Always be nice to those younger than you, because they are the ones who will be writing about you.
Cyril Connolley
As I sat watching Cameron Crowe’s Almost Famous it started as one of the most uncomfortable movie going experiences that I ever had.
The pain was not because I hated the film. It was because of a kidney stone that has been inside of me for about two months now, probably longer. It has just started bothering me again and as anyone who has been afflicted with one of these will tell you there is nothing more painful. Kidney stones have been known to bring grown men to their knees. Nothing could have gotten me off my couch. Nothing except a film like Almost Famous.
As I sat there watching the film, an amazing thing happened. Something that has only happened because of good drugs like Demeral and Percocet. My pain totally vanished! I was so mesmerized and enthralled by what I was seeing on screen, I forgot the pain and therefore it went away. Add Cameron Crowe films onto the list of cures of kidney stones.
Famous is a semi autobiography of Crowes’ exploits as a rock journalist for Rolling Stone when he was in his teens. The youngster in the film is named William Morris (Patrick Fugit) who lives in a rather strange family. His mother Elaine (Frances McDormand) is a single mother who is the very definition of over-protective. She wants her children to be the best, so much so, that she starts Patrick in school at a younger age and then skips him a grade later on. The funny thing is that all of this time Patrick thought he was only a year younger than his classmates. In actuality he is not twelve, as he believes. He is really eleven. Elaine also constantly tells he and his sister Anita, (Zooey Deschanel) not to take drugs. Patrick is too sweet and innocent to ever do anything like that. After his sister has had enough of their mother, she packs up and moves out to become a stewardess. She leaves her rock albums, which her mother banned from her, for her brother. This is her way of showing him the world from which his mother is sheltering him.
Fast forward four years later and we see Patrick as a ambitious rock writer. He even meets a famous rock critic named Lester Bangs (Phillip Seymour Hoffman) who urges the young lad to get out of the business as fast as he can. He, of course, sees that Patrick’s dreams are too big.
When an editor for Rolling Stone reads some of Patrick’s articles, not realizing he is still a teenager, they send him out on an assignment to write an article. While on assignment Patrick meets up with the members of an up and coming group named Stillwater. The band takes a liking to the youngster even though they still consistently call him Enemy since he is a rock writer.
The band member who likes Patrick most is the flamboyant guitarist Russell Hammond (Billy Crudup). Russell seems to enjoy his company, probably because Patrick is the only real and pure person around him and that is what he seeks.
Another person who takes a liking to our hero is a “Band-Aid” (which is like a groupie only they appreciate the music more) named Penny Lane (Kate Hudson). It is Penny whom Patrick falls in love with almost instantly. However she is having an affair with Russell, even though he is married.
When the band asks Patrick to join them on the road he jumps at the chance, even though mother objects. Rolling Stone is paying for the trip and wants a three thousand word article about the band. This sets the stage for a wild and poignant journey which serves as a coming of age event for young Patrick. A journey of discovery and reality that helps him learn about life. The ups and downs. The joys and heartaches. The world really isn’t as simple as his mother tried to show him. It is a roller coaster ride in which only the strong survive.
It is hard to find a flaw about the film. The performances are top notch. Jason Lee gives a hilarious portrayal as the bands’ neglected lead singer. He wants more fame and blames Russell for stealing the spotlight from everyone else in the band. McDormand gives one of her finest performances here. Every time she is onscreen there is guaranteed to be a big laugh from the audience. The best performances though come from Fugit and Hudson. As a relative newcomer it is amazing that Pugit shows so much poise and ability. The eighteen year old has a very bright future ahead of him. Let’s just hope he chooses his roles wisely. Hudson is the daughter of actress Goldie Hawn and it is clearly evident in this film. Not only is she beautiful, she has very good range. It is a brilliant display of both dramatic and comic timing.
Why did I love this movie so much? Was it the great music? Nope. Was it the brilliant humor? No again. The reason I loved this film so much was because I connected with the lead character. Like Patrick, I also have been inspired to chase my dream as a writer, only difference is that I have chosen to write about film. Like Patrick I felt like an outsider as a child. He was abnormal because he was younger than all of his classmates. I was abnormal because I am hearing impaired and got teased all the time for wearing a hearing aide.
The most amazing similarity was that I too had a brush with fame when I was fifteen, only mine was not as profound. I was an extra in the film Far And Away and got to work with one of my idols, Tom Cruise. Seeing Patrick become nervous and apprehensive around the rock stars made me remember back to how I was the same way when around movie stars. I just would like to know if Cameron Crowe has an autographed picture of the real Russell Hammond sitting near his writing station like I have one of Tom Cruise hanging near mine.
All the credit needs to go to Carmeron Crowe. I have come to the conclusion that the man is a genius. His films Say Anything and Jerry Maguire displayed great character development and human drama mixed with comedy. Almost Famous is, of course, his masterpiece. The film that will probably define his career and is the first classic of the Twenty First Century. Mr Crowe, you, my friend, are a philosopher and poet. A poet of life, humanity, goodness, and reality. And a good cure for the pains of kidney stones.
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