Rating: 
Summary: One of the best movies!!!!!
Review: This movie was absolutly great.It was well written and very well acted.Kate Hudson is most certainly going to have a very good career.This movie is for everyone.I absolutly love it.You will not be disapointed if you see this.A must see!!!!
Rating: 
Summary: An incredibly enjoyable film!
Review: I did not see Almost Famous at the theater but looked forward to seeing the film on DVD. I was not disappointed. From Patrick Fugit as William Miller, the young writer, to Frances McDormand as his mother, to Billy Crudup as the lead guitarist of the band that William goes on tour with, the performances are extraordinary. When you add in Kate Hudson in a luminescent role as Penny Lane, a groupie (excuse me, Band-aid) and Philip Seymour Hoffman as the editor of Creem magazine, you have a film that is like a great desert. You savor each scene, and can't wait to see what happens next. The DVD is crisp in terms of audio and crystal clear in terms of video. The soundtrack, which could have been either predictable or purposefully obtuse turns out to be just right. If you can make it through the "Tiny Dancer" scene without a smile on your face, you are unsalvageable. I did not particularly enjoy the seventies. I was exactly the age of William in this film, but actually enjoyed the music of the fifties and early sixties better at the time. (I am the product of a family that listened to early Elvis, country, and classic fifties rock). However, this film gives me an appreciation of the era. Cameron Crowe captures the feel of a segment of society that has come through the late sixties flower-power era and has developed a hard-edge, in things like their drug use and their attitudes towards money and success. At the same time, he portrays them as what they truly were - just kids who wanted to make music, write, be part of the scene, but, at the same time, realized that being successful at what they did was not necessarily a bad thing. Buy this DVD and enjoy it. It is not the perfect masterpiece that certain people have professed it to be, but it is darned close and that is more than I can say for most of the films I have seen in the last 5 years.
Rating:
Summary: Love GOOD music? What a movie!
Review: Crowe captured every feeling I had for the music represented in this stunning movie. Anyone who can remember first hearing The Who's "Tommy" (especially if it was by a "cool" older brother or sister) will definately appreciate the reminder to how essential the music is to one's life. This is the best movie that has came out in a while, very possibly, Coppola's "Virgin Suicides". Rent and enjoy!
Rating:
Summary: This film got me hooked: I can't get enough of it!!
Review: I absolutely adore ALMOST FAMOUS...it's now my most favorite film of all time. Before this movie, I never really cared much for Cameron Crowe's works and didn't really know a lot about him except that he had directed JERRY MIGUIRE, which I never saw. I'm 17 years old, a girl who's never got to experience the '70s or '60s, and after seeing this movie in the theaters, I wish I had gotten to really experience those two unforgettable decades. Living through those two decades must have been great! Anyway, I thought THE SIXTH SENSE was a great film. I thought THE BREAKFAST CLUB was an incredible film. I thought TITANIC was the best movie in the world. Well, I was right about all of that - that is, until I saw ALMOST FAMOUS. I fell in love with the film almost instantly. ALMOST FAMOUS is not just a cheap comedy about the 70s, it's a drama with a beautifully written story, and Cameron Crowe had definitely deserved that Oscar for Best Original Screenplay, which I was thrilled the film won. The acting in this film is perfectly flawless by the entire cast - nobody else could have been more perfect for the roles than the diverse, incredible assemble of actors Cameron Crowe had chosen for this film. Each role was made especially for these actors - they were all meant to be in this beautiful film; it was their destinys! Although ALMOST FAMOUS's plot isn't a very difficult one to understand - most people would be able to understand it with ease - it's basically about Cameron Crowe's life as a teenager and working as a rock journalist for Rolling Stones Magazine. The film starts out when William Miller (Cameron Crowe's alter-ego, played wonderfully by newcomer, Patrick Fugit) is about seven or eight years old, I think. He is very smart, so he has skipped several grades. He lives with his very overprotective - so overprotective that it's funny - mother, Elaine Miller (played by Academy Award winner Frances McDormand) and older sister, Anita Miller (played by Zooey Deschanel). Anita leaves home because she hates living there and not being able to do anything on her own, but she doesn't leave until she tells William that he will, "One day be cool...". So finally, when William is 15 years old, and he is a senior in high school. The other high school students don't like him and make fun of him because he is younger and smarter. William soon discovers his love for writing, especially journalism. So he writes several articles to a local town music magazine called CREEM. The editor of CREEM Magazine hires him instantly, and puts him with an assignment right away. To interview a rock band. When that doesn't work out the way William has expected it to, he gets a call from the editor of Rolling Stones Magazine, who wants him to get an interview of Stillwater, a popular fictional rock band. So they send him on Stillwater's "Almost Famous" Tour. William gets lots of advice from the editor of CREEM Magazine like he can't make friends with the band because he is supposed to be the band's enemy. And lots and lots of advice from his mother like, don't take drugs and he'd better make sure he comes back in time for his high school graduation...more like demands than advice! When he goes off on the tour, trying desperatly to get an interview from the band, he begins to realize Stillwater isn't what they all seem to be. And he falls in love with the mysterious band-aid, Penny Lane (Kate Hudson), who's a couple years older than him. While trying to get Stillwater's interviews, William tries to win over Penny, who is in love with Stillwater's lead guitarist, Russell Hammond (Billy Crudup). But Russell Hammond is married to someone else, even though he's got deep feelings for Penny, too. Simply a beautiful film. The best movie ever created, in my eyes. The music is so amazing, too. And although I'm not a huge rock fan, this movie has made me appreciate 70s and 60s rock music more. One of my favorite sceens of this whole film is the unforgettable sceen where they are all in the tour bus and singing Elton John's, "Tiny Dancer" - watching that sceen nearly made me cry, and I don't do that often while watching most movies! Patrick Fugit is so adorable and now one of my favorite new actors of all time, and so is Kate Hudson. I was really ashamed of the Academy Awards for snubbing this film for the likes of GLADIATOR, TRAFFIC, CHOCOLAT, and CROUCHING TIGER, HIDDEN DRAGON (which I would have seen by the way, except that CROUCHING TIGER, HIDDEN DRAGON was all in subtitles, and I absolutely hate subtitles!). I truly thought ALMOST FAMOUS deserved more Oscars than it had won and been nominated. Sure, it hadn't hit it big in the box office - which I can't understand why, to all of those snobbish people who missed this film! - but just because it didn't make it big in the box office, doesn't mean it's a bad film and shouldn't be at least nominated for many Oscars! How dare those damn' Academy Awards. At least make the winners more diverse and not have the same few not-so-great films win all the Oscars. ALMOST FAMOUS should have won and been nominated for Best Picture, and Cameron Crowe should have been nominated and won Best Directing. Kate Hudson or Frances McDormand - either one, I don't really care, though I'd prefer Kate Hudson - should have won Best Supporing Actress. And this film should have won Best Film Editing, which it was also up for. I'm sure the Academy looks back now at the mistake they have made and are very ashamed for making such a crime. Hopefully, next year, the Academy Awards will choose more wisely which movie should win what award. I definitelyr recommend this film. If there is one and only one film you could ever see, then it should definitely be ALMOST FAMOUS. Go buy it - I know you will not regret it!
Rating: 
Summary: Extremely Overrated
Review: As a writer myself, I saw this movie looking forward to a film i heard was really great and deserving of every award it was nominated for. Needless to say,I was quite disappointed. What's the big deal with Kate Hudson? She had a few good lines, but all she did was prance around and smile. The young man who played Crowe should've had the movie all to himself, because he did a fine job, and followed through with his dialogue, sincerity of the character, and the innocence that was showing in his face as became quickly involved in such a corrupt, whirlwind environment. It was sweet of Penny Lane to give the Stillwater leader Crowe's address. But that was such a cheap ending.
Rating:
Summary: Forgive me for saying this but ... it exceeds 'Gladiator'
Review: What were the Oscar people thinking??? This is one of the best movies of 2000! It was pretty much shunned at the box office and only garnered a few nominations. I do applaud them for giving the Oscar to Cameron Crowe, who definately deserved it. Aside from all the Oscar stuff, let me just say it now: This movie is amazing! All the performances are right on target! The screenwriting never feels contrived or rushed. It's brilliantly done. First to applaud the performances. Patrick Fugit, Kate Hudson, Frances McDormand, Billy Crudup, Jason Lee, Philip Seymour Hoffman, all give excellent performances. Even the characters that aren't big parts are great. I loved Fariuza Balk and Zooey Desmerack (I don't think I spelled that right at all) whose characters had small but pretty important parts. Fugit gives a wonderful debut. He's adorable with his dimples and his innocence. I can't say enough good things about this movie. I'd give it a thousand stars if I could. All I can say is if you enjoy a good movie with some great character development and a good story, then I highly suggest that you rent this! It'll be an experiences you'll never forget. Go Band-Aids!
Rating: 
Summary: FLUFF, FLUFF, and more FLUFF
Review: This movie makes the seventies rock scene appear cutsie and innocent. Wrong! I know people who were there, and this is not even close to reality. I thought I was watching an episode of "Dawson's Creek". If you want a real behind-the-scenes glimpse, try reading Bill Graham's autobiography "Bill Graham Presents: My Life Inside Rock and Out". Shame on you Cameron and Nancy (I guess it was to be expected from the husband of Nancy Wilson. Nancy and her sister sold out years ago).
Rating:
Summary: A great movie with an ok DVD to accompany
Review: This was easily one of the top 5 movies of the year, however the DVD is not quite what I expected it to be. To start off, the movie is just great, with stelar performances by Kate Hudson and Frances McDormand, as well as newcomer Patrick Fugit. From an audio perspective, the sound quality of the DVD is music to your ears. I personally have a Dolby Digital 5.1 setup, and it is one of the best sounding DVD's in my collection. The music of the film is also great, and very symbolistic of the early 70's rock era. The disappointing part about this DVD is the special features, which were quite (for lack of a better term) bland. **Bottom line: Great movie. O.K. DVD. Wait for the special edition or buy now if you really liked the movie.**
Rating:
Summary: An Okay Film.
Review: Ok this movie didn't make any real impact at the Academy Awards accept for Best Original Screen Play. The story was supposed to be true which would make this film what it is to everyone--GREAT. Without the film being a True-based film then this movie would be nothing more that another That 70's Show episode. The movie dragged on and on but yet the critics still loved this movie. It was nominated for various awards and came up with very little which would explain the films contents. I could only guess why so many people like this movie. Perhaps so many people grew up during those years (early 70s) and are the big movie watchers and critizers of films today.
Rating:
Summary: GREAT MOVIE! Hope The Oscar Brings It More Attention!
Review: "Almost Famous" is one of a VERY few movies I bought without seeing it first and I'm so glad I did. The cast is enchanting, especially Patrick Fugit, as William Miller in his film debut, and the charming Kate Hudson as Penny Lane, the first "band-aid." Billy Crudup was perfect in his portrayal of a "rock star" with an ego, as was Jason Lee as lead singer of "Stillwater." Since I'm a music journalist myself, I can vouch that just about everything in the film is pretty much how things go. From your name missing from the list, to your photo pass being confiscated by the venue at the last minute, to the interviews with the "egos," to the interviews with the guys that have so much talent they aren't on an ego trip, and ALWAYS a deadline staring you down. I've seen it all and I really empathized with the William Miller character and his constant trials to get his interview with Russel Hammond (Cruddup), while trying to placate the head honchos "Rolling Stone." This film was just so REAL! I know it's based on Cameron Crowe's years with "Rolling Stone," but as a journalist I still remember how thrilled I was with ALL ACCESS passes, interviews with stars I never in my wildest dreams thought I'd meet, the tour buses I visited and many other things. I think any music lover wants to be in those shoes! Being out of the country back in the '70s, I wasn't aware of the "band-aids not groupies thing," but their part in the story is critical to William's growth as both a journalist and a man - especially Kate Hudson's character Penny Lane. Frances McDormand turns in a stellar performance as well as William's mother. Hudson and McDormand indeed deserved their Oscar Nominations. The music in this movie is also outstanding, if a bit nostalgic. The DVD may not have as many "Special Features" as others I've seen, but I really enjoyed Cameron Crowe's narration of how things were accomplished (Peter Frampton taught the Actors in the band to play for real!), the numerous pictures of Cameron with Rock Legends insterspersed with scenes from the film and the actual articles he wrote for Rolling Stone. Most of the rest of the Special Features are bios and photos of cast members and the actual movie makers, but they were still interesting to read. I'm not used to reading most of the Special Features on a DVD, but none of the "extras" on the DVD version were a disappointment, although the "Jerry McGuire" moments seemed a bit out of place to me. But, the movie itself is what this is all about. Forget the quantity and quality of the exra stuff and buy this for the great movie it is!!
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