Paper Two, Andrew Damiter

Well, this is a bit of a mess. Made sense at the time (read: early morning hours).

Fame is a subjective concept, insomuch as it depends on who’s looking at it. What fame means to the rising movie star differs from the ideas of the young boy enchanted by what he sees on a movie screen. From a neutral perspective it might be easy to figure out where everyone fits in the puzzle, but when all of the pieces are thrown together with no regard to placement, things don’t always work themselves out neatly. In Cameron Crowe’s “Almost Famous,” people from all different fame perspectives are brought together in what becomes a thoroughly detailed exploration of the impact of fame.

“Almost Famous” follows a young William Miller (Patrick Fugit) as he takes on the overwhelming task of writing an article exploring the inner workings of the up-and-coming band Stillwater. Before even bringing the band into the picture, a tour through William’s childhood reveals a lot about what fame can do. His mother, Elaine (Frances McDormand), a college professor, bans all rock music from the house and attempts to raise William in a world free of temptation and commercialization. William’s sister, Anita (Zooey Deschanel), is the rebellious youth that leaves home at 18 to become a stewardess and leaves behind all of her music records for William. William, having little to no connection with the musical generation of his age, becomes completely absorbed by what he hears.

And so begins William’s journey into the trenches of fame, where he takes part in a war with inconsistent sides. William views the musicians he sets out to interview as can-do-no-wrong idols. When he first comes in contact with the members of Stillwater, they brush him off as “the enemy,” a nickname that sticks for the remainder of the film, and he replies with compliments. The environment is so foreign to him that he can’t even bring himself to put down, if only to himself, the “band-aids” he meets outside the backstage entrance.

Penny Lane (Kate Hudson), who firmly states that she is far from a groupie, becomes William’s liaison to the world of musical fame. Penny’s character is interesting because she believes she is free of the influences of the celebrity world and is merely there to support the music. This is of course her excuse to chase around Stillwater member Russell Hammond (Billy Crudup), but it becomes obvious that parts of her truly believe she exists outside the accepted rules. It isn’t until late in the film when William finally comes to terms with the reality of fame that she herself has the same epiphany during the aftermath of her suicide attempt.

It is the direct and indirect actions between Penny and William that really show the diverse perspectives that exist within the presented spheres of fame. Russell is a major influence on their relationship, but the best examples of evolving perspectives come during scenes involving just the two of them. William puts Penny up on a pedestal like a divine being he can’t help but worship. During the course of the film her armor begins to show chinks and he realizes she is much more human than she lets on. It’s interesting to see how William shifts his idolizing from the musicians to Penny when he begins to become less of a fan and more of a friend, and then to watch his opinion of Penny slowly slip.

The dynamic between William and magazine editor Lester Bangs (Philip Seymour Hoffman) is interesting, as it plays a part in William’s other developing relationships. Lester is more or less against anything popular and advises William to not make friends and to be as unmerciful as possible. His outlooks and advice are sound, but they lack consideration for human emotion. No matter what William is told he cannot bring himself to remain either just a writer or just a fan. When the people he idolizes begin to do things he does not agree with, like Russell’s inconsistent treatment of Penny, he begins to see them as fallible humans and that makes it much easier for him to befriend them rather than admire them. This extends to Penny as well. Were William only to see her at concerts and not in more intimate settings he likely would have continued idolizing her.

While these characters are on the outside looking in, the members of Stillwater are on the inside looking out and as such have a much different view of things. Lead singer Jeff Bebe (Jason Lee) likes to think he does everything for the thrill of the music, but his commercial interests run deep. Russell on the other hand is genuinely interested in how his music is received, but maintains an aura of selfishness that is difficult to see through. The best example of their differing viewpoints colliding is during a scene in which their manager presents them with a misprinted t-shirt. Russell blows it off as no big deal while Jeff takes the mistake to heart. The differing opinions do not mesh well and a verbal altercation ensues. William also snags the t-shirt when the band leaves the room, since at that point he still viewed the band as something to look up to.

While the relationship between William and Penny emphasizes the constantly changing perspectives, it is the relationship between William and Russell that highlights the acceptance of this change. When both attend a party at a random fan’s house and William must cope with an acid-tripping Russell, a new type of relationship is born. It is at this time that William comes to accept the musicians he is traveling with as more normal than he originally thought and thus he begins to look at them with a more critical eye, albeit in a well-mannered way.

What this event also highlights is the portrayal of the everyday fan. Russell is the only celebrity at the party and he is more or less worshipped by the other attendees. He tells them stories, drinks with them and indulges in drugs with them. The fans only know him as Russell of Stillwater, and this chance encounter only heightens their admiration for him. “He’s just like us!” they likely proclaim during later discussions. By being able to relate to a celebrity in any way it makes them feel more like celebrities themselves, which raises their self esteem and increases the celebrity’s status in their collective eyes.

And it is through the eyes of the fans that the film’s true concept of fame is born. Through Russell’s fall from grace, Penny’s journey through love, suicide and understanding and the humanizing of William’s idols, we find that fame only truly exists within the detached. The legions of fans that chant with the chorus of a song and sway hypnotically through a ballad are the ones that dictate who gets to be famous. It is the obsessed, pen-wielding fan patrolling the halls of a celebrity hotel that showcases just how much influence someone can have even when the person they really are isn’t fully understood. Were the person behind the celebrity revealed, opinions might change. They might still be famous, but for different reasons – reasons the celebrity may not like. This is something we see a lot of within modern day celebrity culture.

Fame isn’t interesting; the people behind fame are interesting. William looked up to people like Russell, but he didn’t really know the real Russell. When Russell walked into William’s home, Anita was awestruck and reacted as one would expect a surprised fan to act. William? He knew Russell, and his reaction to Russell’s arrival was that of a friend and not of a fan. Fame is about appearances. Dig a little deeper and you’ll find a much more interesting story. Will it shatter perceptions? Probably. Is that a bad thing? That’s subjective. “Just make us look cool,” Russell spoke to William early on. That, in a nutshell, is the foundation of fame.