Almost Famous

RATING: R STARRING: Patrick Fugit, Billy Crudup, Kate Hud%on, Frances McDormand,, Jason Lee, Anna Oaquin, and Philip Seymour Hoffman

DIRECTOR: Cameron Crowe

DISTRIBUTOR: DreamWorks Pictures

GENRE: Comedy/Satire

INTENDED AUDIENCE: Teenagers and adults

SUMMARY: Almost Famous is about screenwriter and director Cameron Crowe's days as a 15-year-old rock journalist for Rolling Stone magazine. The protagonist, 15-year-old William Miller, lives with his single mother, but is smart enough to be nearing his high-school graduation. Against her better judgment, William's mother allows him to go on a lucrative assignment from the prestigious Rolling Stone magazine, to tour with a new band called Stillwater. For the most part, William retains his mother's sense of moral integrity and develops close friendships with the lead guitarist and a young female groupie. In the process, William comes of age, dark truths are revealed, and everyone learns some life lessons.

The subject matter of Almost Famous is problematic, but the director does not focus on the sleazier aspects of the wild life of a rock band, including the strong foul language. He is more interested in the redemptive aspects of his movie. In fact, the most important lesson William learns is that having moral integrity is better than trying to be "cool" like the rock stars he idolizes. Ultimately, Almost Famous is a very entertaining, insightful piece, which is marred by some.very objectionable elements.

CONTENT: Moral worldview stressing integrity, with redemptive elements including brief references to Jesus and God in a couple songs on the soundtrack, and pagan elements depicting wild rock's roll milieu in a slightly satirical fashion; at least 31 mostly strong obscenities, 10 mild profanities and I strong profanity plus some obscene gestures and implied vomiting; mild violence; vaguely implied fornication amid depicted revelry, groupies decide to "deflower" 15year-old and reference to oral sex; brief upper-male and female nudity; alcohol use depicted; smoking, brief marijuana use, man takes LSD and jumps into pool from roof, and woman overdoses on pills but a friend tries to save her life; and adultery, lying 'and teenage rebellion.

Copyright Human Events Publishing, Inc. Sep 29, 2000
Provided by ProQuest Information and Learning Company. All rights Reserved