TRIVIA: The film is director Cameron Crowes semi-autobiographical account of life as a young Rolling Stone reporter. The actual group Crowe first toured with was The Allman Brothers Band. Gregg Allman distrusted him, and kept asking if he was a narc. Crowe was in a near-fatal plane crash while traveling with The Who. The character of Russell Hammond is based on Glenn Frey of Eagles. Penny Lane asks William if hed like to go to Morocco with her. He says, Yes... ask me again. According to Cameron Crowe, ask me again was Patrick Fugit stepping out of character and asking Kate Hudson to repeat her lines for another take. Crowe liked the take as-is and kept it in the final cut. Most films have music budgets of less than $1.5 million. This film featured over 50 songs, with a music budget of $3.5 million. When Cameron Crowes mother appeared on the set for a cameo, Crowe made every effort to keep her away from Frances McDormand, who was playing a character based on her, so McDormands interpretation of the part wouldnt be swayed. When he left the set for a few minutes on the first day of shooting, he returned to find McDormand and his mother having lunch together. To look like a real rock band, the four actors in Stillwater rehearsed for four hours a night, five nights a week, for six weeks. Stillwaters songs were written by Peter Frampton (who also had a small part in the film), Cameron Crowe, and his wife Nancy Wilson of the rock band Heart, a fact indicated early in the credits. The music acknowledgments credit Russell Hammond and Stillwater as if they were real authors and performers. When Frances McDormands character reprimands Billy Crudups character over the phone, Cudrup was actually was on the other end of the line. Cameron Crowes character is pulled into the pre-performance huddle. The scene is based on an occasion when Eddie Vedder pulled Crowe into Pearl Jams huddle before performing one of their Lollapalooza shows. Philip Seymour Hoffmans schedule only permitted him to be on set for four days. He had the flu the whole time. There actually was a band called Stillwater in the 70s though the band depicted here is not them. They agreed to the use of their name after reading the script. Cameron Crowe says he got Billy Crudups line, Well, yeah, on my better days, I am Russell from Stillwater, directly from John Cusacks response to a girl in a bar who asked, Arent you Lloyd Dobler?, his character in Say Anything... (1989). According to Cameron Crowe, he sent the script around town to see if he could get anyone to respond to it. Steven Spielberg, founder of Dreamworks, read Crowes 172-page script over the weekend and called Crowe on Monday saying, Direct every word. Crowe said he filmed almost all of the script. When Penny Lane drives William to the hotel to meet Stillwater, a reflection on the windshield resembles the cover of Pink Floyds album Dark Side of the Moon. When the tour plane hits turbulence, Russell starts to sing Peggy Sue, a reference to Buddy Holly, who died in a plane crash while on tour. Russell then continues Whoa baby!, a reference to The Big Bopper, who died in the same crash. The roles of Russell Hammond and Penny Lane were originally written for Brad Pitt and Sarah Polley respectively. Polley dropped out to work on her own project, the low-budget Canadian movie The Law of Enclosures (2000). According to Crowe, Pitt worked with Crowe for months before finally admitting, I just dont get it enough to do it. Kate Hudson was originally cast as Williams sister. The old records William looks through at the beginning are actually Cameron Crowes, saved from his younger years. At the party, Russell Hammond cries out, I am a golden god! when he is on acid. That is a reference to Robert Plant of Led Zeppelin, who is purported to have said the same thing (sober) while looking over Sunset Strip from a hotel balcony. The real life Lester Bangs died of a drug overdose at a fairly young age. Eerily, Philip Seymour Hoffman, who portrays him in this film, would later die of a drug overdose as well. The legal disclaimer at the end of the film (which, for most films, merely states that all characters and events are fictional, with any real-life similarities being coincidence), notes that the character of Penny Lane was loosely based on a real individual. Cameron Crowe has stated that Penny Lane is based on his real-life friend, Pennie Trumble, who goes by the name Pennie Lane. She lives in Portland, Oregon, and is involved in the music industry. At the age of 18, director Cameron Crowe wrote the liner notes to the Frampton Comes Alive! album by rocker Peter Frampton. Frampton returns the favor here by acting as a music consultant for the film. The opening credits include a turquoise, blue, and white cigar-shaped aerosol can labeled Ozium. Its an odor masking product that smells like light oil, used to hide the smell of marijuana. Penny Lane dancing in the empty, debris-strewn Cleveland auditorium is Cameron Crowes favorite scene in the movie. Film debut of Eric Stonestreet. When the band finds out that William is using everything in his Rolling Stone article, Jeff Bebe wears a T-shirt that says Jeff Bebe on it, but the picture above it is of Russell Hammond. This is a sly allusion to the feud between them, and ties into the line from the Untitled version where Jeff says to Russell, Im the you they get when they cant have you. Fairuza Balks exclamation, Does anybody remember laughter? is a reference to an additional lyric Robert Plant (of Led Zeppelin) would often insert in live performances of Stairway to Heaven. Lawrence Kasdan receives special thanks credit. Kasdan encouraged Cameron Crowe to revive his oft-discussed personal project and get the movie made. At the very beginning of the movie, when the production titles are going, the soundtrack includes the sound of a needle starting a vinyl record. At the end of the movie, after the final credits roll, the soundtrack includes the sound of a record ending and the needle returning. In Williams final interview with Russell Hammond, William asks What do you love about music?, Russell replies To begin with..., and William laughs. To Begin With... is the title of Stillwaters (fictional) first album, seen briefly on an 8-Track in the opening sequence, and more clearly in The Making Of, on the DVD. Peter Frampton taught Billy Crudup how to play the guitar in preparation for the concert scenes. Walter Frith is watching...
Posted on: Tue, 09 Dec 2014 21:27:08 +0000
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