A high-school boy is given the chance to write a story for Rolling Stone Magazine about an up-and-coming rock band as he accompanies them on their concert tour.
Martin Blank is a professional assassin. He is sent on a mission to a small Detroit suburb, Grosse Pointe, and, by coincidence, his ten-year high school reunion party is taking place there at the same time.
After being kicked out of his rock band, Dewey Finn becomes a substitute teacher of an uptight elementary private school, only to try and turn them into a rock band.
When a sports agent has a moral epiphany and is fired for expressing it, he decides to put his new philosophy to the test as an independent agent with the only athlete who stays with him and his former secretary.
Director:
Cameron Crowe
Stars:
Tom Cruise,
Cuba Gooding Jr.,
Renée Zellweger
The early 1970s. William Miller is 15-years old and an aspiring rock journalist. He gets a job writing for Rolling Stone magazine. His first assignment: tour with the band Stillwater and write about the experience. Miller will get to see what goes on behind the scenes in a famous band, including the moments when things fall apart. Moreover, for him, it will be a period of new experiences and finding himself.Written by
grantss
Kate Hudson was originally supposed to play William's sister, Anita, but was given the role of Penny Lane when Sarah Polley dropped out. See more »
Goofs
As William Miller and Lester Bangs prepare to part ways on a street corner, several modern-day vehicles, including a recent San Diego Transit bus, are visible beyond the trees. See more »
Quotes
[first lines]
Elaine Miller:
I can't believe you wanna be Atticus Finch. Oh, that makes me feel so good.
Young William:
I like him.
See more »
Crazy Credits
At the beginning of the film, right when the 'vinyl records' credit comes up, you can hear a record player needle land on a record. There is a bit of fuzz, and the music kicks in. See more »
Alternate Versions
A scene was filmed in which William plays Led Zeppelin's "Stairway to Heaven" in front of his mother and some high school staff, as well as Darryl (Anita's boyfriend). William introduces the song by saying that it was based on the works of Tolkien. During the song, the group is looking through the lyrics on the inner sleeve and a copy of Rolling Stone. William and Darryl are lip-synching and playing air guitar and drums. Elaine denounces the song, and the scene continues with her saying "no, no, no, no" before finally agreeing to let her go. However, rights problems forced Crowe to cut the scene. The scene is presented on the "Bootleg Cut" two-DVD set. The scene has no music, but there is an on-screen cue telling the viewer when to start the song. See more »
Go All the Way
Written by Eric Carmen
Performed by The Raspberries
Courtesy of Capitol Records
Under license from EMI-Capitol Music Special Markets See more »
A cinematographic dithyramb of rock, epicureanism and the 70s that reminds me nonetheless a well-known fiction The Unbearable Lightness of Being (Milan Kundera, 1984): although it's nice to listen to and enjoy a rock album, I'm not sure that the lives of band members are of any interest (some will probably deduce that I'm not 'cool' enough).
In the 70s, William Miller is a young and bright music aficionado. He is only 15 years old, but what he wants most in the world is writing articles about this music he loves so much. Thus, he takes advantage of a proposition from the bi-monthly Rolling Stone to follow the rock band Stillwater, on tour throughout the United States. He will gradually and ineluctably abandon the passivity and objectivity of his role of observer to participate in the life of the group. Until ... ... ...
These secondary characters gravitate around William Miller: 1) Russell Hammond is one of the key members of Stillwater and perfectly symbolizes epicureanism and lightness. 2) Penny Lane is a carefree teenager who fills the void of her live with rock 'n roll, and she would probably have swallowed the blue pill within The Matrix (The Wachowski sisters, 1999). 3) Lester Bangs is a mentor and / or surrogate father for William. 4) Elaine Miller is a protective and moving mother. The actors play in a magisterial way, especially Billy Crudup, Frances McDormand and Philip Seymour Hoffman. In general, the whole cast is awesome!
My favorite quotes, in bulk: You have a message from your mother that freaked me out: do not use drugs. It's not too late for you to become a person of substance. Be bold and mighty forces will come to your aid. Be honest and unmerciful. There is hope for you, yet. What kind of beer?
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A cinematographic dithyramb of rock, epicureanism and the 70s that reminds me nonetheless a well-known fiction The Unbearable Lightness of Being (Milan Kundera, 1984): although it's nice to listen to and enjoy a rock album, I'm not sure that the lives of band members are of any interest (some will probably deduce that I'm not 'cool' enough).
In the 70s, William Miller is a young and bright music aficionado. He is only 15 years old, but what he wants most in the world is writing articles about this music he loves so much. Thus, he takes advantage of a proposition from the bi-monthly Rolling Stone to follow the rock band Stillwater, on tour throughout the United States. He will gradually and ineluctably abandon the passivity and objectivity of his role of observer to participate in the life of the group. Until ... ... ...
These secondary characters gravitate around William Miller: 1) Russell Hammond is one of the key members of Stillwater and perfectly symbolizes epicureanism and lightness. 2) Penny Lane is a carefree teenager who fills the void of her live with rock 'n roll, and she would probably have swallowed the blue pill within The Matrix (The Wachowski sisters, 1999). 3) Lester Bangs is a mentor and / or surrogate father for William. 4) Elaine Miller is a protective and moving mother. The actors play in a magisterial way, especially Billy Crudup, Frances McDormand and Philip Seymour Hoffman. In general, the whole cast is awesome!
My favorite quotes, in bulk: You have a message from your mother that freaked me out: do not use drugs. It's not too late for you to become a person of substance. Be bold and mighty forces will come to your aid. Be honest and unmerciful. There is hope for you, yet. What kind of beer?