Almost Famous

Writer-director Cameron Crowe's fond fictionalized account of his first assignment for Rolling Stone as a 15-year-old cub reporter is a born crowd-pleaser honed into an entertaining cinematic paragon of rock 'n' roll that boasts sharp performances from a sublime cast, speaking page after page of Crowe's unique brand of eminently quotable, yet seemingly true-to-life dialogue. Newcomer Patrick Fugit carries the film as Crowe's wide-eyed alter ego on tour with his favorite band. While it's a bit squeaky-clean for a movie about sex, drugs and rock 'n' roll, and loses its way during the last half-hour, this is also a vividly realized labor of love and an absolute pleasure to watch. Almost Famous' top-notch cast includes Kate Hudson as a groupie, Frances McDormand as Fugit's nervous mom (both Hudson and McDormand are up for Best Supporting Actress), Philip Seymour Hoffman as his journalistic mentor, and Billy Crudup and Jason Lee as members of the band. Recommended. (R. Blackwelder)