Monday, February 3, 2014

Famous

Does Almost Famous work for my theory of generational stories? If the idea is that a writer naturally writes from the point of view of his or her generation, and further if a story is semi-autobiographical, it should work well. Although Cameron Crowe seems to get my generation very well....

The Prophet story - Cameron Crowe and his alter ego William Miller being Boomers, born in the late 1950s -  is
  • There are good guys and bad guys, and the good guys win.
  • The good guy wins through sheer moral superiority
William Miller doesn’t redeem himself, or win because of working with his friends, or sacrifice much of notice (unless you want to count his virginity). His “final battle” is aboard the plane, where he accuses the members of Stillwater - and Russell Hammond in particular - of hypocrisy for removing Penny Lane from the tour.  (A very Prophet thing to do: Shouting Truth to power.) He Wins, even if the Bad Guys aren't as clearly defined as they might be elsewhere.


It works, then: Cameron Crowe’s movie fits the Prophet story.

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