Almost Famous was a life-changing event for me. It's the story of the band Stillwater, an up-and-coming rock group in the 1970s, and the young journalist who followed them around the country trying to get an interview.

I adore the film on almost every level; from its super-sentimentality to the insider look at an emerging rock band, the flick has something for almost everyone. The dialogue really shines, though, and like every Cameron Crowe film you can watch it over and over and get new nuances in every scene. Let's take a look at the sparkling lines you can start using on your hapless friends.

Oh, and if you want to refresh with the trailer click here

First off, people forget that Jimmy Fallon had a bit part in Almost Famous as a hard-charging music rep. He launches zinger after zinger at the boys in the band, culminating with this beauty:

Dennis Hope: If you think that Mick Jagger will still be doing the whole rock star thing at age fifty, well, then, you are sorely, sorely mistaken.

Nice! Next up, the year was 1973 and the technology level allowed for more divergent storylines than you'd find today. For instance, you couldn't get a hold of someone over cell phone. You had to physically mail stories to giant publications like Rolling Stone. Enter young William trying to beat a deadline while dealing with the crazed rock-band scene. Luckily our Rolling Stone brothers throw him a way to get the piece submitted in time:

Ben Fong-Torres: It's called a Mo-Jo, it's a very high-tech machine that transmits pages over the telephone! It only takes eighteen minutes a page!

The amazing Phil Seymour Hoffman shares some screen time with our protagonist William as longtime rock writer Lester Bangs. Lester interviews William to see if he can use him in his magazine, and he gets to throw out a quip about high -chool popularity in the process.

Lester Bangs: So, you're the one who's been sending me those articles from your school newspaper.
William Miller: I've been doing some stuff for a local underground paper, too.
Lester Bangs: What, are you like the star of your school?
William Miller: They hate me.
Lester Bangs: You'll meet them all again on their long journey to the middle.

When William goes on the road with the band Stillwater, his journalistic integrity starts slipping away. Luckily Lester is there again to steer him back on the right path.

Lester Bangs: Aw, man. You made friends with them. See, friendship is the booze they feed you. They want you to get drunk on feeling like you belong.
William Miller: Well, it was fun.
Lester Bangs: They make you feel cool. And hey. I met you. You are not cool.
William Miller: I know. Even when I thought I was, I knew I wasn't.
Lester Bangs: That's because we're uncool. And while women will always be a problem for us, most of the great art in the world is about that very same problem. Good-looking people don't have any spine. Their art never lasts. They get the girls, but we're smarter.

William's highly protective mother is played with great aplomb (not just regular aplomb, great aplomb) by Frances McDormand of Fargo fame. Read as she checks up on him, gets worried, and then endures a rambling explanation/excuse/denial from one of the band's female followers.

Elaine Miller: May I speak with William, please?
Sapphire: He's not here. I think he's in the bar with the band. They just got back from the radio station. Is this Maryann with the pot? Hello?
Elaine Miller: No, this isn't Maryann with the pot. This is Elaine. His mother. Could you please give him a message? Could you tell him to call home immediately? And could you also tell him, I KNOW WHAT'S GOING ON.
Sapphire: All right. But I'm just going to say this, and I'm going to stand by it: you should be really proud of him. 'Cause I know guys, and I'll bet you do too. And he respects women, and he likes women, and let's just pause and appreciate a man like that. You created him out of thin air, and you raised him right, and we're all looking out for him. He's doing a great job, and don't worry, he's still a virgin. And that's more than I've ever said to my own parents, so there you go. (pause) This is the maid speaking, by the way.

The enigmatic Russell Hammond is played by Billy Crudup. He's the band's lead guitarist, and he's dealing with his rise to stardom with varying degrees of success. Russell and William head to a party, and Russell proceeds to do a fair amount of acid. On the illicit substance he of course has some eye-opening thoughts to share:

Russell Hammond: You, Aaron, are what it's all about. You're real. Your room is real. Your friends are real. Real, man, real. You know? Real. You're more important than all the silly machinery. Silly machinery. And you know it! In eleven years its going to be 1984, man. Think about that!
Aaron: Wanna see me feed a mouse to my snake?
Russell Hammond: Yes.

The running plot of the movie is William's Rolling Stone story on Stillwater. He never seems to get the interview, but Russell does his best to give him a nice quote.

Russell Hammond: And you can tell Rolling Stone magazine that my last words were ... I'm on drugs!

And with that I'll let you get back to your holiday weekend. Maybe you should think about popping in your Almost Famous extended cut DVD, eh?

---------------------------------------

Quotable Big Lebowski

Quotable Grosse Pointe Blank

Quotable Usual Suspects

Recommend (0)

|  Comments (0)

|  Email

|  Share

Share  Facebook Digg del.icio.us