Almost Famous (2000)

Writer/director Cameron Crowe had a tough act to follow after scoring his biggest critical, commercial, and award-winning hit to date with Jerry Maguire (1996), but he managed to pull it off with the Oscar-winning Almost Famous (2000). Loosely based on Crowe's own teenage years spent covering the soft rock band Poco for Rolling Stone, the film focuses on 15 year old William (Patrick Fugit) scoring an assignment by legendary RS writer Lester Bangs (Philip Seymour Hoffman) to review a Black Sabbath concert. When he fails to gain access to the arena, the opening act Stillwater takes a shine to the kid and welcome him to follow them as they too attempt to make a name for themselves. William sees that his story is likely rooted in the tumultuous relationship between band members Russell (Billy Crudup) and Jeff (Jason Lee), constantly at odds over the direction of the band, but William also finds himself falling hard for Penny Lane (Kate Hudson), the band's biggest groupie who is in an on again/off again relationship with Russell. The collision of teenage fantasy, music, dream girls, and a killer soundtrack ticks nearly every major theme found in Crowe's work, making it an honest and engaging tribute to the ones who never made it. That battle between Billy Crudup and Jason Lee transcends into the real world as well with Crudup going shirtless frequently in the film and Lee bulging out in his underwear while serenading Anna Paquin! You can decide for yourself which one is the supreme hottie, but as for us, we're Almost Fully Erect!