Flick of The Day: Almost Famous

At first glance, it would seem the 1970s are best left were they are. Far too many people are willing to gaze back with fondness upon that decades music, fashion, and cinema while overlooking the fact that for every Led Zeppelin there was a Gary Glitter, for every Godfather a Love Story. However such is life, and given this rose tinted view it is perhaps surprising that there have been few attempts by Hollywood to document that decades pop culture and social conventions. Ang Lee's The Ice Storm and Richard Linklater's Dazed and Confused being two notable exceptions until Cameron Crowe's semi autobiographical Almost Famous.

Almost Famous [Extended Edition] [Blu-ray] [2000]

Before becoming a director and screenwriter of some note, Cameron Crowe spent much of his youth as a contributor to Rolling Stone magazine, going on the road aged 15 documenting some of the great bands of the era like Led Zeppelin and The Eagles. It was this experience which drives Almost Famous telling as it does the tale of 15 year old William Miller played with boyish charm by Patrick Fugit, and a Summer spent touring with the fictitious Stillwater as they wind their way across the United States from California to New York. 

This film is packed with a very fine cast including some particularly fine performances from the likes of Philip Seymour Hoffman as real life rock journalist Lester Bangs and Kate Hudson as Penny Lane, the so-called Band Aid whom William falls in love with over the course of the Summer. Any film such as this will of course live and die depending on the believability of the band and this is where Crowe's experience shines through. There is the preening lead singer played with abandon by Jason Lee and the mysterious guitarist, a career best performance from Billy Crudup. There is also the odd drummer and the other guy bass player. All clichés you immediately recognise and relate to. The songs played by Stillwater also ring true, composed as they are by Nancy Wilson of Heart fame.

This is a film you really have to see if you have any interest in the music of the era but it also stands on its own as a tale of growing up. William goes from being the high school outsider to as his sister says at the start of the film, "One day, you'll be cool". It captures the era, the people and the music almost perfectly. Get on the tour bus!