Almost Famous, Movie Review Example

The movie Almost Famous (2000) is a comedic drama that was written and directed by Cameron Crowe, who worked as a writer for the magazine Rolling Stone while he was still a teenager. the movie is based on his life-experience as a young reporter and tells the story of his adventures with Stillwater, a fictitious rock band of the early 1970‘s. The main character of the film is William Miller (Patrick Fugit). After meeting the band Stillwater while covering a Black Sabbath concert, Williams ends up joining the band on the road. During this time, Miller witnesses the drug-use, groupies, egos, and creative tension of the band, led by its guitarist Russell Hammond (Billy Crudup). The rampant decadence and chauvinism that accompanies the band Stillwater functions a coming-of-age background for Miller. he loses his virginity both figuratively and literally while on the road with the band. At the same time, he begins to acquire the skill-set and insight that will allow him to become a noteworthy journalist.

Toward the end of the film, Williams is caught in a thunderstorm, on a plane with the band and everyone on the plane believes that they are soon going to die. As the plane begins to drop, the band members all confess their darkest secrets and an big argument breaks out. The band members are revealed to Williams as being something far less than heroic. He sees that they are selfish and that they don’t really even seem to care about their music or their fans. After this incident, Hammond tells Williams that he should write a story about the band that tells everything exactly the way it was in real life, including the things that will make the band look bad. When Williams finally does so, the band denys all of it and the article is not published by Rolling Stone magazine.  In the end, Hammond grants a spectacular interview to Williams which is published as  a cover story and Williams begins his career. The film shows the arc of a young teenager turning into a young man with his life changing due to the impact of the rock culture of the 1970’s.