| | |
Features: DVD, Dolby, Digital Audio, Dolby Digital (5.1), Dolby Surround Sound, Widescreen, Aspect Ratio 1.85:1
Audiences and critics alike are raving about this larger-than-life rock 'n' roll favorite that Roger Ebert calls "one of the best movies of the year!" The guys of Stillwater have the sound, they have the look, and Rolling Stone magazine wants their story. For young reporter William Miller, its the opportunity of a lifetime as he hits the road with his favorite band and discovers the price of fame, the value of family and the limits of friendship.
"Funny and insightful!" Andrew Johnston, US Weekly
"Enormously engaging and wonderfully nostalgic." Jeffrey Lyons, WNBC
"Almost Famous rocks!" Mike Wilbur, NBC News
"...a winner." Peter Travers, Rolling Stone
"Oh, what a lovely film." Roger Ebert, Chicago Sun-Times
Editor's Note
Cameron Crowe's career trajectory reads like a true Hollywood story--he started out as a 15-year-old writing for Rolling Stone magazine and eventually ended up writing, directing, and acting in movies. His poignant writing style reflects the nostalgia and humor of an era, with bits of pop culture and musical history and trivia woven in. This has proven to be a highly successful formula, as in the 1989 emo love story SAY ANYTHING, and the '90s grunge rocker hit SINGLES. Crowe's ALMOST FAMOUS is a semiautobiographical account that tells the story of a teen journalist, William Miller (Patrick Fugit), who goes on the road with an up-and-coming rock band called Stillwater. 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. Miller is in for a wild ride around the country, to thrilling concerts and debauched backyard parties, living the life many 15-year olds dream about. He discovers that beneath the glittery faade of rock stardom are sometimes bittersweet life lessons and mild doses of heartbreak. More impacting are the friendships he finds with his glamorous travel companions. 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 memorable.
| Features | Audio: English Dolby Digital 5.1 Surround Sound, DTS, Stereo | | Cast And Crew Bios | | HBO Behind-The-Scenes Featurette "The Making Of Almost Famous" | | Interactive Menus | | Production Notes | | Scene Selection | | Stillwater's "Fever Dog" Music Video | | Subtitles: English | | The Rolling Stone Articles | | Theatrical Trailers |
| Technical Info
|
Release Information
| | Studio: Dreamworks (Universal) |
| Release Date: 1/17/2006 |
| Running Time: 123 minutes |
| Original Release Date: 2000 | | Catalog ID: 87818 | | UPC: 00667068781823 | | Number of Discs: 1 |
Audio & Video
| | Original Language: English | | Available Audio Tracks: English [CC], English | | Video: Color |
Aspect Ratio | | 1.85:1 |
| Cast & Crew
| Awards |
Oscar (2001) | | | Kate Hudson, Nominee, Best Supporting Actress | | | Frances McDormand, Nominee, Best Supporting Actress |  | Cameron Crowe, Winner, Best Screenplay Written Directly For The Screen | |
British Academy Awards (2001) | | Cameron Crowe, Winner, Best Original Screenplay | | Doug Hemphill, et al., Winner, Best Sound | | | Kate Hudson, Nominee, Best Actress In A Leading Role | | | Frances McDormand, Nominee, Best Supporting Actress | |
Golden Globe (2001) | | Kate Hudson, Winner, Best Actress In A Supporting Role In A Motion Picture | | | Frances McDormand, Nominee, Best Actress In A Supporting Role In A Motion Picture | | | Cameron Crowe, Nominee, Best Screenplay - Motion Picture |
| Memorable Quotes| "Do not take drugs!"----Mrs. Miller (Frances McDormand), repeatedly throughout the film, to her son, William (Patrick Fugit) | | "How old are you?"----Penny Lane (Kate Hudson)|"18."----William|"Me too! How old are we really?|"17."----William|"Me too!"----Penny|"Actually, I'm 16."----William|"Me too. Isn't it funny? The truth just sounds different."----Penny|"I'm 15."----William | | "Rock & roll is a lifestyle...and a way of thinking, and it's not about money and 'popularity!' Although, some money would be nice....And the chicks are great."----Jeff Bebe (Jason Lee) | | "Opie must die!"----the Band--Aids (Fairuza Balk and Anna Paquin) to William | | "I am a golden god!"----Russell Hammond (Billy Crudup), standing on a rooftop at a party while on acid | | "Tell Rolling Stone that my last words were...'I'm on drugs!'"----Russell to William | | "Is it that hard to make us look cool?!"----Jeff | | "The only real currency in this bankrupt world is what we share with each other when we're being uncool."----Lester Bangs (Philip Seymour Hoffman) to William | | "I know you've heard this before. And I have never said this to anybody, not really----well, nobody who didn't legally have to say it back to me, but----I love you, and I'm about to go where...many men have gone before."----William to Penny, while she's nearly passed out on drugs |
|
| | Professional Reviews | New York Times
"...[Patrick Fugit] is remarkable in his first film role....Ms. Hudson and Mr. Crudup inhabit their roles with such mellow ease that the film opens up around them....In addition to Ms. McDormand and Mr. Hoffman, [Jason Lee and Fairuza Balk] are especially memorable..." 09/13/2000 pp.E1-5USA Today
"...Kate Hudson gets a chance to shine....[The] strengths here are the characters, performances and the command with which Crowe sets up his story..."--3.5 out of 4 stars 09/13/2000 p.4D Entertainment Weekly
"...Terrifically authentic and heartfelt..." -- Rating: A- 09/22/2000 p.52 Entertainment Weekly
Ranked #4 in Entertainment Weekly's "Owen Gleiberman's BEST MOVIES OF 2000" 12/22/2000 pp.106-7 Sight and Sound
"...Always a fluent writer of dialogue, Crowe puts some rip-roaring tirades in [the film]..." 01/01/2001 p.38-40 Total Film
"...Not only a glowing, effectively realized tribute to both the era and the music, but also a beautifully crafted coming-of-age drama..." -- 4 out of 5 stars 02/01/2001 p.84 Los Angeles Times
"...Something to cherish and enjoy, an intimate yet universal film that will delight you and involve your heart..." 09/13/2000 p.C1 Chicago Sun-Times
"...Oh, what a lovely film....ALMOST FAMOUS is funny and touching in so many different ways....It's a coming-of-age film, about an idealistic kid who sees the real world, witnesses its cruelties and heartbreaks, and yet finds much room for hope..." 09/15/2000 p.29 Sight and Sound
"An unusually sweet-natured take on the early-1970s rock scene..." 08/01/2005 p.33 The New York Times 9 of 10
...The movie's real pleasures are to be found not in its story but in its profusion of funny, offbea - A.O. Scott
Los Angeles Times 9 of 10
...writer-director Cameron Crowe...used the free ride he earned with Jerry Maguire's success - Kenneth Turan
|
| |
|
|
|
4
