Set in the years between 1969 and 1973; Produced and released in 2000. Writer-director Cameron Crowe brings the 1970s music scene to life with his semiautobiographical story of a teen journalist who goes on the road with a rock band. Uncool 15-year-old William Miller (Patrick Fugit) is living every teenager's dream. He's touring with Stillwater, an up-and-coming rock band featuring lead singer Jeff Bebe (Jason Lee) and charismatic lead guitarist Russell Hammond (Billy Crudup) and writing about it for Rolling Stone magazine, whose editors are unaware of his young age. Though Miller's mentor, legendary rock critic Lester Bangs--portrayed with humor and heart by Philip Seymour Hoffman--cautions him not to befriend the musicians, Miller takes it a step further and befriends both the band and the Band-Aids--the girls who hang around with the band because they love the music. Newcomer Fugit is the perfect William Miller: baby-faced, slightly gawky, and an awestruck observer. Kate Hudson sparkles as Penny Lane, the leader of the Band-Aids, and Frances McDormand delivers a stellar performance as Elaine, Miller's protective and mildly paranoid mother. In the tradition of SAY ANYTHING and JERRY MAGUIRE, Crowe's coming-of-age tale is intelligent, well written, and infused with humor in unlikely places.
Theatrical release: September 15, 2000. ALMOST FAMOUS opened up the 44th London Film Festival. Patrick Fugit, who made his feature-film debut in ALMOST FAMOUS, grew three inches during filming, resulting in multiple costume refits. Near the end of filming, costar Billy Crudup had to wear platform shoes to ensure continuity. Fugit's voice also changed during the film's shoot. The roles of Russell Hammond and Penny Lane were originally offered to Brad Pitt and Sarah Polley, respectively. Pitt left the project because he didn't feel he understood the character, while Polley couldn't commit because of other projects. Philip Seymour Hoffman (Lester Bangs) was available only for four days of shooting. During all four days, the actor was nursing a bad cold. Rolling Stone chief Jann Wenner makes a cameo appearance as the man William sees in the taxi. While a young writer for Rolling Stone, Cameron Crowe wrote the liner notes for Peter Frampton's album FRAMPTON COMES ALIVE. Frampton served as a musical consultant on ALMOST FAMOUS, teaching the actors how to perform onstage as a rock band. He also appears as one of the road managers, playing cards. The film features music composed by Nancy Wilson, writer-director Cameron Crowe's wife and a member of Heart. Mark Kozelek, who plays the bassist in Stillwater, is a member of the Red House Painters. ALMOST FAMOUS is the first Crowe film that doesn't feature actor Eric Stoltz. Every other Crowe project has featured Stoltz in some way. However, the actor's name does appear briefly on a billboard. During filming, Kate Hudson (Penny Lane), daughter of Goldie Hawn, was dating real-life rock star Chris Robinson of the Black Crowes. They got married on December 31, 2000. Zooey Deschanel is the daughter of cinematographer Caleb Deschanel, who photographed such films as A WOMAN UNDER THE INFLUENCE and BEING THERE. Billy Crudup took guitar lessons for his role as Stillwater guitarist Russell Hammond. There was an actual country rock band named Stillwater in the late 1970s who recorded two albums for Capricorn Records (the Allman Brothers, Lynyrd Skynyrd). The ALMOST FAMOUS soundtrack album won a Grammy for Best Compilation Soundtrack Album for a Motion Picture, Television or Other Visual Media ALMOST FAMOUS won two Golden Globe awards: Best Motion Picture--Musical or Comedy and Best Performance by an Actress in a Supporting Role (Kate Hudson). Richard Roeper (EBERT & ROEPER AND THE MOVIES), Jack Matthews, and Jami Bernard of the New York Daily News, Owen Glieberman of Entertainment Weekly, Film Comment, the Austin Chronicle, and the American Film Institute named ALMOST FAMOUS one of the 10 best films of 2000; Roger Ebert (EBERT & ROEPER AND THE MOVIES), the Online Film Critics Society, the San Diego Film Critics Society, the Boston Society of Film Critics, and Rolling Stone named it the best film of the year. The San Diego Film Critics Society and the Boston Society of Film Critics named Cameron Crowe Best Director of 2000. Crowe also won Best (Original) Screenplay awards from the Online Film Critics Society, the San Diego Film Critics Society, and the Broadcast Film Critics Association. The Online Film Critics Society and the Las Vegas Film Critics Society named Kate Hudson Best Supporting Actress of 2000. Hudson also won the Breakthrough Performance award from the Broadcast Film Critics Association and Best Newcomer award from the Florida Film Critics Circle. The Broadcast Film Critics Association, the Los Angeles Film Critics Association, and the Florida Film Critics Circle named Frances McDormand Best Supporting Actress of 2000 for her roles in ALMOST FAMOUS and WONDER BOYS. The San Diego Film Critics Society also named McDormand Best Supporting Actress. The Online Film Critics Society named Philip Seymour Hoffman Best Supporting Actor of 2000. The Online Film Critics Society named the cast of ALMOST FAMOUS Best Ensemble of 2000.
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Almost Famous
