It has been a long time since I last watched “Almost Famous” and it was probably the year 2000 when I last saw it on screen in a movie theater. Both of those deficiencies were recently corrected when I attended a screening at the Paramount Theater as part of their fan support program as the theater gets ready for a year long restoration process. This was a great choice for movie fans because the film will remind us of the reasons we go to the movies in the first place. We want to be entertained and stimulated, and “Almost Famous” does those things for it’s entire running time.
We are presented a number of moral quandaries that we will ask ourselves. How far are you willing to go to “make it”? When is it appropriate to lie, and when is it better to tell the truth? Can you be rich or famous and maintain integrity? What is the meaning of friendship? Can music save your mortal soul? The film is filled with characters who face this issues throughout the story. Russell Hammond, played by Billy Crudup, is a touchstone for most of those issues. As the lead guitarist and chief songwriter of the band “Stillwater”, he comes across as if he is trying to maintain integrity as a musician, but he falls prey to all the trappings of rock excess including rationalizing cheating on his partner. His sincerity is undermined by his actions.
The hero of the story is William Miller, 1 15 year old kid who writes like a veteran journalist, but is being swallowed up by the music machine as he struggles to get to the heart of the band. Rock and Roll is full of dangerous offramps and he is operating with the most important navigational tool available , the band aid (not groupie) Penny Lane. That these two characters are able to charm us is not only due to the writing of director Cameron Crowe, but to the casting of two young actors who were completely up to the task. Patrick Fugit has the naive expression and longing eyes that make his charter feel convincing as a young writer. He is assisted by the legendary Phillip Seymour Hoffman, playing the legendary real life Lester Bangs, a gonzo journalist of the era.
The not so secret weapon of the whole enterprise is the luminescent Kate Hudson as Penny Lane. Just about every scene she appears in, she dominates the moment by her look and graceful movements. If ever there were a star making part for an actress this century, it is this one. She was a joy to watch and listen to, and the audience at the screening seemed to respond to her character warmly, and the last shot of her leaves us with a positive stage on which to exit the theater, happy in knowing that life can go on, regardless of disappointments.
I will just add that the screening gave us a chance to chat with some of our friends on the staff of the Paramount Film crew. Erin and Kevin were as happy to see us as we were to see them. The Summer Classic Film Series will be moving to the State Theater Next door while the restoration project is in progress. It is a smaller venue so some nights this coming summer may get a little crowded, but we all hope for the best for both theaters as the long term project plays out.
Kirkham A Movie A Day 