Almost Famous

Most movies have a composed score. Only several times does a movie have its own personal soundtrack (ie, High Fidelity, Trainspotting).

William Miller (Patrick Fugit) is a fifteen-year-old who is hired by Rolling Stone to tour with and write about up-and-coming band Stillwater. During the tour, William learns about love, life and music.

Knowing Cameron Crowe had based Almost Famous off his own experiences as a writer for Rolling Stone gives the movie a more personal feel to it. The acting is just great; Frances McDormand plays William's over concerned mother at the right level, Kate Hudson has a nice dramatic role (which is something she should be doing rather than bad romantic comedies), and Billy Crudup is awesome as Stillwater's lead guitarist. But I loved Fugit's performance more. He's the most sympathetic in the entire movie. As well as stellar acting, you got a schweet soundtrack and a cool flashback to the 1970's. Oh, and it'll leave a warm, fuzzy feeling when it's over. Well, it did for me anyway.

My Rating: *****

Jerry Maguire

Now and then, it's hard to find a movie that both men and women will be willing to watch. But there are a few diamonds in the rough, one of them being Jerry Maguire.

After suffering a nervous breakdown from stress and a guilty conscience, sports agent Jerry Maguire (Tom Cruise) ends up writing a mission statement on dishonesty in the sports management business and how he feels it should be run. His co-workers greet him with applause the next business day, although some are planning to fire him. That happens, and Jerry's competing with Bob Sugar (Jay Mohr), a co-worker, to get more clients. Jerry can only get through to Rod Tidwell (Cuba Gooding, Jr.), the wide receiver for the Arizona Cardinals who finds his contract inferior to his teammates'. After his chat with Rod, Jerry announces he's starting his own agency, and the only person that goes with him is single mother Dorothy Boyd (Renee Zellweger).

The movie had its moments, most of them with Gooding. And, of course, it's unbelievably quotable. Oh, as if you haven't said "Show me the money!" at least once in your lifetime.


My Rating: ****1/2