Almost Famous
Director: Cameron Crowe
Actors: Billy Crudup, Frances McDormand, Patrick Fugit
Release Date: Thursday 18th January 2001
Genre(s): Drama, Factual, Music
Running time: 120 minutes
In what is essentially a homage to the redemptive power of music and youth, Patrick Fugit plays William Miller in Cameron Crowe's semi-autobiographical tale. Seduced by the notion of writing about rock music, 15-year-old Miller sets out on the road with band Stillwater and their alluring 'band aid' Penny Lane (Hudson).
While it's far from a bad film, Almost Famous is not the classic it's been heralded as in the US. Instead, it's an enjoyable - if messy and slightly predictable - affair, which suffers from Crowe's unfortunate tendency to over-emphasise cornier moments at the expense of the greater story. Still, worth a peek.
