Almost Famous, the new comedy/drama from Jerry Maguire writer-director Cameron Crowe, is the oasis film fans have been looking for after wandering through the vast, empty desert known as the summer 2000 movie season. A smart, poignant film filled with great performances, assured directing and a screenplay that hopefully will get Crowe the Academy Award he should have received for Jerry Maguire, this movie will leave a smile on your face for quite some time after its final frames.

Based on Crowe's own experiences as a teen rock journalist for Rolling Stone magazine back in the early 1970's, the movie centres on William Miller (played by newcomer Patrick Fugit), a young teen who longs to be a rock music journalist. While his overprotective mother Elaine (Francis McDormand) wants him to be a lawyer, his love for rock and roll and his ability to write like a seasoned pro dictate otherwise.

After scoring a few writing jobs in a local underground newspaper (while also catching the attention of famous rock critic and Creem magazine editor Lester Bangs, played by Phillip Seymour Hoffman), Rolling Stone becomes interested in William's work (they also assume he's an adult based on the quality of his writing). They offer him a gig that will pay him big bucks (in a 15-year old eyes anyway) and will allow him to realize his dream: he is to go out on the road and interview the members of Stillwater, a rock band on the rise fronted by lead singer Jeff Bebe (Jason Lee) and lead guitarist Russell Hammond (Billy Crudup).

Despite the initial protests of his mom, he takes the assignment and soon he is on the road. By becoming friends with both Russell (a big no-no in the world of objective journalism) and a "band aid" (read: groupie) by the name of Penny Lane (Kate Hudson), he becomes less of an observer and finds himself drawn more and more into the inner circle of Stillwater (another no-no) and life on the road, which causes William to lose the objectivity to tell the story honestly and decide between journalistic integrity and his newfound family.

One could say that some of the story's elements are predictable, but considering the level of immense joy one experiences watching this film, who really cares about such a minute detail? I have said it before and I will say it again, Cameron Crowe may very well be the best writer-director to emerge from Hollywood in the past decade (if there is any competition, it would be Steven Soderbergh). His characters are wonderfully realized, three-dimensional human beings, not clichés. The dialogue he supplies them with is full of humor, emotion and life. This is all matched by his naturalistic, almost laid-back and altogether refreshing directing style, which is reminiscent of James L. Brooks at his very best.

Of course, he couldn't do it alone. Crowe once again assembles a terrific ensemble cast. Newcomer Patrick Fugit perfectly nails all of the awkwardness and wide-eyed innocence of a young teenager filled with ambition being exposed to a world that really isn't quite what he expected. I have heard people grumble about his performance, saying it seems wooden and is out of step with the rest of the cast. My question to them is this: exactly how are 15-year olds supposed to act?

Of course, the rest of the cast is also sublime, be it McDormand's nicely balanced role as the mother, Hudson's warm-hearted turn as the object of both William and Russell's affections, Hoffman's hilarious performance as the jaded rock critic or Jason Lee and Billy Crudup's truthful potrayal of rock stars who think they rule the world. No one hogs the spotlight here, each working together the way the best ensemble casts do.

Unlike most movies on the subject of rock and roll life, Almost Famous doesn't dwell on the depressing aspects of it. Sure, there are plenty of moments of heartbreak and personal drama, but there are a lot of great moments, fun moments, to be had as well. This was a time in his life that Crowe has a special place in his heart for, and thankfully he allowed us to share in it. Almost Famous will allow you to experience everything a great film should - it will make you laugh, perhaps even cry, but most of all it will make you care about what is going on to the people on screen, something very few films have done this year.

Simply put, it is my best film of 2000 so far.

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