I am
a golden God!
Cameron Crowe (Jerry Maguire) has fashioned a
wonderful film that may seem ambitious and grand
in scale but, in actuality, is quite
introspective and focused. The story follows
William Miller, a high school teenager, through
a fortnight of touring with the fictitious band
‘Stillwater’. He is on assignment from the
magazine Rolling Stone to do a story on the
band, which is worthy of the cover. How he lands
the assignment is quite humorous and yet
plausible. Before you start thinking that this
could never happen in the real world, even in
the naïve real world of the seventies, consider
this… it actually happened to the director. So,
with some creative license, Crowe has told an
autobiographical tale, which is subtle in its
humor, touching in its honesty and a little sad
in its solitude. This film is a deeply personal
one, hidden behind a story that never stops long
enough for us to quite realize it.
Fugit is solid in his first major film role as
William, playing him as naïve and yet very
intelligent. The standout here is Kate Hudson
who steals the film. She plays Penny Lane, who
is the idyllic girl that William feels teenage
love for, and she knows it. She is William’s
guide in the transition from boyhood to manhood
and is as mysterious and lovely to us as she is
to William. McDormand is perfect in her role as
the caring but worried mother, and the rest of
the cast, band members and groupies, are
admirable in their roles.
The ending doesn’t pull punches or cheat the
audience, which is rare in Hollywood these days.
I walked out of this film feeling that everyone
has a past with stories and memories that,
although very different in detail, are all
similar in their themes. Not many viewers will
dislike this film, you will either relate to one
of the characters, most likely William, or you
will enjoy the story, which is captivating and
energetic. The film is two hours long but you
will not look at your watch once.
A few of the relationships are underdeveloped
and it seems as if the film may have been
trimmed in length quite significantly to get
down around the two hour mark. An additional
thirty minutes seem necessary to flesh out the
story. In a couple of crucial scenes it is
apparent that Fugit has never had a significant
role before... he seems almost aware of the
camera, and that detracts a little from the
emotional impact of those scenes.
You'll love this film, if you also liked: High
Fidelity, The Ice Storm, & Forrest Gump.
This is a great coming-of-age film that I think
will be liked by everyone. The soundtrack is
superb, the script is intelligent, and the
directing is personal and honest. I recommend
Almost Famous highly and with supreme
confidence.
©
Written by TC Candler
Richard
Propes' Comment
I
was truly blown away that this film did not have
a better box office experience. Beyond Kate
Hudson's Oscar-winning performance, I simply
felt like the film was well written, well
directed and well performed by all involved. I
found myself talking about this film for a long
time, and singing "Tiny Dancer" for days!
Jacob
Hall's Comment
N/A
