Almost Famous is, in my opinion, by far one of the greatest films of all time. If you’ve never watched it, you seriously need to grab some popcorn and get comfortable.
This film takes on various layers of wisdom and meaning; it’s not just a comedic coming-of-age film. It has different levels of emotion, musicality, and humour.
The film is about a 15-year-old boy named William, played by Patrick Fugit, in 1973 who is obsessed with music and likes to write about it. His passion lands him a job with Rolling Stone. With this new job, William sets out to write an article about a new band named Stillwater. This article sets William on a journey he’ll never forget.
This drama tells many different stories within one. William’s journey begins at one of Stillwater’s concerts, where he meets a groupie named Penny Lane, played by Kate Hudson. Penny Lane is a free spirit who is involved with the lead guitarist, Russell Hammond. She is one of the most unforgettable characters played in a film. People are inspired by her outfits, especially the look in her huge Afghan-style coat.
Everyone in the band and groupies let William in with open arms, but Russell doesn’t let William get his story easily, though. Throughout the film, Russell gets distracted before William can get an answer out of him. Russell was extremely self-centred and didn’t take William seriously because of his youth, so it takes a while to get the story. A journalist isn’t supposed to get too close to their sources, yet William bonds with band and doesn’t want to share some of the information he has been given with Rolling Stone, which, as a result, forces the magazine to wait a little longer for the story.
On this journey, William, being the young boy he is, worries his mother about his trip. This allows the film dives into how parent and children relationships can become rocky while entering young adulthood. His mother is protective and goes so far as to say her son has been kidnapped by rock stars. She learns by the end of the film that she needs to let him be more independent.
While William loves rock n’ roll, there is a side to it he hadn’t seen before: drugs and alcohol. Throughout the film, there is a lot of substance abuse and even suicidal attempts by Penny Lane with the use of drugs. Penny Lane takes Quaaludes after finding out Russell has gone back to his girlfriend. This scene is important because it reflects how she is so carefree on the outside, but in turn is deeply vulnerable. To Penny Lane, losing Russell is in a way, is like losing her ticket to her first love: rock and roll.
Without Russell, she abandons herself and becomes powerless in her mind.
When William experiences his overdose with Penny Lane, his idea of rock and roll changes completely. It’s not always glamorous.
Visually and musically, this film is genius. The camera work is amazing, and the colour grading and choice of location were top-notch.
There is a famous scene where the characters are on the tour bus, and “Tiny Dancer” by Elton John starts playing. All of the characters join in, singing one by one. This scene is filled with so much love of music, each other, and the journey they are on together.
For all these reasons, the film shows many levels of depth, which is why I find it one of the best of its time. The characters, music, and humorous and emotional twists make this film one that viewers will never forget.