Almost Famous

Almost Famous.
2000 DreamWorks Pictures and Columbia Pictures.
Starring: Patrick Fugit, Billy Crudup, Kate Hudson, Frances McDormand, Jason Lee, Phillip Seymour Hoffman, Fairuza Balk, Anna Paquin, Noah Taylor, Zooey Deschanel, Jimmy Fallon
Director: Cameron Crowe
Available from Amazon as a single DVD, or the "Untitled" directors' cut.

Cameron Crowe's 2000 semi-autobiographical film features a 15-year-old aspiring writer named William Miller (Fugit) who idolizes Lester Bangs (Hoffman) who lives with his overprotective mother Elaine (McDormand). William is unpopular with his peers, so he writes for underground papers about his love for rock music, and the record collection given to him by his older sister Anita (Deschanel), who left home because she could no longer cope with Elaine's beliefs. Bangs gives William a $35 assignment to review a Black Sabbath concert, and Lester advices him to "honest and unmerciful"...without mentioning how he can get into the show or meet the band. Unable to get into the arena, William meets a group of "Band-Aids", who are not "groupies". William strikes up a conversation with their leader, Penny Lane (Hudson), and he eventually does get backstage with the opening act, Stillwater. Their guitarist, Russell Hammond (Crudup), takes a liking to William.

Most of the story that follows sees William, who eventually gets a prime assignment for Rolling Stone trying to interview Russell, which usually never happens for whatever reason, even if Russell continually promises to talk to him "soon". William also develops a friendship with Penny Lane, who also has genuine feelings for Russell. William ends up spending more time on the road chasing this story than what he had promised his overprotective mother, who wanted him home "four days later".

Highly recommended movie.