To experience Crowe’s music tastes all it takes is a rental of any of his films, from Say Anything to Vanilla Sky; even films where he penned the story, the echoes of his musical tastes are deeply set in the heart of each. Whatever the level of involvement, any film that Crowe makes is a visceral film; you can watch it, hear it, and it consumes you and you are in the moment with the characters. Perhaps the greatest example of Crowe’s directorial skills and his love for music shines through the Academy Award winning Almost Famous, a personal film about a rock journalist who experiences life while on the road with the band Stillwater.

Almost Famous is an extremely personal film and you can feel it throughout. Everyone I have talked to has walked away from the film with different experiences, but it is universally well received from just about everyone, and with just cause. The film is well written, tightly directed, features exceptional performances, and an unbelievably perfect soundtrack.

The story in the film was easy for me to relate to, and I’d imagine that anyone who ever had a dream or a strong ambition to accomplish something will find it very easy to relate to the main character Will, played by Patrick Fugit. He delivers a great performance as he experiences life on the road with the band. All the grand illusions of rock and roll that have been built up in his mind are quickly and efficiently stripped down as he experiences sex, drugs, love and most importantly life. Who hasn’t dreamt of an ideal career where not everything ends up as glamorous as it had seemed, but no matter how bad it is it’s the lessons that we learn that end up meaning the most to us.
All the performances are great in the film, from Kate Hudson to Jason Lee, everyone nails there performances perfectly and makes Crowe’s dialogue come to life spectacularly. The rock stars feel, look, and sound like, well, rock stars and the pretentious, domineering mother is played pitch perfect by Francis McDormand. Every character feels so alive and it only helps give the film a radiant brilliance.

No matter how good the movie is it’s really about the music, man. That is what it boils down to for all the characters. Music is everything, and it helps make the film a wonderful experience. The love for the music is contagious as are the experiences, fun, and tears that are portrayed by the characters. Each song is specifically chosen for this purpose. The use of Elton John’s Tiny Dancer is such a visceral moment you want to sing along with the cast because it is that easy to get caught up in the moment.

Almost Famous is filled with these moments and shared experiences. It is impossible to walk away from this film without feeling some connection to the experiences of the characters; like us, they all have dreams. I think it was because of this that Crowe wanted to originally call the film Untitled, because everyone will come away from the film with unique impressions of what they have just seen and it will have a different message and meaning. How many films can accomplish that?