Directed by:
Cameron CroweScreenplay:
Cameron CroweCinematography:
John TollComposer:
Nancy WilsonCast:
Billy Crudup, Frances McDormand, Kate Hudson, Jason Lee, Patrick Fugit, Zooey Deschanel, Michael Angarano, Anna Paquin, Fairuza Balk, Noah Taylor (more)VOD (3)
Plots(1)
Crowe's ALMOST FAMOUS is a semiautobiographical account that tells the story of a teen journalist, William Miller (Patrick Fugit), who goes on the road with an up-and-coming rock band called Stillwater. Though Miller's mentor, legendary rock critic Lester Bangs (Philip Seymour Hoffman), cautions him not to befriend the musicians, Miller takes it a step further and befriends both the band and the Band-Aids--the girls who hang around with the band because they love the music. Miller is in for a wild ride around the country, to thrilling concerts and debauched backyard parties, living the life many 15-year olds dream about. He discovers that beneath the glittery façade of rock stardom are sometimes bittersweet life lessons and mild doses of heartbreak. More impacting are the friendships he finds with his glamorous travel companions. (official distributor synopsis)
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Reviews (10)
A very pleasant film. I’m pretty far from a rock fan, and going on tour with a band is the last thing I could wish for, but this film has such an easygoing and lovely atmosphere that it almost made me feel like going to see a concert (but only quietly, from the backstage :-D). Anyway, a little paradoxically, the character that I found the most likeable was mum McDormand.
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An unusual film experience, whose greatest advantage are gripping concert scenes that take the viewer to the very edge of ecstasy, and I'm not even a big fan of rock music. Cameron Crowe's concept of the story and rock as art and cult is impressive, despite the uneven pace. The whole film carries a haze of nostalgic atmosphere from the 1970s, which speaks to me even though I wasn't born at that time. And that was, in my opinion, Crowe's main intention, to appeal to a wide range of audiences and show what that era was like, and he succeeded to the dot. In his rendition, it is truly outstanding.
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I actually watched the movie just because it starred Billy Crudup, who was great in The Morning Show, and I wasn't disappointed in the end. A special mention goes to the soundtrack - finally, after a long time, I didn't feel as if a big fat slimy creature had tried to fuck me in the ear while sleeping.
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I only saw the extended version, so I can’t compare, but I will rely on the fact that a Director's Cut should be the full expression of a film’s main creator – and I certainly understand why Cameron Crowe did this. This is a story with many meanings that are often not explicitly stated, the viewer must find them in the interactions of the characters, their relationship to music and the never ending hippy era, which is imprinted on the characters and the music itself. And while the music geek Crowe manages the road movie genre with the most believable references to his own musical trips and a narration in the style of Reiner’s This Is Spinal Tap, unfortunately, he can’t avoid repetition and, at least in the director’s cut, becoming boring with the conflicts among the more or less well drawn characters. But I have to admit that every time I was about to press fast-forward, there was a smart or funny dialogue or scene that prevented it, which allowed the film’s message to get through in a tasteful and unforced way. Almost Famous is a film for a small group of people who don’t mind patiently accepting a personal author’s vision and join the characters on a trip across a world that seems more important than the story itself. I wasn’t fully drawn in and I don’t think I’d go for another ride, but as a lover of the music of that time and more thoughtful generational works, I’m happy with this mostly overlooked film. 75%
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I really like rock music, but that fact didn't help me much to get me through this film. It's a decent retro, it has good actors, it's human, and the pleasant emotions are not unnecessarily exacerbated, but it just couldn't grab me by the heart, which personally surprised me quite a bit, because I thought I would like it.
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Gallery (48)
Photo © 2000 Dreamworks Pictures
![Almost Famous - Photos](http://image.pmgstatic.com/cache/resized/w663/files/images/film/photos/160/361/160361868_b3a433.jpg)
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