Almost Famous is a semi-autobiographical story. Cameron Crowe, the director, was indeed asked to go on tour with a world-famous band when he was 16 years old. Substitute the fictitious Stillwater for the Allman Brothers and you have got young Cameron Crowe coming of age on the road, because this is what the film is, above all, about. Of course, more than just some fictitious elements, except for the invented band, have found their way into the Hollywood production.

Crowe was already 16 years old, whereas William Miller is only 15, which we are directly told in one of the most funny scenes of the film. Being back-stage for the very first time and getting to know many of the genuine (Russell Hammond and Jeff from Stillwater) and some not quite so genuine rock stars (roadies, the quiet drummer or the unobtrusive bass player) Penny Lane, who won’t tell her real name, which we nonetheless find out later on in the film, asks William how old he is. Starting with claiming to be 18 as a possible excuse for wasting their free-time with drunken rock stars, they subsequently undercut each other till William quite unexpectedly exclaims that he is only 15.

Moreover, “in the real world”, an expression that Penny Lane uses quite often to distinguish reality and her life as a band-aid of rock stars, Gregg Allman’s guitarist-brother and band member Duane Allman died while Cameron Crowe was still on tour with them. Crowe did not include this fact in his movie, perhaps in order not to destroy the harmony and the resolution of the film, which also relies on the two completely different rockers Russell and Jeff becoming true friends.

Cameron Crowe was suspected of being an FBI-agent by Gregg Allman. In the movie William is also accused of trying to harm the image of the band. That is why Jeff and Russell sometimes refer to him as “the enemy”. 5

A sign against reality?

In fact, the whole film appears to be a sign against reality. If what we get to see in this film really is what life on the road is like then the world would have to prepare itself for the attack of a new rock-craze. Even though we have a quite lively and vivid rock-scene with American bands like The Strokes, the Black Rebel Motor Cycle Club, The White Stripes or British Bands like The Cooper Temple Clause or The Electric Soft Parade, which altogether seem to have been musically socialised in the sixties, seventies and early eighties, most of these bands would probably want to contradict Cameron Crowe on his thesis that life on the road is like one great party. Touring is not the only thing which has changed considerably in the last thirty years. The rock scene and the position of rock music altogether seem to have undergone a change, which is reflected and quite often ironically played upon by Crowe.

However, the general problem, as it was quite often criticised, seems to be that this film generalises the idea of harmony and friendship in the musical business and creates the impression that everything was better back in the old days. Penny Lane seems to be friends with almost everyone: Stillwater, Black Sabbath, Humble Pie, David Bowie.

Noel Gallagher, musical mastermind of the British band Oasis, said that this film and its representation of touring would not measure up to reality, when it was first released one and a half years ago. In Rolling Stone magazine from June 2002, he states his attitude towards touring, which is quite interesting.

“Wir werden sechs Monate lang touren – einige Tage werden dunkel sein, einige verdammt fantastisch, einige langweilig. Wie das Leben. Das Leben ist mal Scheiße, mal gut. Wir sind nicht Travis, wir lächeln nicht die ganze Zeit. Wir nehmen unsere Musik sehr ernst, aber wir haben noch ein Leben nebenbei, und das ist nicht immer einfach. Aber es ist immer aufregend, es ist garantiert nie langweilig.“ (Rolling Stone, June 2002)

Even though the conflicts in Almost Famous really are just minor ones (for example: when the band does not like the T-shirt that the record company has printed for them, because it only presents Russell and a number of “out-of-focus guys”, as the angry and envious Jeff calls them) which are also always easily resolved, it would be quite unfair to measure the quality and greatness of the film on how true its picture is to reality. To solve this question would mean to separate the film from its director, which is impossible.

Crowe’s film is a nostalgic and idyllic film, both in content and in the scenery it chooses to illustrate the content; a number of times we can see the personified bus “Doris” driving towards the sunset, for example. Facts and people have been invented, erased or simply changed wherever necessary. After all, it is not a film of the real world, as Penny Lane would say, but one which was produced within the fictitious escapist dream world of Hollywood. 5

Central Themes and Motives in Almost Famous

Cameron Crowe has directed five movies so far: Say Anything, Singles, Jerry Maguire, Almost Famous and Vanilla Sky.

However diverse and incompatible the topics of the individual films may be, they all centre around one central motive: regaining control of one’s life. In Singles, for example, (the title is deliberately ambiguous, for it can either refer to a music format or to the state of living alone) we meet a number of mid-twens who do not know what to make out of life or what life could probably be up to for them. The ambiguous title links the two major concerns of the film’s protagonists: love and music, or better: how to live love in a musically socialised environment. The film is set in Seattle at the beginning of the nineties; at a time when the Grunge movement with his protagonist Kurt Cobain was at its peak. The film presents the development of its characters from singles to partners. “Does everyone have to go through all this?”, Cliff asks at the end of the film when he finally gets together with his beloved Janet. “No, I think it’s just us”, Janet answers.

However, in fact, all of Cameron Crowe’s protagonists have to go through such a mental development which is in all of his films initiated by a breakdown, which is caused by a general dissatisfaction with their current situation. His characters know that something goes wrong, that it is time to reposition themselves and play the Game of Life, which was the German subtitle for Jerry Maguire. “Two days later in Chicago I had a breakdown. Breakdown, breakthrough. I hated myself, I hated my place in the world”, Jerry alias Tom Cruise realises quite at the beginning of the film. Jerry Maguire tells the story of a sports agent who wants to give up his wealth in favour of a more personal treatment of his clients. By rearranging his priorities he finally becomes the man he always wanted to be and marries the woman who “completes” him. Happy end.

In Vanilla Sky it is again the money which closes the protagonist’s eyes for the things which should really matter in life, at least for Cameron Crowe. David Ames, undergoes a development both mentally and physically. A terrible scar disfigures his otherwise beautiful face after a car crash and as a result, his friends turn their backs on him. Living in complete isolation, David would have to rearrange his life, but instead he buys a lucid dream, which assures him life in a dream world created out of his imagination after his death. The pains, the loneliness and his unfulfilled love for Sophia, finally make him commit suicide. The escape into his dream world, however, does not succeed in shutting out his unconscious. In fact, the things that have troubled him in real life hunt him and interfere with his newly created self. Vanilla Sky ends where all of Crowe’s other films begin: with the discovery that a change has to be implemented, that life is what has to be chosen. David Ames, jumps down from a rooftop, back into life. What happens after that, we do not get to know.

There is one other element that connects all of Cameron Crowe’s films: his love for pop-culture and pop-music. His movies are all set in a pop-culturally relevant context. Music always plays an important part in his films; it is like another protagonist, or at least, a close friend of them, whether he decides to portray the grunge scene, as he did in Singles or the rock scene of the early 70s as in Almost Famous. He certainly knows which hidden powers the correct music can liberate in order to intensify and emotionalise certain scenes. When, for example, the newly fired Tom Cruise sings, or better shouts along to Free Falling by Tom Petty while he is in his car on the road to happiness or when the viewer listens to Simon and Garfunkel’s America, when Anita has decided to leave home in order to look for America.

Cameron Crowe definitely is a child of the late sixties which he proofs with every soundtrack he compiles for his movies and a big fan of Bob Dylan, for there is at least one of his songs in each of his films. 5

Plot

Almost Famous is a coming-of-age-story. The main focus is on William Miller, a fifteen year-old rock ´n´ roll fan and music critic who lives in San Diego together with his mother Elaine, who keeps reminding him not to take drugs. His sister, Anita, has left them to become a stewardess. William worships Lester Bangs, the editor of Creem Magazine, who tries to make William aware of the bitter, commercial side of rock ´n´ roll. He warns him not to make friends with rock stars because they only use journalists and would never be real friends with them. But William has his own idealistic picture of the business and does not believe what Lester tries to make him aware of. One day William grabs the chance of his lifetime. He is offered an assignment by Rolling Stone to write a report on Stillwater, an up-and-coming band whom he joins on their 1973 tour across America. On this tour he learns a lot about the business, about love and friendship, but most importantly, about life… 5

Characters

WILLIAM MILLER (Patrick Fugit)

William Miller is the main character whom the story focuses on. He is treated like the prodigal son by his mother who puts a high premium on preventing him from becoming typical. Not being typical, he is an outsider. Since he skipped fifth grade and kindergarten, all his classmates are two year older than him. According to his mother’s plans, William will start a career as the youngest lawyer in the future. She is very concerned about him and always tells him not to take drugs. When William gets to know Penny Lane, Russell and the band, he feels like he belongs somewhere for the first time – even if this feeling might be an illusion. Joining Stillwater on their tour, William enters the real world. Especially his encounter with Penny Lane, the band-aid, makes him realise that there are other things in life which are more important than just being cool. The time William spends on the road is more important and more effective for his personal development than everything he could have learned at school during the same time. 5

ELAINE MILLER, his mother (Frances Mc Dormand)

Elaine Miller is a college teacher, who tries to bring up her own children as decently, however, also as strictly as possible. She is too overprotective in their education, always trying to keep them away from the bad influences in life. The motto she preaches to her children is “don’t take drugs!”. She does not allow them to listen to contemporary rock music, because in her opinion the musicians are all on drugs and are nothing but a bad example. Because of her overprotective manner you sometimes get the feeling that she mixes up her task as a mother with that of a college teacher (quote, “God, I’m a college teacher, why can’t I teach my own children?”). However, she turns out to be a very loving and understanding mother who knows how to get things done and simply means well for her children. 5

**LESTER BANGS, editor of Creem magazine (Philip Seymour Hofman)**

The character of Lester Bangs, the world famous rock ´n´ roll critic, was based on his real life model. In the early seventies, he was one of the first journalists to proclaim the death of rock´n´roll. In the movie, he fulfils the same function. William worships him and keeps sending his articles to him. Lester somehow becomes William’s mentor. He instructs him about the “real” side of the business. He gives William advice whenever his help is needed and he plays an important role in his development. Since he knows what is going on in the business, he is able to predict what will happen if William joins the band and makes friends with them. 5

PENNY LANE (Kate Hudson)

Penny Lane is a groupie of the band Stillwater, although she prefers to be called a “band-aid”. She loves the music and wants to be with the band all the time. She is in love with Russell Hammond, the lead-guitarist. Penny regards the band as her family and very readily accepts William as a new member. She makes a big impression on him and a special kind of friendship develops between the two of them. Penny recognises William’s real character and tells him that he is “too sweet for rock ´n´ roll”. She can look behind the façade and appreciates his presence, although she does not have the same feelings for him which he has for her. However, Penny trusts him so much that she even tells him her real name and about her feelings for Russell. In the end it is Penny who brings Russell and William together. 5

RUSSELL HAMMOND, lead-guitarist of the band Stillwater (Billy Crudup)

Being the lead-guitarist of Stillwater, he is William’s idol and “the embodiment of cool”. William really worships Russell, who has a strong influence on him, because he gives him the feeling of being part of the band. He pretends to be William’s friend, but lets him down several times. The major mistake about Russell is his love-affair with Penny Lane, which he does not take seriously enough, as William thinks. At the beginning, Russell does not really care about people, but he also undergoes a change on the road; a change which is brought about by William and Penny Lane. Finally he reveals his real character and reconciles with William. 5

The Film

For sure, there are many aspects to the film which would be worth a close examination. For example, how far the picture of the supposedly dying rock music, as it is presented in the film, is true to life, or how well the manners of education mirror the true spirit of the seventies. However, we have decided to concentrate on William Miller’s coming-of-age on the road, as presented in the film. We will analyse what effects the events he experiences and the people he meets will have on him. From outsider to outsider. 5

School of life – William’s development

At the age of eleven, William lives his life the way his mother wants him to, a life without a perspective of his own. At such an early age, he already knows more about literature and “To Kill A Mocking Bird” than most of his classmates will probably ever know, because his mother, who believes that nothing is more important than a strong and well-balanced school education, has taught him a lot. His sister Anita does not like her mother’s educational methods at all. She feels like in a prison being forced, for example, to celebrate Christmas on a day in September due to their mother’s anxiety that the 25^th of December has become far too commercialised. Worst of all, she is not allowed to listen to the music she likes and date boys.

“Simon and Garfunkel is poetry” she says. “Yes, it’s the poetry of drugs and promiscuous sex. Honey, they are on pot.”, her mother answers.

Anita feels that her mother uses her knowledge to keep her and her brother down and to raise them in a “no-environment”. At the beginning, William does not know that his sister’s expression “This is a house of lies” also holds true for him in a sense. He likes his mother, even contradicts his sister when she says “Even William hates you!” At school, he is an outsider; no one includes him. He looks so much younger than everyone else and, behind his back, the kids even call him the “narc”, which is a narcotic’s officer. When William is told that he actually is much younger, namely two years younger than he thought (a fact which his mother has withheld from him) a world starts to collapse. “Eleven. This explains so much!”, he reacts towards the news.

What the audiences can only be slightly aware of at this early stage in the film is the fact that Elaine actually means well. However, the problem of her manner of education is that she generalises her own priorities in life as being necessarily important and useful for everyone. Even though she suggests that William should take a year off after school to have a look around, find out what he likes and follow his dream, she sees him as a lawyer in the future. As the privileged son, he is in the centre of his mother‘s attention, whereas Anita’s needs are only marginally met. According to her mother, decent behaviour and obedience are absolute prerequisites for the reception of her love. For Elaine, Anita is nothing but “rebellious and ungrateful of my [her] love”. As a consequence, Anita leaves home to start her own life, far off the influence of her mother. Before she leaves she gives William her collection of rock records and thereby initiates his love for rock’n’roll music, whose devastating influence Elaine has always tried to keep her children away from. Elaine’s attitude seems to reflect the general spirit of the early seventies, when children could still easily provoke their parents by the kind of music they listened to. For many, rock’n’roll music equalled rebellious behaviour against societal conventions.

In a sense, William’s obsession with rock can also be interpreted as a more or less subconscious rebellion against his mother’s restrictions. However, what separates him from most other contemporary rock fans is the fact that he deals with his music in a productive way by writing about it. When he completely plunges into the world of rock music at the age of fifteen, he is blind-eyed and full of illusions. He has a very idealistic view of the rock business, which is all about the “buzz” and not about commercialism. This picture is shattered by all the experiences he gains on the road. The superficiality disillusions him and results in a mental conflict. Once more he does not know where he belongs. During the bus drive which links Topeka and Greenville the audiences can feel that he is torn between the two worlds of rock and family, which seem to exclude each other. When he tells Penny Lane that he has got to go back home, Penny replies “You are home!” On the one hand, Penny’s words are true, for he seems to have so much more in common with the band than with his mother, who appears to be the only one at home he can talk to. On the other hand, however, he is too intelligent not to see the superficiality of the people involved in the rock business. That is why Penny Lane’s remark about William being too “sweet” for rock’n’roll would rather have to be changed into “too smart” for rock’n’roll. This reflects his mother’s view of the world of rock, when she tells Russell that her son is not supposed to live in a world in which they “throw away their diminished brain cells like confetti”.

In contrast to Penny and the band, William can clearly distinguish between the “real world“ and this idealistic “dream world“. He is able to open up other people’s eyes and makes them undergo a change as well. Russell, for example, starts to appreciate the true meaning of friendship and Penny Lane finally ascends the plane to Morocco, which she has been planning for a long time, but never had the courage to.

Regarding William’s relationship with his mother, the story ends in a sort of a compromise between the two of them. On the one hand, his mother has learned to trust her children and let go. Moreover, she seems to have realised that conventional school education is not the non-plus-ultra, but that sometimes life can, by far, be the better teacher. Cameron Crowe perfectly manages to make us aware of the importance of the “school of life”. He skilfully contrasts the scenes from William’s graduation, where he is supposed to be but is not, with the scenes in which he saves Penny’s life. The song he chooses to illustrate this juxtaposition underlines his intention. With this song he tells sons of bankers and sons of lawyers to “wake up and say good morning to the night”. Crowe’s choice illustrates that he favours a practical rather than a theoretical approach to life. His intention also reveals itself when Elaine interrupts and finally quits one of her lectures having realised how unimportant all of her teachings are in the face of life-related problems. She would probably give up everything just to have her children back home.

William, on the other hand, has come to appreciate the value of a “home and family“. How else could it be in a Hollywood-movie: Happy End. 5

The road theme in Almost Famous

The road features heavily in three main ways: the metaphorical road, the literal road and the road of rock’n’roll.

The metaphorical road stands for the development that Cameron Crowe’s characters undergo. No matter how old his characters are, each of them travels towards maturity gaining insight and knowledge about the essential things in life. As already mentioned in connection with William’s development, the events they experience on their individual roads finally help them find their place in the world.

In Almost Famous this metaphorical road, which is characteristic of all of Crowe’s films, happens to be linked to a literal one, William being on tour with Stillwater. In contrast to many other road movies, in which the protagonists often travel the road without a clear destination in mind, the band has a fixed schedule of place and time. They always know where they have to be next. The bus drives between the various stops function as the linking element. For example, the bus drive that links Topeka with Greenville is one of the most important scenes in the whole film. After a quarrel between the band members, which has threatened to break up the band, everyone in the bus subsequently joins in on Elton John’s Tiny Dancer and the music reveals its uniting character. Whatever may have been between them, it’s all forgiven, if not forgotten. This harmony seems to be an inherent characteristic of the bus, because when the band substitute Doris for an aeroplane in order to play more gigs and make more money this harmony is lost as well. The flight connecting New York and San Francisco is nothing but one big disaster; a quarrel between nearly all of those on board.

By placing the quarrel into the plane and reducing the harmony among the band members and William, Cameron Crowe probably wants to make us aware of the destructive effects commercialisation has had on rock culture within the last thirty years. In a straight-forward but still sometimes ironic way Crowe tries to make us believe that rock’n’roll actually died in 1973, the year in which the film is set. Lester Bang’s constant repetition that 1973 marked the end of an era underlines this thesis. The remark by the band’s new manager that Mick Jagger would never be able to still perform at the age of fifty is more than just ironic, because as it is well known today, Mick Jagger, unfortunately, still pretends to be the wild youngster.

In Almost Famous the three different types of the road are skilfully interwoven. 5

Summary of the stops

Those who have not seen the film might find the following short summary of each stop helpful.

Stop 1: Home, San Diego 1969/1973

When William finds out about his real age, he is quite desperate. “This explains so much“ to him. Now he thinks that he knows the reason for having been an outsider all his school time. His sister Anita leaves home because of their overprotective mother who would not let her listen to her music and date boys, e.g.

Four years later, this music of “drugs and promiscuous sex“ should set him free. Following his idol Lester Bangs, he enters the world of rock journalism. 5

San Diego 1973

At the back entrance of the concert hall, he gets to know the members of the band Stillwater, who finally take him backstage. There he also meets Penny Lane and the other “band-aids“. For the first time in his life he feels like meeting soul mates; all being connected through their love for music. He gets an assignment to write an article on Stillwater for Rolling Stone. So he joins the band on their tour.

Stop 2: Tempe, Arizona

William tries to get his interview from Russell, but he is put off twice. His mother is very much concerned about his safety and keeps calling him every day. Russell is worried about how William‘s article might harm the image of the band. “Just make us look cool“, he begs. Russell offers him his friendship, perhaps just in order to be well off in the article. 5

Stop 3: Topeka

William feels that everything is too much for him. His idealistic picture of the music industry is shattered by the superficiality of the people involved. He is again the outsider; Jeff refers to him as “the enemy“. After a quarrel between Russell and Jeff, Russell quits the band. Together with William, he joins a “real-Topeka-people-party“. When the situation is about to get out of control, William tries to take over. He is the embodiment of reason. William knows that he has to be home for graduation, but he has not got the interview yet. The next morning, Russell joins the band again. 5

Stop 4: Greenville, Tennessee

William is worried about his article. He calls Lester Bangs for advice. He tries to get the story written, but the groupies have decided that the time has come to “deflower“ the kid. The next morning, Ben Fong Torres calls William and wants to know how the story is shaping. Ben is impressed by what William intends to write. His story is in consideration for the cover.

William cannot cope with this pressure. He recognises that he is alone, now that he faces a real problem. Though he is surrounded by so-called friends, no one helps him. 5

Stop 5: Cleveland

William‘s mother calls again. This time Russell speaks to her. She holds up a mirror to him, saying that her “son was not supposed to live in a world in which they throw away their diminished brain-cells like confetti“. Russell is troubled by her words.

The band is introduced to their new manager, who tells them about the harsh, commercial reality of the business. He persuades them to substitute their tour-bus Doris for an aeroplane. 5

Stop 6: Boston

At a poker game between the members of various bands (The Who, Humble Pie,..) Russell sells Penny for 50 $ and a case of Heineken. William is shocked by Russell‘s behaviour. Russell explains to him that this is part of the game and that nobody‘s feelings would get hurt. Penny thinks that Russell loves her, but William wants to prevent her from going to N.Y. by telling her about the deal. 5

Stop 7: New York

Ben calls William and tells him that his story would be the cover. Despite William‘s warnings, Penny Lane has come to N.Y. where she sees Russell with his girlfriend Lesley. When he denies knowing her, Penny runs away and tries to commit suicide by taking an overdose of pills. William comes to save her. He tells her that he loves her even though he knows that she would not remember a single word.

The next morning she opens up to him; even tells him her real name. 5

Stop 8: San Francisco

At the airport, William‘s and Stillwater‘s ways part. Russell tells him that he could write what he wanted. At the Rolling Stone offices, Ben is surprised by William‘s age. The story is still unfinished. William asks for one more night to work on it. He calls Lester in the middle of the night, who tells him that if he wants to be a true friend he has to be honest and unmerciful.

The next morning, Ben is fascinated by the “dark and lively“ story, until the fact checker tells him that the band has denied 90% of it. Russell was the one who denied it. William feels hurt, because he thought Russell to be his friend. At the airport, he meets his sister Anita. William takes her back home with him. 5

Stop 9: San Diego, back home

Elaine is happy that finally both her children are back home. Penny tricks Russell into going to William‘s place, where he reconciles with him.

Penny leaves for Morocco. 5