Almost Famous: The Power of Music
Written by Ari Turobiner
I love music! I will never forget my first time hearing Led Zeppelin, Simon and Garfunkel, The Beatles, The Who, Elton John, Pearl Jam, Nirvana, R.E.M and many more incredible artists. The moment I fell in love with music was ingrained in me, and everytime I hear a song I love or pick up my saxophone and guitar I am reminded why I love music. As you may or may not know, I also passionately love movies and if you are reading this far, I am sure you can tell I also love writing! Cameron Crowe’s semi-autobiographical coming of age film Almost Famous is one of my favorite movies of all time and holds a special spot in my top ten list. Almost Famous takes place in the 1970s, showcasing the world of sex, drugs and rock n’ roll. The film follows William Miller, a kindhearted fifteen year-old kid who is younger than the majority of teens his age and has a passion for writing about music in an underground magazine called “CREEM”. Miller, with the help of Lester Bangs, a local radio host, eventually gets the opportunity to write a piece about an up-and-coming band called Stillwater for Rolling Stone Magazine. Following the band is the mysterious, beautiful and charming character Penny Lane, whom I believe is one of the best characters put on film. She is known in the movie as a “band-aid”, which in simple terms is a groupie who cares more about the music than the people. Miller travels across the United States with the band and Penny Lane on a tour bus, going on the road trip of a lifetime. The film explores the relationships between the band members, Penny Lane and lead guitarist Russell Hammond, as well as how the experience affects William.
Almost Famous features a star-studded cast of Kate Hudson, Patrick Fugit, Billy Crudup, Phillip Seymour Hoffman, Jason Lee, Frances McDormand and others. Almost Famous emphasizes the power of music in many ways. The music is the thing that keeps the band together on the road and throughout tension-filled times, and in particular the music helps ease drama in a memorable scene featuring Elton John’s song Tiny Dancer. Music is also William Miller's motivator that eventually helps him truly find himself when he sees the life behind the scenes of these rockstars. In a fast paced frenzy of parties, sex and drugs, Miller wants to be a part of the coolness of it all yet he struggles with remembering what is real. Life on the road is not the same as it is in the real world.
Miller explores love and sex for the first time and these life changing events give his journey with Stillwater a deeper meaning while it’s set to an awesome soundtrack of music in the background. In many ways, the music is the true journey in Almost Famous and I think that’s why it resonates with me and so many others. In addition to the great music, William Miller is a relatable character who reminds me of myself during my freshman year of high school and even to this day. I'm sure we all know the feeling of wanting to fit in but feeling different than your peers. Almost Famous is a happy, exciting, comforting, deep and emotional movie and an incredible period piece on the 1970s, and it’s fascinating that a lot of key moments in this film are based on the director Cameron Crowe’s real life. Along with so many people out there, I have dreamed of being a rockstar or touring with them, having a great time on the road, and this movie brings those dreams into reality for William Miller. The Tiny Dancer scene in particular resonates with me so much and shows the unity that music brings, while Penny Lane’s line “You are home” reminds me that home is wherever the music is. Do you have memories of listening to music with your family? On a date? Jamming on instruments with friends? Cruising in the car with friends? Singing all together in unison? I know I do, and these moments are what make a song so much more than just a simple piece of music. Maybe I saw this film at the right time in my life when I was saying goodbye to my high school senior year and moving onto the journey of college. Almost Famous brings a nostalgia to me that very few films can bring, and also reminds me of the moments I realized I was growing up and was no longer a kid in high school. It is because of this movie that I wanted to start this website and do more writing in my free time. Almost Famous is a film I can watch a million times, and I love it more each time I watch it, for it makes me nostalgic about my life in high school and growing up and helps me fall in love with music all over again. Thank you Cameron Crowe, Penny Lane and of course William Miller for the memories this movie brings.
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