:162 min (director's cut) | Croatia:152 min (DVD extended cut)

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

DTS | Dolby Digital | SDDS

Certification:

Brazil:12 | Italy:T | Ireland:15 | Philippines:R-18 | Norway:15 (video rating) | Argentina:16 | Australia:MA (original rating) | Australia:M (re-rating on appeal) | Canada:14A | Canada:G (Québec) | Chile:14 | Denmark:7 | Finland:K-11 | France:U | Germany:12 | Iceland:12 | Netherlands:12 | New Zealand:M | Norway:11 | Peru:18 | Portugal:M/12 | South Korea:18 | Spain:7 | Sweden:7 | Switzerland:12 (canton of Geneva) | Switzerland:12 (canton of Vaud) | UK:15 | USA:R (certificate #37614) | USA:Unrated (director's cut) | Singapore:R(A) (censored version) (original rating) | Singapore:M18 (cut) (re-rating)

Filming Locations:

Ambassador Hotel - 3400 Wilshire Boulevard, Los Angeles, California, USA

Company:

Columbia Pictures

Trivia:

The school shown for a few seconds at the beginning of the film is the University of San Diego High School (USDHS), Cameron Crowe's alma mater. Crowe also cast his former journalism teacher from USDHS, Daniel Wilson, for a cameo during the high school graduation scene. The concert scenes that open the film were filmed down the road from USDHS at the San Diego Sports Arena.

Goofs:

Anachronisms: When the entourage checks into the Gramercy Hotel the Led Zeppelin teenaged fan is holding a Marks-A-Lot marker with a modern logo.

Quotes:

[first lines]
Elaine Miller: I can't believe you wanna be Atticus Finch. Oh, that makes me feel so good.
Young William: I like him.

Movie Connections:

Referenced in Under the Influence (2008)

Soundtrack:

Voodoo Child (Slight Return)

An Excellent Original Insight Into The 70's Rock Scene... With Dazzling Performances.

There was a time in the US rock circuit before music videos and online marketing. That was the time when several little-known bands toured all over the country... accompanied mostly by drugs and groupies. Writer-director Cameron Crowe takes us to that infamous scene of sex, drugs and rock n' roll in the 1970's with this semi-autobiographical work, which is not only equipped with his brilliant direction and screenplay, but also by decent performances by some relatively lesser-known actors.

Here the introduction of a not-too-famous band, an imaginary one called Stillwater, was important. In that sense, Stillwater is a perfect work by Crowe... with a volatile relationship between the vocalist and the guitarist, with a noncompetent manager and everything that comes with. There were also the groupies, who became a matter of substance in Crowe's point of view. But the most extraordinary thing that Crowe did is the image of himself as a 15-year-old writing prodigy, rock journalist William Miller. The viewers watch the movie through Miller's eyes. The character is extremely well-designed and reserved by Crowe. Miller's the one who becomes able to attach all the parts into a complete movie alone.

Billy Crudup was probably the best among the actors as guitarist Russell Hammond. It's true his role was not a tough one, but he's the one who made it look so easy. Young Kate Hudson, as Penny Lane, is perfect and very adorable. She showed her potentials in this movie which seemed even better than her mother, Goldie Hawn. All she needs are decent roles in future. The other actors, namely Jason Lee as vocalist Jeff, Frances McDormand as Williams's over-protective mother and the other band-aids (with Oscar-winner Anna Paquin) performed also quite well. And newcomer Patrick Fugit, as Miller himself, is really brilliant. Gaining more screen time than anyone else, it was a tough test for Fugit and it is all praises for him.

The soundtrack was very good with some fine original songs. There may be some minor flaws in the movie, like some unnecessary sequences, but all over this is a quite masterful work... a feast for the mind and soul, both for a hard rock n' roll fan and for casual viewers.