4kUHD/Movie Review: Almost Famous

 

Almost Famous is a 2000 film starring Kate Hudson, Patrick Fugit, Billy Crudup, Anna Paquin, Jason Lee, Zooey Deschanel, Fairuza Balk, Philip Seymour Hoffman, and Frances McDormand. The movie is a semi-autobiographical story of the life of writer/director Cameron Crowe (who also wrote the screenplay for the great coming of age movie Fast Times at Ridgemont High and directed Jerry McGuire) about his time in the early 1970s as a writer for Rolling Stone, specifically about his time on the road with the Allman Brothers Band in 1973. 

In the movie, William Miller, played by Patrick Fugit, ends up on the road with a fictional band called Stillwater. The main band members were played by Jason Lee (who up to that point was mainly known as playing smartass characters in Kevin Smith's movies) as lead singer Jeff Bebe and Billy Crudup as lead guitarist Russell Hammond. Miller ends up joining the band on tour (basically dropping out of his senior year of high school at age 15) and has unparalleled access to the band despite being the "Enemy" as a journalist. The band is also followed by Band-Aids (basically glorified groupies) led by Penny Lane (played by Kate Hudson in her first major role), Anna Paquin, and Fairuza Balk. The movie sports an A-list supporting cast, including Frances McDormand as William's overbearing mother, Zooey Deschanel as William's sister, and Philip Seymour Hoffman as Lester Bangs. Actors who would later become recognizable, if not A-Listers themselves, such as Eric Stonestreet (best known for his role on Modern Family) and Jay Baruchel, also appear. Jimmy Fallon appears in what amounts to a great, extended cameo role. 

The movie basically gives an insider's look at the rock scene at the time and does not sugarcoat the sex and drugs that went along with it. The film boasts a fantastic soundtrack that any fan of 1970s music will appreciate. The acting and writing are both top-notch, and despite being a now 20-year-old movie (as of this writing) that is essentially a period piece set almost 30 years before the film was made, it holds up well. Hudson was great as Penny Lane, making her both mysterious and vulnerable simultaneously, and Fugit does a great job playing William despite being very young. 

The 4k-UHD remaster looks and sounds great. There are two 4K-UHD discs, one with the theatrical version of the movie and the extras, and one with the Bootleg cut (that adds over half an hour of extra footage). The first disc includes the original extras in the DVD release and new material made during 2019, including an interview with Cameron Crowe from his yard during the pandemic, where he shares his view of the movie now 20+ years later. All in all, there are about two hours' worth of extras, the longest feature being the original making-of featurette that clocked in at about 25 minutes.  

Overall, the movie is wonderful, and this set is a must for anyone who is a fan of the film, especially if you love bonus features. Some people like the bootleg cut more than the theatrical version. While I think the scenes in the bootleg cut added somewhat to the overall story, I would not say it was significantly better than the theatrical cut. They are both outstanding. It is definitely worth the pickup.