Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #28526 in DVD
• Released on: 2001-09-10
• Rating: Suitable for 15 years and over
• Aspect ratio: 1.78:1
• Number of discs: 1
• Formats: Anamorphic, Dubbed, PAL, Widescreen
• Original language: English
• Subtitled in: English, Portuguese, Spanish
• Dubbed in: Spanish
• Number of discs: 1
• Running time: 122 minutes

Amazon.co.uk Review
A nostalgic, bittersweet ode to the hedonistic rock 'n' roll days of the early 1970s, Almost Famous is Cameron Crowe's most personal, deeply felt film (he even cowrote the original songs with wife Nancy Wilson). "Does anybody remember laughter?" asks one of the characters in a Led Zeppelin reference that typifies how the film works both for those who, like Crowe, remember and love the times and its music, and those who can only look back in wonder at an era when rock music was about something more than just marketing. Closely based on his own coming-of-age experiences as a teenage journalist for Rolling Stone magazine, the story follows the director's alter ego William Miller (sympathetic newcomer Patrick Fugit) on the journey of a lifetime touring with fictional rock band Stillwater, struggling to get the all-important interview, losing his virginity, falling in love, and trying to fend off his obsessively concerned mother (Frances McDormand). Kate Hudson as the "band-aid" (not groupie) Penny Lane is the film's magnetic centrepiece; Billy Crudup plays Stillwater's temperamental and egocentric lead guitarist perfectly; and Philip Seymour Hoffman steals the show as jaded rock journo Lester Bangs, the very personification of "uncool" whose ardent love for music--good, honest music--is at the very heart of this film. "I have to go home" says William on the Stillwater tour bus in one of the many emotionally truthful moments that permeate this wonderful film; "You are home", Penny Lane tells him.

On the DVD: This is an attractive anamorphic 1.85:1 picture, and the fantastic soundtrack gets the Dolby 5.1 treatment. The extra features include the complete performance of Stillwater's Zeppelin-esque "Fever Dog" and a good 25-minute HBO "making-of" featurette with contributions from all the principals ("I really liked hanging out with all the girls on the set", says Patrick Fugit with a straight face). Navigate the special features menus by following the red Stratocasters and find Cameron Crowe's six articles for Rolling Stone that reveal how closely the film is based on his experiences on the road with the Allman Brothers Band and Led Zeppelin. There are also four trailers (only one for this film, oddly), and text-based Filmographies and Production Notes. No commentary, though. --Mark Walker

DVD Special Features:
HBO Making of Featurette
Rolling Stone Article--Original Text be Cameron Crowe
Stillwater's "Fever Dog" Music Video
Filmographies
Production Notes
Trailer
Animated & Interactive Menus
1.85:1 anamorphic widescreen (enhanced for 16:9 TVs)
Dolby 5.1 English, Spanish
Subtitles: English, Spanish, Portuguese

Special Features
1.85 Wide Screen
16:9 Anamorphic Wide Screen
DVD 9
Spanish
English
Region 2
Dolby Digital 5.1 English Spanish
Dolby Digital 5.1
HBO Making Of Featurette
Rolling Stones Articles Original Text By Cameron Crowe
Stillwaters Fever Dog Music Video
Filmographies
Production Notes
Trailer
Animated Menus
Interactive Menus
English\Portuguese\Spanish

Synopsis
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.

Customer Reviews

Perfect piece of nostalgia
A love letter of sorts to writer/director Cameron Crowe's own adolescence, this one tells the story of William Miller, a fifteen year old kid who cons his way into writing a story for Rolling Stone magazine. He sets out on the road with up-and-coming band Stillwater, and naive little William has his eyes opened to the adult world as experienced by a touring rock band in 1973.

Despite the lack of a big name star, the cast of Almost Famous is as good as you could ask for. Patrick Fugit is appropriately sweet and earnest as William; Billy Crudup gives his best performance to date as talented guitarist Russell ("I am a golden god!"); Kate Hudson is mesmerising in what looks increasingly like the only good part she'll ever play; Philip Seymour Hoffman adds great value as caustic journalist and William's mentor, Lester Bangs; while Frances McDormand almost steals the show as William's over-protective mother.

Crowe captures the sights and sounds of the seventies setting perfectly for this one. The music helps, with a soundtrack filled with great songs from memorable artists of the time, including The Who, Led Zeppelin, The Stooges, Jimi Hendrix, Neil Young, Lynyrd Skynyrd, and The Velvet Underground. In something of a minor miracle, this film is so good it even made me like an Elton John song - I defy anyone to resist singing along with the rest of the cast during their heartfelt rendition of Tiny Dancer.

This is the part where I usually list any problems with the film, but I honestly don't think this one has any. Crowe, who can be hit and miss as a director, gets it just right here. The acting is first rate, it's a beautifully told rights of passage story with a perfect mix of humour, drama and sentiment, and the soundtrack is stunning throughout. Some may balk at the running time (especially the extra long Untitled Bootleg Cut), but this is one of those few films I never want to end.

I whole-heartedly recommend this unmissable masterpiece to everyone.

Light hearted entertainment and great music...
This is a well acted, light hearted, humourous, nostalgic look at the mid 1970's rock scene and a teenage writers rite of passage personaly and professionaly. The sound track is great, even better than the film. Even the faux band Still Water sound good, (coached by Peter Frampton.)

My only minor gripe, which does set that film out of context is the historicaly innaccurate portrayal of the ideals of the "band-aid" groupie culture. It is central to the story line-but was actualy a feature of the late 60's hippy era. Most of the famous groupies the Penny Lane character is based on were dead, had moved on or became much less of a social force by 1974. It's not important, but it just seems a bit wierd if you know anything about the era. However it works in the reality of the movie.

I thought it was very funny when a limo glides by with members of Black Sabbath-and one groupie remarked in awe inspired tones-"I think Sapphire is in there!" How these LA Groupies managed to understand the dulcet brummie tones of Ozzy and co is quite hilarous to imagine.

Not a classic film but a great one to watch with your friends a pizza and a few beers.

Almost hits the mark
As I was born in the 1980s, I can only check out the era of blossoming rock'n'roll (Rolling Stones, the Doors, the Beatles, Led Zeppelin) through books and movies. And here's the ideal movie: "Almost Famous," a semi-autobiographical movie about the 1970s rock scene, gives a glimpse of the life of a young reporter, based on Crowe himself.

When William's sister (Zooey Deschanel) left home, she gave him her collection of records: the Who, Cream, Led Zeppelin, Jimi Hendrix, and many others. When William (Patrick Fugit) is fifteen he manages to get a writing assignment with Creem, and then with Rolling Stone magazine to write about the rising band Stillwater. William falls in with the Stillwater guys and their circle of adoring groupies, including an effervescent blonde, Penny Lane (Kate Hudson).

Despite the displeasure of his controlling but loving mom (she claims adolescence is a marketing ploy), William accompanies Stillwater across the country. He keeps trying to get an interview with guitarist Russell Hammond (Billy Crudup), but Russell is too busy shagging Penny and diving off rooftops. But after Penny attempts suicide, William realizes the drugs, sex and rock'n'roll are only a veneer for what really matters.

"Almost Famous" is a fantastic mixture of expose and tribute -- there's music, there's romance, there's comedy. We get to see inter-band conflict (who's the star?), groupies, rock journalism, and the unfortunate aftereffects for groupies. Yet the sort-of-romance between Penny and William is very sweet, rooted in genuine affection.

Both the glamour and the grit is shown here. The dialogue sparkles -- "Last words: I dig music... I'M ON DRUGS!", "Forgive me Father, for I may sin tonight," "I'm about to boldly go where... many men have gone before." A few of the lines border on silliness, but never go over that elusive border.

And the direction is superb -- it cuts forward just when it needs to; the camera follows people out onto the dizzying stage and then zooms in for intimate close-ups. Nowhere else could a stomach-pumping scene actually contain an element of romance. And Crowe even throws in some well-timed pratfall humor, like Anna Paquin running into a cement wall.

The heart and soul of this film are wide-eyed Patrick Fugit and Kate Hudson, one as a naive young boy who is swimming with rock'n'roll sharks, and the other as a fragile groupie who falls in love despite herself. Billy Crudup and Frances McDormand back them up as a lovable yet hateable rocker, and William's weird yet loving mother, who just wants her son back.

Music lovers and rock aficionados will love "Almost Famous," a bittersweet coming-of-age comedy/drama/music movie. A rare treat.