The Truth About How Kate Hudson Was Cast In 'Almost Famous' - TheThings I think Cameron threw out 'I want to go home' to William, and I just said 'you are home' [laughs]. It was very well-written. On March 2, 2011, the documentary was announced to open the 2011 Tribeca Film Festival. The film starred newcomer Patrick Fugit as William Miller, the baby-faced writer who finds himself immersed in the world of sex, drugs, and rock-and-roll, and Kate Hudson co-starred as Penny Lane, a prominent groupie, or, as the film refers to her, a "Band-Aid". I remember when he told me that, I was kind of blown away. "I have this [real] picture of her with her first real serious boyfriend, she's leaving the house and is so anxious to get out she leaves with curlers in her hair," he explains. That was a very important moment for Cameron." [20], In 2000, Crowe used his music journalism experience roots to write and direct Almost Famous, about the experiences of a teenage music journalist who goes on the road with an emerging band in the early 1970s. It gives me chills thinking about it. Consider this your backstage pass for one of the greatest rock movies ever made. Their twin sons were born in January 2000. "She called me over the weekend right as we were starting to film," he says. Not to mention memorable turns from Frances McDormand, the late Philip Seymour Hoffman, Anna Paquin, Jason Lee, Zooey Deschanel, and the rest of the film's starry cast. "He was super focused on his career, which was a good career," she says. Behind them is Kelly Curtis, Pearl Jam's manager and a longtime friend of Crowe's. "She and her sister [Ann] are aficionados of the 1970s, so if I told her . "It's very true," acknowledged Cameron Crowe, himself the father of two sons. [38] The film's final title was Aloha and it was released on May 29, 2015, by Sony Pictures to negative critical reviews. Though he would continue to freelance for Rolling Stone on and off over the years, he turned his attention to a book. ", Filmmaker Nida Manzoor (We Are Lady Parts) mixes action and comedy in this uplifting tale of an aspiring stuntwoman played by a delightful Priya Kansara, Writer-director Kelly Fremon Craigs adaptation, starring Abby Ryder Fortson and Rachel McAdams, captures spirit of the classic book and reveals how contemporary it remains, Saim Sadiqs excellent debut feature tells the story of a Lahore family and a transgender dancer chafing against social and religious norms, George Tillman Jr.s overly polished biopic about the boxer and pop culture figure stars Khris Davis and Forest Whitaker, Filmmaker Hershey Felder took local students to the Auschwitz and Birkenau camps in Poland to film the documentary, Sam Raimis seminal slasher franchise is revived more than 40 years after the original with gore, glee and an L.A. setting, Privacy PolicyTerms of ServiceSign Up For Our NewslettersSite Map, Copyright 2023, The San Diego Union-Tribune |, Do Not Sell or Share My Personal Information, 'Zoo' director Cameron Crowe on film & San Diego, Matt Swanson is San Diegos globe-trotting uncommon denominator between Eric Clapton and Jason Mraz, Eric Clapton and Nathan East endorse Cream of Clapton Band, which features Easts son and Claptons nephew, Music Notebook: Jake Shimabukuro at Belly Up, Kool & The Gang and Kinky at SoCal Taco Fest, Goose at SDSU, San Diego Music Awards: Top winners are Gilbert Castellanos, Jeff Berkley and Joshua Taylor, Appreciation: Harry Belafonte, dead at 96, championed Long Road to Freedom in his music and his life. ), Adds Crudup, "Hearing the first chords of the song that we're playing, the lights go up and it's 1,500 people at the Palladium they let out a scream and I mean, instantly, you know why rock stars go crazy. But I think our relationship became more about the work than about a real relationship, and we lost track of each other inside the work.". Simon & Schuster gave him a contract, and he moved back in with his parents and enrolled as Dave Cameron at Clairemont High School in San Diego. During production, bands like Nirvana were not yet national stars, but by the time the soundtrack was released, their song "Smells Like Teen Spirit" had to be cut from the film because it was too costly to buy the rights. It received mixed reviews. [13], His book, Fast Times at Ridgemont High: A True Story, came out in 1981. Other Works | Publicity Listings | Official Sites. The project resurfaced in 2013. Cameron Crowe was born in Palm Springs, California. In that audience is Alice Marie herself, playing a minor role as an aunt, guffawing along with everyone else. "That's when you know that you're on the right track, when people slip into their characters and the characters get to relate to each other in the script, and somehow it works in life as well." But director Cameron Crowe didn't even want Hudson to audition for Penny Lane as he just saw her as the sister, according to Hudson. Crowe and his then-wife, musician Nancy Wilson of Heart, co-wrote three of the five Stillwater songs in the film, and Frampton wrote the other two, with Mike McCready from Pearl Jam playing lead guitar on all of the Stillwater songs. "It was literally like filming a mini concert. Singles: Directed by Cameron Crowe. Guess which one I used.' '", The film got some real-world rock star advice from Peter Frampton, who served as technical adviser and taught Crudup to play guitar. You're the only person that can do it the way that it needs to be done, who will ache with a love of music.' She earned her Bachelors in Broadcast Journalism at the University of Southern California and has been seen on Good Morning America. Crowe followed Almost Famous with the psychological thriller Vanilla Sky in 2001. Cameron Bruce Crowe was born in Palm Springs, California, to Alice Marie Crowe (ne George), a teacher and activist, and James A. Crowe, a real estate/telephone business owner. "He was sort of silently sweating and just crushing the scene after scene." "What really resonated with me, there is purposefully a chair left open at the table for William's father. Writer: Almost Famous. He was amazing," recalls Fugit. *She and her older sister Ann Wilson are the core of the Seattle/Vancouver rock band Heart. I think it brings people hope. On June 26, 2016, Crowe's comedy-drama series Roadies premiered on the Showtime television channel. As for the way Crowe's framing her face, Deschanel says, "he's either telling me he's going to do a closeup or we were mugging for the still photographer and he's pretending to be a director framing my face." But that hasnt been the case with later Crowe heroines, who often seem more like magical beings sent to earth to save our aching hero, armed with fistfuls of quirk, humor, and (usually) blond highlights. After all the ups and downs, Wilson is grateful life brought her to Bywater, whom she met through her manager and reconnected with in 2011. ", "I think Patrick is just being very William Miller off camera here," says Crowe, of this on-set break with Fugit. (Another Easter egg: Standing next to Alice is actor Charles Walker, who played the principal inSay Anything. It was way scary. Curtis Crowe (niece or nephew) Cameron Crowe (sibling) Trivia (1) Former sister-in-law of singer-songwriter Nancy Wilson. Reviews were almost universally positive, and it was nominated for and won a host of film awards, including an Academy Award for Best Original Screenplay for Crowe. I told him, 'Don't pick me up. Because that was the thing about the music I loved, and the movies I loved. But as a confessionalist, hes too protective, always willing to embarrass himself while lionizing everyone else, whether it be a rock band, a mentor, or his mother. "I think we all stepped into our characters," he says. ", Deschanel (here with cinematographer John Toll), is seen filming the moment where Anita leaves home but not before giving some parting gifts (records) and words of wisdom ("One day, you'll be cool") to her younger brother. Crowe commented that Indio was where "people owned tortoises, not dogs". ", "This was a big scene that we shot part of in the exterior in Santa Monica [standing in for San Diego], and then part of in a studio in Manhattan Beach," Deschanel says of this moment with Crowe. " I'll say: 'No, but it's funny.' ", According to Preston, the Almost Famous shoot was "like a rock tour for three months except for the fact that we had call sheets. In fact, Alice Crowe came up with one of the first lines in "Zoo," after reading an article about Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez and sharing it with her son, who created and wrote an entire scene around it. In the end, Nancy realized it "was just not meant to be," and she and Crowe made the decision to separate in 2008. "When he would come on set, Cameron would have us all hang out because we're all basically three versions of the same person. "There's Patrick easing into William, hanging onto the bag for dear life," says Crowe. See also. [18][19] Cruise won his second Golden Globe for his role as Jerry. ", "Cameron loved 'To Kill a Mockingbird' and I always hoped he would be a lawyer," she said. It's the same vibe. Halle Bailey, Melissa McCarthy, and director Rob Marshall share the tale behind making their underwater musical with a groundbreaking Disney princess. This, in itself, isnt strange: The Zucker Brothers slip their mother, Charlotte, into most of their films, and Rob Reiners mother delivered the classic When Harry Met Sally one-liner that followed Meg Ryans fake orgasm: Ill have what shes having. Alice Maries appearances have been less remarkable. Seventies rocker Peter Frampton served as a technical consultant on the film.[21]. Almost Famous (2000) - IMDb '", Hudson and Preston took this photo during a break from filming. Slate is published by The Slate "She's an amazing collaborator, she's so sharp," Cameron Crowe said of his mother, who has made a cameo appearance in every movie her son has written and directed, except "Say Anything," his first. Yet while William's intentions may be heartfelt, Fugit notes the moment's creepy undertones. That same year, Nancy appeared in the then-fledgling screenwriter's coming-of-age film Fast Times at Ridgemont High. Later he wrote and directed another high school film, Say Anything (1989), followed by Singles (1992), a story of twentysomethings which was woven together with a soundtrack centering on Seattle's burgeoning grunge music scene. But despite Sarandons charm, Holly is easily the weakest of the characters Alice Marie has inspired. (From the director himself: "I was just jumping up and down on that very porch when I saw that we'd gotten it, because those are the moments that are important and they're out of real life, too. As for the mothers, theyre fierce, unstoppable survivors. Elizabethtown is a 2005 American romantic tragicomedy film written and directed by Cameron Crowe and distributed by Paramount Pictures. They had this big, open window there where they would display the latest great album that had come in. "We were in Sacramento, I believe, and oh my God, it was so hot. Review: Girl power and freaky evil collide to make Polite Society a rowdy good time, Review: Are You There God? "[Penny's line] 'You are home' wasn't even written, and I can't remember if that was an ad lib of mine or if Cameron threw that out to me, but it wasn't a line [in the script]. ", "It was as much of a moment for us as people and as a cast, what it is to be a circus together when you're making a movie," Hudson shares. Almost Famous Billy Crudup and Kate Hudson, Almost Famous Cameron Crowe and Kate Hudson, Almost Famous Cameron Crowe and Patrick Fugit, Almost Famous Philip Seymour Hoffman and Patrick Fugit, Almost Famous- Philip Seymour Hoffman, Cameron Crowe and Patrick Fugit, Almost Famous Patrick Fugit, Anna Paquin and Cameron Crowe, Almost Famous- behind the scenes with the cast, Jimbo hilariously recalls stealing an (unconfirmed) 'lock of RuPaul's hair' before, Naysha Lopez hilariously previews 'fashion' and 'some ugly stuff' on. And, I did. "The experience of it was just like no other, we really did become a family and Cameron was inspiring I still remember things that he said. And he's exploiting it, but it leaves us resentful and understanding and hateful and charmed, which is one of Cameron's great gifts. ", "This is the Hyatt House scene," says Crowe. ", Hoffman (left) gave one of his most memorable performances as Lester Bangs impressive, considering he had the flu when he shot his scenes. [41] Crowe stated in 2005 that the film was unlikely to be made due to the murder of Lana Clarkson, which Spector was convicted of. The part of his mother is played in the film by Frances McDormand. [17] Rene Zellweger appeared as an accountant who sets aside her job security to follow Maguire's charismatic moral aspiration in both work and love. ", They wed in 2012, and "between his kids and mine, we're like the Brady Bunch," Nancy says of Bywater, who has four children with his ex-wife. Alice Crowe, a retired San Diego City College professor and guidance counselor, plays down her role as a crucial sounding board for her son. The Slate Group LLC. And he hired me. Say Anything - Wikipedia Cameron Crowe was introduced to rock 'n' roll by his older sister, Cindy. I think we were playing [Simon and Garfunkel's] 'America' on set and it was like the marriage made in heaven. Much of this was due to repeated delays while studio executives debated how to market it. My sister and I lobbied hard, assuring them that drugs and promiscuous sex were not what our music was about. "He's like, 'It's great that you're here. He completely is the spirit of the real guy, Ric Munoz. "It was really great to bring Ben and David to the set," says Crowe, of the recreated Rolling Stone offices. He had to get that right. [22] The film, starring Tom Cruise, Penlope Cruz and Cameron Diaz, received mixed reviews, yet managed to gross $100.6million at the US box office, making it his second highest grossing directorial effort behind Jerry Maguire (1996). And then, of course, there was Alice Maries fictional counterpart in Almost Famous, Elaine Miller, played by the divine Frances McDormand as a no-nonsense mama bear. "It's a healthy, full-blooded relationship. "[12], When Rolling Stone moved its offices from California to New York in 1977, Crowe decided to stay behind. "My mom and (veteran film director) James L. Brooks have been my biggest influences as screenwriters, because they're both so invested in the privilege of storytelling. Cameron Crowe is rummaging through an upstairs nook in his Los Angeles-area home that he affectionately calls "The. She was a scrappy Gal Friday with a modern twist, in the form of her precocious son. They're looking at me that way people look at you: 'Why do you think we look alike? "I turned down two pretty big parts at that time to work with Cameron. "I think the shelf life on what we were trying to do in the movie with that scene has expired," he says. But Famous remains as captivating as ever. ", Jimmy Fallon, another member of the movie's all-star supporting cast, played Dennis Hope, who becomes Stillwater's manager once the band's profile begins to rise. "Our natural closeness kicked right in again like clockwork.". "I tell him I'm not (like) the average audience, because I love art films. Their mother, appalled by the misogyny in some song lyrics, did not allow rock records in the Crowe family home. William Miller's mother figured prominently in the film as well (often admonishing, "Don't take drugs!"). And it's just Cameron. Both mother and son laughingly recall how she had to drag him to see "Hamlet" at the Old Globe Theatre in Balboa Park, when he was 11 or 12. Bradley Cooper, Emma Stone, Rachel McAdams, Alec Baldwin, Bill Murray, John Krasinski and Danny McBride joined the cast of the film; filming began in Hawaii in September 2013. But I'm I'm very proud of him. "I do read his scripts," she allowed. "We have a moment setting up where Frampton is just going to fing let it rip and show us that yes, this very generous, gentlemanly, helpful guy is actually also Peter fing Frampton. I auditioned again, and then again and then again, and finally, Gail [Levin], the casting director, said to Cameron, 'Okay, enough, we're not auditioning Kate anymore, just hire her!' We'd talk a lot of details of Almost Famous." He also directed three musical documentaries, Pearl Jam Twenty (2011), The Union (2011), and David Crosby: Remember My Name (2019), and created the television series Roadies, which ran for one season in 2016 on Showtime. He also appeared in this project, as a rock journalist at a club. At the beginning of the Almost Famous DVD, Crowe announces, after introducing his mother, Were gonna go for the embarrassingly personal approach. '", Crowe says that scene replicated a real moment with his sister. Drew just lost his job and his vain girlfriend,. Cameron Crowe. Cameron Crowe Movies - IMDb That's the magic of Kate." "And I was from a family where my mom and dad were such devoted people. This included scenes about homecoming and graduation as well as social cliques and sexual encounters.[13]. The year is 1973, a precocious 15-year-old journalist is on tour with America's hottest rock band, and he's about to get the story of his life. He chronicled their activities in typical teenage settingsat school, at the beach, and at the mall, where many of them held afterschool jobsand concentrated on details of their lives that probed into the heart of adolescence. William Miller "The two women who are looking in the window, that was a record store that I used to go to. "When I arrived at the hospital to meet them, it was just an unbelievable, magical, beautiful thing," she says. Crowe, Cameron | Encyclopedia.com Nancy Wilson Personal Details: Date Of Birth: 16 March 1954 . "He'd send them to the Los Angeles Times and Creem (magazine)," she said. "), William's exploits with Stillwater force him to miss his high-school graduation much to the dismay of his mother, who silently seethes in the crowd when her son fails to materialize. Crowe began writing for the school newspaper and by the age of 13 was contributing music reviews for an underground publication, The San Diego Door. July 23, 1986 - December 8, 2010 (divorced, 2 children), Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers: Playback. A version of this story appears in the September 2020 issue of Entertainment Weekly. (Hudson's take: "That picture of me and Cameron embodies me and Cameron. "If everything that Lester Bangs has taught William is actually true, in that moment we're seeing it play out. The pilot episode was written and directed by Crowe, as well as the series finale. Completely stressful but what I got a lot of joy over, and still do, is showing Patrick how much fun it is to make a movie. The 50 greatest TV and movie detectives of all time. His next project, 1992's Singles, described the romantic tangles among a group of six friends in their twenties in Seattle. New Again: Tom Cruise and Cameron Crowe - Interview Magazine "That is what Lester was wearing when I first met him," says Crowe, of the Guess Who shirt Hoffman has on. When he walked in, he became the music editor of Rolling Stone. At. That's not Russell. "Cameron wanted Kate Hudson and the girls to come in and watch us perform," adds Lee. ", "They had to have production art for the albums that were going to be props on set," Crudup (top, with John Fedevich as Ed Vallencourt, Lee as lead singer Jeff Bebe, and Mark Kozelek's Larry Fellows) recalls of this early Stillwater shot. 2023 And she happily takes credit for his lifelong love of music. "And then she'd want to wait around, after the plays, and congratulate the actors. In November 2009, he began filming a behind-the-scenes look at the creation of the album The Union, a collaboration between musicians Elton John and Leon Russell produced by award-winning producer T-Bone Burnett. @CameronCrowe. [1] Its story follows a young shoe designer, Drew Baylor, who is fired from his job after costing his company an industry record of nearly one billion dollars. How is it that William is going to express his love for this woman? Copyright 2023 Meredith Corporation. In addition to promoting her new debut solo album You and Me released last week, she plans to head back on tour with Heart next year, and a biopic about the Wilson sisters is in the works. I went across the street and watched the scene. It's all happening, again. Almost Famous is Cameron Crowe's semi-autobiographical film about coming of age and 1970s rock music. Tom Cruise played the title role of Jerry and Cuba Gooding, Jr. played Rod Tidwell, an aging wide receiver. "But 'blood is thicker than water' has always rung true with me.". Crowe and Wilson separated in June 2008 and Wilson filed for divorce on September 23, 2010, citing "irreconcilable differences". He also felt the excitement of his career was beginning to wane. After Brad Pitt and Sarah Polley dropped out as Russell and Penny, Hudson and the role she was destined for came togethereventually. "If my mom ever reads a scene of mine in a screenplay, and it's just filler or a joke that doesn't serve that much of a purpose -- except that somebody is embarrassed, or if it's a harsh scene, with no real honesty -- she'll go: 'Do you really need that? Almost Famous reunited Cameron Crowe's mom and sister. Certainly idiosyncratic as a writer, Cameron Crowe has created a series He was easygoing and eager to learn. In late 1999, Crowe's second book was published, a question and answer session with filmmaker Billy Wilder entitled Conversations with Wilder. I'm driving myself.' [3] His mother, Alice Marie (ne George), "was a teacher, activist, and all-around live wire who did skits around the house and would wear a clown suit to school on special occasions. When I talked to (actor) Campbell Scott about being in 'Singles,' I went back to the Globe, where he was playing Hamlet! I want to learn to cook! she says to her grieving daughter. of scripts that, while liked by the critics, were considered offbeat To add to his alienation, he was often ill because he had nephritis.[9]. Mothers have always served as cinematic fodderfrom Hitchcocks Psycho, a film literally screaming with mommy issues, to Almodvars rose-tinted paean All About My Mother. He is channeling the guy on the exact corner where I met him. She took me to many of the Shakespeare productions; I remember at last eight or nine times -- something where I'd go: 'Oh, no! "I thought that would be in there if you knew what to look for." "He didn't say much, and I couldn't get a handle, really, on what [Crowe] wanted from the character from the script so I was a little timid at first about how I was going to effectively play this guy, since I didn't really know who he was," Crudup remembers. Tim Appelo wrote in Entertainment Weekly, "With an ambling, naturalistic style, Crowe captures the eccentric appeal of a town where espresso carts sprout on every corner and kids in ratty flannel shirts can cut records that make them millionaires. Filming was expected to begin in January 2009,[36] but this was postponed.[37]. In celebration of its 20th anniversary, Crowe and key cast members hopped back on the metaphorical tour bus to look through never-before-seen photos taken on set by famed rock photographer Neal Preston (Queen, Led Zeppelin), and reminisce about life on the road. You know that,'" says Crowe, adding, "She's one of my greatest editors ever and a wonderful teacher. She is also her son's most attentive editor -- and most candid critic -- when it comes to reading the screenplays he has written for the films he's directed. We look back at Crowe's rocking 2000 film, with tales about these exclusive never-before-seen photos from the set. That's us trying to figure out what Stillwater was. And she's like, 'Okay, All right. Cameron Crowe - IMDb The family moved around often but spent a lot of time in the desert town of Indio, California. Sometimes it has to be embarrassing to everybodyeven, as hard as it may seem, to your mother. You start being insulated and very cloistered from the outside world. ", RELATED VIDEO: Say Anything: "In Your Eyes" Was Actually the Second Choice for Boombox Scene. Musician Stevie Nicks and John's longtime lyricist Bernie Taupin also appear. "[4][5][6] She worked as a psychology professor and in family therapy and often participated in peace demonstrations and causes relating to the rights of farm workers. Also a. In my mind, I thought that was the standard by which my life should be lived and my relationships should meet up to. [13], At the age of 22 he came up with the idea to pose undercover as a high school student and write about his experiences. [21] Though he asked her not to bother Frances McDormand, who played her character, the two ended up getting along well. For his screenplay, he won an Academy Award for Best Original Screenplay. A tall, dark-haired older woman with a twinkling smile, she has appeared as a teacher (twice), a plastic-surgeons assistant, and as a member of the divorced-womens group in Jerry Maguire. Her face, that song, and that shot, and that's John Toll very casually just making your dreams come true as the master DP. We had great seats, and he was mesmerized. With Orlando Bloom, Kirsten Dunst, Susan Sarandon, Alec Baldwin. "He was totally f----ing exhausted, dehydrated, and obviously very nauseous and had to step away basically just to vomit during takes," says Fugit. This is him just ripping some incredible guitar part. The only reason it's safe to express himself [here] is because she's probably not gonna remember it. Brianne Tracy is a staff writer on the PEOPLE music team. [45] That project fell apart in 2010 due to casting and budget issues. (Notes Crowe: "I love that photo because that's Billy. To read an in-depth interview with Cameron Crowe about his new film, "We Bought a Zoo," go to: 'Zoo' director Cameron Crowe on film & San Diego. After four years together, Nancy and Crowe got married in 1986. The performances are vivid: Patrick Fugit as young scribe William Miller; Billy Crudup as inscrutable rocker Russell Hammond; Kate Hudson in her star-making and Oscar-nominated performance as ethereal "band-aid" Penny Lane. At one point, when Crowe starts rhapsodizing about a scene in which Kate Hudson lets one aching tear slip down her cheek, his mother interrupts him. [46], Crowe married Nancy Wilson of the rock band Heart in July 1986. This is all about Jason Lee's face. "And Cameron admittedly spent this time saying, 'I don't know who he is either, but maybe we could find him together. The writer-director Cameron Crowe was already a beloved voice in cinema for high school tales like "Fast Times at Ridgemont High" and "Say Anything." Then came "Almost Famous" (2000). [15][16] Maguire is fired after having a moral revelation, writing and distributing a mission statement calling for sincere service to the athletes and less money for the agency. He had to get that right. "I was blown away that we actually got him to come in because I was already a fan; he was fantastic. "It's Kate feeling free and going there with this character. And its no surprise that a kid who famously left home at 13 to tour the country with the Allman Brothers and Led Zeppelin might have a little guilt to burn. [42] It has also been said that the film was never made due to the failure of finding a third act to the story. With Bridget Fonda, Campbell Scott, Kyra Sedgwick, Sheila Kelley. "For a number of weeks, the band rehearsed to playback," recalls Lee, "and all the while I'm letting my hair grow and it's getting longer and longer.
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