Only Bangs seems to realize the truth that entertainment is not happy and is not uplifting. Bangs meets young William Miller as Miller is just beginning his rock writing career, in 1973. Now it's just an industry of cool. Miller enters the industry of cool when he gets an assignment to write about heavy metal band Stillwater for Rolling Stone . Penny, who likes to be too cool to care, is sadly in love with Stillwater guitarist Hammond.
Nerdy boy loves pretty girl who loves abusive cool guy.
Mom even takes time out to berate guitarist Hammond, telling him that he still has a chance to reform and become an upright citizen. While a real rock star would probably find this hilarious, in the cinematic world of Cameron Crowe moms have the power to change the hearts of the most fun-loving rockers, and Hammond is addled by what he hears. While mom makes a man out of a guitarist, Miller sets to work on Penny Lane, pointing out the shallowness of her non-stop orgy of a life, and trying to convince her that fun is less interesting than love and a well maintained lawn. Of course, in Almost Famous all the people who have dedicated themselves to excess come to either a bad end or the realization that less is more. You know, just like in real life, where Mick Jagger settled down with one woman and raised a family, and Keith Richards gave up heroin for Hummel figurines.