Elton John in ‘Almost Famous’ – Classic Rock at the Movies
Movies sometimes use music written specifically for the flick, but sometimes even older songs we know well can be used to great effect — introducing them to a whole new audience along the way. And that’s what ‘Almost Famous’ did with Elton John‘s 1971 classic, ‘Tiny Dancer.’
The 2000 film, written and directed by Cameron Crowe, was loosely based on Crowe’s early days as a teenage journalist for Rolling Stone magazine in the ’70s. The story chronicles Crowe’s alter-ego, William Miller, as he goes on the road with the up-and-coming rock band Stillwater.
During his travels, young William meets a groupie — sorry, “Band Aid” — who calls herself Penny Lane (played by a luminous Kate Hudson in her first big role) and the two become fast friends. Penny isn’t much older than William, but her affair with one of the guys in Stillwater means she knows what life on the road is all about.
In one of the movie’s most memorable scenes, William, Penny and the band — who’ve all been at odds with one another for various reasons — are on the tour bus, and ‘Tiny Dancer’ begins to play on the radio. It isn’t long before a group singalong breaks out, and tensions dissolve.
Elton John himself credits ‘Almost Famous’ for the resurgence ‘Tiny Dancer’ enjoyed after the movie’s release, praise the always modest Crowe calls “ridiculously generous.” But there’s little doubt that the film and the song were perfectly matched, forever fused together in the minds of moviegoers everywhere.
Watch the ‘Almost Famous’ Scene Featuring Elton John’s ‘Tiny Dancer’
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