The Hero’s Journey: An Analysis of Almost Famous
Almost Famous is a film that tells a story of a young boy chasing his dream of becoming a rock journalist, going on a tour with Stillwater with the hopes of interviewing the band and finally getting his article published. In this essay, I aim to use Joseph Campbell’s template of “The Hero’s Journey” to analyze this film.
The Stages of the Hero’s Journey:
Ordinary World
At the very beginning of the story, William Miller, our story’s hero, lives in the “ordinary world” with his protective mother Elaine and his rebellious sister Anita. And like most other mothers, his mother has a high expectation for him to become a professional lawyer. However, things change after Anita quarrels with his mother and leaves home. She leaves his young brother William a great amount of albums which open the gates of a new world for him. Rock music becomes an escape from the strict rules of his mother.
Call to Adventure
In my opinion, there is more than one call that pushes William to go on the hero’s journey. The first call to adventure happens when William finds the rock music albums under his bed. The feeling of freedom and coolness that rock music brings young William makes him more and more interested in the world of rock and roll. The next call to adventure happens when Lester gives William an assignment to write on Black Sabbath which leads him to be a rock journalist. The third call to adventure happens when Rolling Stone magazine offers William an assignment to go on the road with Stillwater. All of these calls contribute to William’s decision to start his adventure.
Refusal of the Call
While William is so eager to grasp this opportunity and be a step closer to his dream of becoming a rock journalist, there are still certain things in the real world holding him back. William is still just a 15-year-old student who needs to go to classes, attend school tests and finally finish his academic study and graduate from junior school. Besides that, his mother is scared that William may take drugs when he is hanging out with rock and roll musicians and does not trust them. However, those external circumstances cannot stop William’s passion for rock as he steps forward chasing his dream.
Meeting the Mentor
Lester Bangs, the famous rock critic, is kind of William’s “mentor” in his journey. He guides him and helps him in the crazy world of rock and roll. He advises William not to become friends with the rock stars and to be honest and unmerciful to build his reputation.
Crossing the Threshold
Though reluctant, his mother Elaine delivers him to the “threshold”, the back entrance to the concert venue. Because of not being on the list, William fails to get in, and he meets Penny Lane who is his “ally” in the future. With the help of Stillwater, he eventually crosses the threshold and makes it.
Tests, Allies, Enemies
During this journey, he faces a series of “tests” and difficult tasks, like watching Russel get the electric shock, facing the corruption of the band, missing school tests and his graduation, etc. But the most difficult thing lies in getting an interview with Russel Hammond. Russel Hammond, the “enemy” of his adventure, who proves to be an elusive catch, continually deflecting William's attempts to interview. During his journey, Penny Lane is kind of his “ally” who cares about this young boy, but in the meantime, her affection for Russel makes things a bit complicated.
Approach to the Innermost Cave
Things go to the moment of “approaching to the innermost cave” when William seeing Russell exchanging Penny for 50 dollars, he finds himself more conflicted than ever. He is tired of no one taking him seriously and at this time he really considers to be an “enemy”.
Ordeal
The “ordeal” comes at the celebration dinner which makes the story a climax, between the rock band and Penny, William chooses to go after Penny. Eventually, he finds Penny overdosing on drugs in her hotel room. He follows his own heart and calls a doctor and ultimately saves her life. The ordeal changes William to some extent: he learns how to directly face to his love and he begins to think the difference in the band’s words and behaviors.
Reward
After recovery, as a “reward”, Penny shares her real name with William which even Russel does not know. It is the real first time that Penny tells others about her real name. Her action actually solidifies their connection and gives William confidence to escort Penny to the airport.
The Road Back
William’s psychological road back happens when Penny leaves New York. His physical road back starts when he is on the way back home. In the near-death experience on the plane, everyone tells the truth and their inner voice, and it is the first time William shows his heart and shouts out the words he wants to say. After landing, William psychologically and physically gets back to the real world.
Resurrection
William chooses to be as honest and unmerciful as Lester wants and he writes a critical article of Stillwater. However, not all the things happen as we thought, Russell denies the entire story that William records during the journey. Feeling depressed, confused and defeated, William prepares to return home.
Return with the Elixir
Things “returns with the elixir” in the end, William meets his sister in the airport accidentally, and they go back home and unite with his mother. Also, with the help of Penny, Russel comes to William’s home and finally has a “real” interview to make things right from wrong. Besides, Penny refuses Russel’s request to meet and moves to Morocco. And the band abandons those business plans and puts their love of music to the most important thing for the value. The most important thing is that William finds a better self and moves on his life in a positive way.
Archetypes: The Role Characters Play:
Hero
As we all know, William must be the “hero” of the whole story, but unlike other heroes who have superpowers, he is just a 15-year old child under his mother’s control. But what makes him a hero is that he makes a great number of choices “to serve and sacrifice”. He sacrifices school tests and graduation to go on and complete his journey. He sacrifices his love for Penny to let her complete things she wants. He sacrifices himself being not virginity to stay in the rock world. He sacrifices the love of his mother to chase his rock music dream.
Threshold Guardian
Elaine, his mother, is definitely his “threshold guardian” between the ordinary world and the special rock world. His mother tries everything to avoid his son being away from the ordinary school like delivering him to the concert place, yelling at him not to take drugs, warning Russel to stay away from his son. His mother even says that the rock band kidnaps his child in her class as a professor. But in some ways her behavior is “to test” whether William makes up his mind to stay focus on rock journalism. In the story, another “threshold guardian” is the bouncer at the backstage door. He shuts the door to the rock world because William is not on the list. From my perspective, if William goes back home immediately instead of waiting outside for opportunities to get in or Stillwater does not give him help, there is no adventure or journey in the rock world afterward.
Mentor
Lester is undoubtedly the “mentor” of his journey. As a mentor, he not only teaches William the rules of being rock journalism, being honest and merciful, but also “guides” him to realize what the rock world exactly is like. He shows up several times to help William out to overcome the tests during the process of his journey.
Herald
The Rolling Stone magazine can be the role of “herald”. It is the role that issues challenges and announces the coming of significant changes. At the beginning of the story, Rolling Stone magazine offering William an assignment to go on the road with Stillwater is the call to his adventure. And later on, Rolling Stone magazine’s calling for deadlines and decisions challenges William and pushes the story to a climax.
Shapeshifter
Stillwater in some ways is the “shapeshifter” in this story. At first, to William, Stillwater band is the typical rock band full of cool things and freedom. However, through the journey with them, William knows they are just a group of uncool people trying to build something cool.
The shadow
Russel is the most typical person in the role of “the shadow”. He is not all bad and may reveal admirable, even redeeming qualities as he gives William support during his journey. However, I still treat him as the role of “the shadow” because he also tries to be elusive and deflects William's attempts to each interview, even denies his entire story in the very end.
Trickster
Jeff, the lead singer of the band, may be the typical one in role of “trickster”. He breaks up the conflict between band members, especially with Russel. And, he tries to provoke fights between William and the band. Also, he disrupts Russel’s love to some extent.
The film Almost Famous is a decidedly non-traditional coming-of-age story, but I still like it because it manages to capture that universal feeling of struggling to find your place in the world. And, it is so real to me because William’s mother is just like my mother and William is just everything I wanted to be when growing up. Though it is not a traditionally hero’s journey as I thought, it still inspires me and helps me understand the world in a new way.