Almost Famous (Collectors Edition)

Almost Famous Review

Director Cameron Crowe may be responsible for such movies as "Jerry Maguire" and "Singles" but he began his career as a successful teenage music journalist for Rolling Stone magazine in the early 1970s, so it's very easy to see "Almost Famous" as a semi-autobiographical film, telling as it does of fifteen-year-old writer William's 'coming of age' on the road with fictional rock band Stillwater in the summer of '73.

Although a little long (the film seems to finish at least twice before it finally does), "Almost Famous" is a brilliant recreation of a lost time, and features some outstanding performances. Patrick Fugit makes an impressive big screen debut as the wide-eyed teenager, and the ever reliable Phillip Seymour Hoffman excels in an extended cameo as famous hard living rock journalist Lester Bangs, mentor to William in the film (and Crowe in real life). Billy Crudup also excels as Stillwater's lead guitarist Russell, a man who takes young William under his wing, and whose abilities dwarf those of his fellow band members. However there is one performance that dominates "Almost Famous" and that is Kate Hudson's as 'band aid' Penny Lane. The daughter of Goldie Hawn won a Golden Globe and has been nominated for a BAFTA for her portrayal of the beautiful Penny, a woman who ultimately is not as confident and in control as she would like to believe.