I don’t want to be a fanboy, but “Almost Famous” was and is awesome. This is really a great movie that I thoroughly enjoyed.
On the press tour for this coming-of-age comic-drama, which made a stop in Dallas in 2000, writer-director Cameron Crowe was very cordial to me. Like John Travolta, Crowe seemed to talk directly to me and not through me to the crowd.
Released in September 2000, “Almost Famous” has been a fan favorite ever since. I recently got my hands on a Blu-ray special “Bootleg Director’s Edition.” With a runtime of around three hours, it includes scenes or sequences left on the cutting room floor the first time around.
For those who might not be familiar or don’t remember the plot. Patrick Fugit starred as William Miller, a high school student who dreamed of being a rock ‘n’ roll journalist. He managed to land a gig to ride along on tour with a fictional band called Stillwater. The late Philip Seymour Hoffman was sensational as Lester Bangs, a well-known rock critic. According to Bangs, the Stillwater band members liked Miller because he thought they were cool.
Kate Hudson, who co-starred as Penny Lane, one of the so-called Band-Aids, was a groupie on the tour bus who loved the music. Frances McDormand was also fun to watch as Miller’s mother, who said that the band people kidnapped her son.
“Almost Famous” was nominated for four Academy Awards and won for Crowe’s screenplay. It also drew four Golden Globe nominations and won for Best Motion Picture – Comedy or Musical and for Hudson as Best Actress in a Supporting Role.
Grade: A+
