Rating: 
Summary: "Almost Famous" a delight!
Review: I recently had the chance to see "Almost Famous", and was suprised at how much I enjoyed it. Usually when a movie is raved about by the critics I, well quite honestly, usually ending up NOT liking it. However I found myself loving this movie. Patrick Fugit and Billy Crudup were fantastic, as well as Kate Hudson. Watching young "William's" journey from the beginning when he was so awestruck and beguiled by the rock n roll lifestyle, yet never fully succumbed to it, till he realized that their way of life and treatment of people was not always what it seemed was truly touching. Frances McDormands touching yet wacky turn as William's mother was entertaining, unfortunately she wasn't in it as much as I would have liked. I thought the whole cast was just fantastic in their parts. Jason Lee was almost unrecognizable in his Jim Morrison like appearance, but as usual his characters self centered humor was comical. As critical as I can be about movies and their performers I can't think of a negative point about this movie. Overall the movie deserved all the kudos and awards it received this last year.
Rating:
Summary: Absolutely Flawless!!
Review: This movie has to be one of the most perfect movies ever made. I cannot say enough good things about Almost Famous. Its plot is simple: A young boy gets a job for Rolling Stone to go on the road with an up and coming band. On the trip he becomes close with the band and one of the band-aids. It is one of the best movies I have ever seen, and certainly the best film of the year. Just for that fact alone was reason enough for Oscar to snub this movie. Kate Hudson was not just gorgeous, but she gave the best supporting performance of the year which right there explains why she lost. Billy Crudup continues to give awesome performances in great movies, and Patrick Fugit breaks into showbiz with a bang! Frances McDormand and Philip Seymour Hoffman, gave strong, comical performances. Cameron Crowe proves with this movie that he is one of the most talented writer/directors in entertainment. This film deserves every word of every good thing that is said about it.
Rating:
Summary: Another Terrific Cameron Crowe Movie
Review: Writer-director Cameron Crowe makes a movie every bit as good as his "Say Anything" and "Jerry McGuire." He is equally good at handling teenagers and adults in his work without making them look like caricatures. This is based upon his own life when he went on the road at age 15 to first write about rock and roll music for "Rolling Stone." He toured with a band and came to know a very different world from his very sheltered home life. His mother, a college professor played by Frances McDormand, could be called overprotective, both in the movie and in real life, but certainly her results in child rearing indicate she was a great success at it. Billy Crudup does a star turn as the lead rock n'roller that the boy comes to know. You are attracted to him while also seeing his self absorbed behavior. Kate Hudson plays the girl groupie who tours with the band and is used by them, especially by Crudup's character. Hudson shows a lot of acting promise and she has none of the irritating mannerisms of her mother (Goldie Hawn). Patrick, who plays the young Crowe, does a wonderful job throughout too. I am not a big rock n' roll fan but you don't really need to be to enjoy this movie. Crowe understands people and he renders them as perfectly as the rock music scene, which makes this a movie everyone can enjoy. Crowe deservedly won the Oscar for his writing.
Rating:
Summary: Great Movie - Highly recomended
Review: I really enjoyed this movie I've seen it twice now. The characters are all truely likeable. My favorite scene is when they are all on the bus and Elton John's Tiny Dancer is playing in the background and each of the characters join in and sings the song. It truely shows how music has a connection and often brings people together.I would recomend this movie to anyone who grew up in the 70's!!!!
Rating:
Summary: DVD Of This Movie A Necessity....
Review: because when I saw it in the theater, it was almost impossible to keep from singing out loud along with the film - specifically during "Every Picture Tells a Story," "One Way Out" and "Mona Lisas and Mad Hatters." Now that I have it at home, I can sing as loud as I want (and my wife can leave the room if she doesn't like it!). I don't buy many DVD's - for some reason, I don't have the urge to own many movies, so the few I do own are those that I consider to be my ultimate classics - and this movie easily made the cut. Well worth purchasing, and now let's hope that Crowe issues a Vol. 2 of the soundtrack.
Rating: 
Summary: Not the masterpiece it's touted as
Review: Beware spoilers I think the reason "Almost Famous" was so widely praised was because there were so many people who grew up during that time period and recall it fondly. Watching the film probably helped bring back good memories, the way "American Graffiti" would to kids of the early 60's. The difference between those two films is that "American Graffiti" had deeper characters that you could identify with regardless of when you grew up. "Almost Famous" doesn't have that, and that's where it falls apart. Apart from Billy Crudup's character, there's no a whole lot of character depth going on here. Kate Hudson's character is supposed to be more than simply a groupie, but the film fails to rise her above that. Classic example: when she's told she's been traded to another band for a case of beer, her reaction is cute, but because she acts so blase about it, that's how we feel about her. It's a pattern that occurs throughout the film that undermine it. And while I'm sure most of the stuff in the film actually did happen to Crowe, it doesn't mean it can't feel contrived. An Elton John singalong on a rancorous tour bus brings everyone together? A near plane crash gets everyone to spill their guts? There are too many "movie moments" like that that ring false. A better film like "Spinal Tap" takes those cliches and uses them as commentary rather than content, which is where "Almost Famous" gets it wrong. It's too worried about being nostalgic that all the bad things are ignored or given a palatable sheen. And there's no sense of urgency in the film. The afore-mentioned plane scene, Fugit's missing graduation, Hudson's hotel room scene: there's no real sense of danger in any of these scenes because the film refuses to go deeper into its subject matter. Last complaint: I'm sure legally it wasn't possible, but if this is all based upon Crowe's experience, why not use those bands rather than a composite band whose music you don't really learn anything about? You hear about one minute of "Fever Dog" in the film. How do you know the Stillwater is any good? Or that Crudup's character really is a good guitarist? You don't, and that's part of why the film lacks depth. For a film obsessed with music, its main characters don't really make any of it. I think people were so hungry for a halfway decent film last year that they globbed onto this one as brilliant just because of what it was based upon. It isn't a brilliant film, and time will bear that out. "Spinal Tap" and "Woodstock" are the greatest rock and roll films ever, because they already know music is something special, while "Almost Famous" spends all of its time trying to tell you the obvious.
Rating:
Summary: Get On the Bus!
Review: Almost Famous is a delight from beginning to end. Cameron Crowe's valentine to his youth is warm and very funny, touching without being sacharine, and beautifully written and played. Newcomer Patrick Fugit is a terrific find as the 15 year old Rolling Stone writer, bright but inexperienced, innocent but learning fast. Kate Hudson is enchanting as Penny Lane the premier "band-aid". Frances MacDormand hilarious as the eccentric but caring mother. Billy Crudup is charismatic as the lead guitarist and Jason Lee as the insecure lead singer. Philip Seymour Hoffman, again, does wonders with a small cameo role...indelible as the ascerbic and acute Lester Bangs. All the surrounding players are excellent. As Cameron Crowe says in one of the extras on the DVD he likes to make movies about the "small moments" that change your life. He has done so here. All of it rings true, because it IS true...Crowe lived it and remembers with fondness the people who helped shape him. I don't know, if you don't like movies where stuff doesn't blow up every 5 minutes, this isn't for you. And, if the characters have to be venal and crass or cruel and violent....give this a pass. After all, the Academy did in favor of an empty formula epic (Gladiator). But, if you like movies with people who are flawed but basically decent, and movies with a heart....this is your flick. Oh....and great music too.
Rating:
Summary: THE BEST MOVIE RELEASED IN 2000
Review: Almost Famous is the best movie I've seen since The Hurricane. It features great performances, great humor, and an excellent story that's true and original(unlike Gladiator). I couldn't help but envy the main character. This is undoubtedly the best movie released last year. It deserves more than just an Acadamy Award for the screenplay. Ask Roger Ebert or the guys from the Oxnard Star(see the Time Out section from March 23). Look at the sales of the DVD. Just because the itiots at the Academy did not give it a Best Picture nomination doesn't mean that it doesn't deserve it more than any of the films nominated this year- and possibly last year too. Buy it.
Rating:
Summary: Best Movie of the Year
Review: Cameron Crowe said it best at the Oscar's, "This movie is a love letter to the music industry." I could probably write for pages on what makes this the best movie of the year, ie acting, directing, story, soundtrack. Trust me when I say watch this movie. Watch Almost Famous if you want to be told a good story; watch it to watch Phillip Seymour Hoffman, Kate Hudson, Frances McDormand, and Jason Lee turn in some of the best performances in movie history; but more importantly than that, watch Almost Famous if you love music. I promise it will be anything but a disappointment.
Rating:
Summary: See this movie, but know this first! But, bewere, Spoilers!
Review: If you want to see a funny movie see this, if you want to see a drama, you may still want to see this. This is NOT the Godfather, this is a rather well-told tale of director/screenwriter Cameron Crowe's childhood. First of all let me tell you that Rolling Stone DID hire Cameron at the young age of 15. They did it and did not know that he was 15. Ask the original Ben Fong-Torres, he would tell you. The stuff about him at the age of 15 touring with a band is true, (Cameron toured with Led Zepplin at age 15) and the stuff said in it were often true (for example "I am a golden God!" was actually coined by the lead singer of Zepplin). The stuff about the band-aids were true. Cameron really was deflowered by a bunch of groupies. And the girl he loved? The real Penny Lane really was sold to Humble Pie. And the stuff about his mother? That was true also. Now as far as it being "fluffy" yes, there is a nice feel-good vibe thing in the movie. However, lets keep in mind that we are watching this movie from the eyes of a very innocent 15 yrs of age boy. HIs mother kept him so ignorant that the main character really does not understand fully what was happening. So all in all this is a great movie and funny as heck. This is not the world's latest drama, and don't expect it to be such.
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