Film 1 Notes: Almost Famous

  • Crtiticize the film but also challenges of writing music critism as a critique

  • Mom opposed Simon and Garfield; opposed songs with promiscuous sex and drugs

  • Very conservative mom, banning her children from engaging in rock and roll, certain foods, profanity, Christmas, etc rejects anything that she believes could corrupt her children, leading to constant tension between her and her son as he explores his passion for music.

  • Sister leaves home to become a stewardess , seeking freedom from their mother's strict rules and embracing a lifestyle that contrasts sharply with her conservative values.

  • How many times the word cool is used in the film take note of that

    • twice

  • Sister left a bunch of albums from artists id assume the mother would not approve of under the kids bed

  • 1977 and William is now in teenager age and seems very interested in music watching music podcasts through the window talking about rock; i assume mom doesn’t know about this yet

  • William is a part of the school newspaper met this guy named lester bangs who is a well-known music critic. Lester becomes a mentor figure for William, encouraging him to pursue his passion for music journalism, and introducing him to the world of rock and roll.

  • William seems to be interested in going down the path of becoming a music journalist, which aligns with the themes of self-discovery and rebellion against his mother's more conservative values.

  • Cool gets mentioned again from Lester Bags William writes it down

  • William goes to this rock event where he has the chance to interview Black Sabbath.

  • William has trouble getting in to see black sabbath     

    • He runs into the band Stillwater but they dismiss him saying they sing for the fans not critics

    • William compliments the band and their music and they eventually accept him and let him in the back for interview

  • William seems to bond with Penny Lang

  • One of the band members seems interested in penny

  • they call William the enemy seem jokingly but he takes it in stride, knowing that this playful banter is part of their camaraderie.

  • The band invites him out to La to the righthouse for a special party, where William experiences the vibrant nightlife and the dynamics of being on tour with them.

  • Penny asked William to come and live in Morroco for 1 year he agrees

  • At the San Deigo Door William experiences a number a things that goes against what his mother had taught him about life and relationships, as he witnesses the unguarded moments of the band, pushing boundaries and redefining his understanding of personal freedom.

  • After the events of the San Diego Door, the rollingstone magazine calls him to cover stillwater for about 700-1grand

  • This opportunity marks a significant turning point in his journey as a writer, allowing him to dive deeper into the world of rock and roll while also grappling with the complexities of friendship, ambition, and the quest for identity.

  • He calls Lester for more advice and he says dont do this for friends, do it for yourself, urging him to follow his passion for writing and to prioritize his own voice above the opinions of others.

  • William goes on tour with stillwater on their band to cover them for rollingstone the mother agrees reluctantly but with demands of a certain number of calls everyday and again the line “no drugs”

  • Again the mother with the message “Dont take drugs”

  • Mother Elaine gets concerned called again and he vicibly upset now

  • Members of rock band seem so on edge and walk on eggshells around William

    • Were music journalists relationships really this tense and contentious during this time? If so is it still is today? or is the film’s potrayal an overexaggeration

  • Mom calls william shes upset and brought up graduation their agreement and how her children keeps leaving her early to indulged in things she banned

  • Band seems upset about the result of the t shirts

  • Band argues about responsibilities and role

  • Russel breaks out take a breather and goes on the search for something real with William

    • William opens up about himself a fan runs into russel and invitres him out to random party russel agrees in the search of something real

  • William still needs an interview with Russel

  • Mother seems to believe rockstars have kidnapped her son