Review of Almost Famous (2000) by Seth Y — 11 Jun 2013

When I experience a movie like Almost Famous for the first time, I remember why I appreciate film as much as I do. This is a flawless coming-of-age tale that is perfect in every sense of the word.

15-year-old William Miller (Patrick Fugit) has a passion for rock & roll. Although his strict mother Elaine (Frances McDormand) doesn't approve of his interest, William spends his time writing album reviews for a local paper. When his work attracts the attention of Ben Fong-Torres (Terry Chen), editor for Rolling Stone, William is offered an assignment of a 3,000 word cover-story on up-and-coming rock band Stillwater. William hits the road with Stillwater, where he becomes friends with guitarist Russell Hammond (Billy Crudup) and singer Jeff Bebe (Jason Lee). William also becomes infatuated with Penny Lane (Kate Hudson), a groupie traveling with the band. As he works on his story, William experiences life in the road with a rock band.

Now I must say, I'm not a huge fan of the classic rock genre, but that doesn't matter. This movie goes so much deeper than that. The cast here is outstanding, highlighted by Patrick Fugit, Russell Hammond, and of course the gorgeous Kate Hudson. You also have fantastic supporting roles from the likes of Frances McDormand and Philip Seymour Hoffman, among many others. The acting is so genuine, each role is perfectly embraced.

I watched the nearly-three hour Director's Cut, which I wasn't sure about due to it's length. When the movie wrapped up, it didn't even feel like that much time had gone by. The story and characters are just so engrossing that the run-time wasn't even an issue. I'm a sucker for coming-of-age films, and this is easily one of the best I have seen. Watching this young kid being thrown into the world of rock & roll is truly fascinating, as well as seeing the relationship he forms with a troubled groupie who doesn't know any better. Almost Famous is a beautiful film, a true masterpiece. 5 stars.