Comprehensive information and links about Almost Famous

Almost Famous is a film, written and directed by Cameron Crowe and released in 2000. It tells the story of a teenage journalist for magazine covering the rock band Stillwater, and his efforts to get his first cover story published. The film is semi-autobiographical, as Crowe himself was a teenage writer for Billy Crudup, Jason Lee, and Noah Taylor as lead guitarist, lead singer, and band manager respectively, of the fictitious band Stillwater, an amalgamation of The Allman Brothers Band and several other bands that Crowe wrote aboutKate Hudson, Fairuza Balk, Anna Paquin, and Bijou Phillips as groupies known as "Band Aids" (Hudson's character Penny Lane was based on several women Crowe knew, but primarily on "rock star muse" Bebe Buell)

The film's award-winning soundtrack featured an eclectic mix of period rock, other period genres, and songs written by Crowe's wife, Nancy Wilson, expressly for the movie. Highlights include Simon Garfunkel's "America" and Elton John's "Tiny Dancer" and "Mona Lisas and Mad Hatters", and Thunderclap Newman's "Something in the Air".

Despite very good reviews the film was not a box office success. The film received four Oscar nominations, one of which led to an award to Crowe for his screenplay. It was also awarded the 2001 Grammy Award for Best Compilation Soundtrack Album for a Motion Picture, Television or Other Visual Media.

The tagline for Almost Famous is "Enjoy It. Experience It. Just Don't Fall For It."

Musical background

The movie remains a masterful piece for those that were raised in the 1970s and provides a valuable insight into the mind of Cameron Crowe and through his adept storytelling, presents a rare look inside rock and roll.

Fugit, who was born 10 years after the movie takes place, was given a collection of records to listen to and learn from to help him understand the period. While specific albums were not mentioned, one can imagine that they were based on the collection given to his character William by his sister at the turning point of the story. These albums help describe and lay the ground work for the rest of the movie and can be seen as a primer for anyone interested in learning more about the period. They are:

, the album William's sister tries to sneak into the house.

When William and Penny are in the car together, there is a reflection on the car windscreen of the front cover of Pink Floyd's "Dark Side of the Moon"

The Bootleg Cut

Along with the standard DVD version, Crowe compiled an alternate version called "Untitled," which was a compilation of both released footage, and his favorite deleted scenes. Running for over a half hour longer than the theatrical release, "Untitled" was subtitled 'The Bootleg Cut', with its packaging resembling a cheap Seventies bootleg. The set is apparently out-of-print at the current time. (Incidentally, a variant of the Bootleg Cut is the basis of the network television version of "Almost Famous.")

Changes to the film include -

Elaine berates a man for painting "Merry Xmas" on a storefront, complaining that "Xmas" is not a real wordAdditional albums are glimpsed in the scene in which young Williams finds the record bag under his bedWilliam arrives at school to see that his classmates have changed the marquee on the school's sign to read "William Miller is too young to drive or fuck"Before cutting to the restaurant scene with Lester Bangs, William and Lester stand on a street corner in silence, as Lester waits for a bus.Before the first concert, Russell tells William how the littlest details in songs are the ones that people remember the most, citing a vocal sound in Marvin Gaye's "What's Happening, Brother?" as an exampleAnita's boyfriend climbs through the window of her bedroom and reminisces to William about the sex that they had therePenny and William's arrival at the Hyatt House is heavily extended, featuring a longer section with Peter Frampton, as well as William being told to "blow me!" by a comedian he recognizesBefore having sex in the ice room, Penny and Russell have a conversation about their failing relationshipStillwater attends a radio interview, hosted by a stoned DJ (portrayed by Kyle Gass) who falls asleep mid-conversationAn extra scene before Russell's electrocution shows William attempting to interview Stillwater's dimwitted bassist in the pouring rainThe backstage fight over the blurry t-shirt includes an added exchange in which Russell asks Jeff if he's on cocaineA couple lines were added to the scene in Aaron's bedroom, in which Russell gives his belt to a young admirerThe band holds a birthday party for Penny Lane, where she first learns that she is not welcome on the airplane