Audiences and critics alike are raving about this larger-than-life rock'n 'roll favorite that Roger Ebert calls "one of the best movies of the year!" The guys of Stillwater have the sound, they have the look and Rolling Stone Magazine wants their story. For young reporter William Miller, it's the opportunity of a lifetime as he hits the road with his favorite band and discovers the price of fame, the value of family and the limits of friendship.
Almost Famous is the movie Cameron Crowe has been waiting a lifetime to tell. The fictionalization of Crowe's days as a teenage reporter for Creem and Rolling Stone has all the well-written characters and wonderful "movie moments" that we expect from Crowe (Jerry Maguire), but the film has an intangible something extra--an insider's touch that will turn the film into the ode to '70s rock & roll for years to come. We are introduced to Crowe's alter ego, William Miller (Patrick Fugit), at home, where his progressive mom (Frances McDormand, just superb) has outlawed rock music and sister Anita (Zooey Deschanel) has slipped him LPs that will "set his mind free." Following the wisdom of Creem's disheveled editor, Lester Bangs (Philip Seymour Hoffman in an instant-classic performance), Miller gets on the inside with the up-and-coming band Stillwater (a fictionalized mixture of the Allman Brothers, Led Zeppelin, and others). A simple visit with the band turns into a three-week, life-altering odyssey into the heyday of American rock. Of the characters he meets on the road, the two most important are groupie extraordinaire Penny Lane (Kate Hudson in a star-making performance) and Stillwater's enigmatic lead guitarist (Billy Crudup), who keeps stringing Miller along for an interview. From the handwritten credits (done by Crowe) to the bittersweet finale, Crowe's comedic valentine is an indelible, heartbreaking romance of music, women, and the privilege of youth. --Doug Thomas
Customer Reviews:
Avg. Customer Rating: 4.5 / 5.0
love this dvd:
I just recently bought this DVD after years of seeing it on the shelf and never having picked it up. I am sorry I didn't after watching it. The extra scenes make the movie even better after having seen it a few times over the last few years. The cd containing 6 Stillwater tracks is also a bonus. If you love this movie, this edition is worth picking up.
Top Ten Favorites:
" Almost Famous" is at the top of my 'Top Ten Favorites' list. Patrick Fugit is so amazingly talented, and it just blew me away that it was his first movie. No other actor could've played the part of William Miller better than him.
My favorite parts of the movie are when he runs to The Plaza Hotel to comfort a drug-overdosed Penny Lane, he tells Penny he loves her, and when Russell Hammond apologizes to William about Rolling Stone.
I love how it has a sweet ending of William and Russell... more info
A film that gets better and better with age...:
To be completely honest, when I first saw this film about five years ago I was under-whelmed. It had been hyped up and won all sorts of awards and received so much attention, and really I didn't see why. I was disappointed to say the least. Then last night I decided to give it another shot. Removing myself completely from the hype and praise and just amercing myself into the film was a huge plus for me, and I walked away from the experience singing it's praises like a church choir. The film moved me in ways... more info
Almost Famous:
I absolutely love this movie!! The music.. the story.. the actors/actresses.. definitely worth the purchase!
