Almost Famous Page #6

ANITA (V.O.)

"Listen to Tommy with a candle burning

and you will see your entire future..."

The heady effect of all these albums registers, as we see him

lighting a candle.

TITLE:
1973

DETAIL SHOT OF NOTEBOOK

A blue school notebook, with ballpoint pen renderings of the

names of groups like the Who and Led Zeppelin, complete with

carefully drawn thunderbolts. Also, the name LESTER BANGS.

16 INT. JOURNALISM CLASS -- DAY16

William, now 15, sits in class with book, Adventures in

Journalism. His hair is shoulder-length. A dedicated teacher,

PATRICIA DEEGAN, walks the aisles. Music continues.

17 EXT. FOOD MACHINES - DAY17

William presses the food machine button, pulls an orange from

a vending container. He still looks younger than most of the

students... and these days, especially the girls.

18 EXT. LUNCH COURT -- DAY18

William sits apart from all the others, under a tree. He reads

intently, happily, as he eats the orange. It's a copy of Creem

Magazine. Music continues.

CLOSE ON PHOTOS IN MAGAZINE

Camera moves across the photos, catching the expressions and

fashions of the rock heroes of the day. Ian Anderson of Jethro

Tull, eyes wide and hair flying as he plays flute. Neil Young,

enigmatic with perfectly patched Levis. The Southern Rock Royalty

of The Allman Brothers Band, posing and laughing in front of

massive stacks of amps. Marc Bolan of T. Rex, his ringlet-hair

backlit by stage lights. David Bowie in skin-tight Japanese one-

piece attire, onstage with The Spiders From Mars. Pete Townsend

of the Who, slashing windmill-style at his guitar.

Drift down to a by-line - by Lester Bangs.

19 EXT. PARKING LOT - DAY19

William walks through the parking lot after school. Everybody

now congregates around the new arrival of their lives - their

own cars. Arms suddenly clap William on the back, friendly

faces smile strangely, laughing. He takes a few steps and

looks up to see... a school official is hurriedly removing

something from the high-school marquee.

HIGH-SCHOOL MARQUEE

which reads:
WILLIAM MILLER IS TOO YOUNG TO DRIVE (OR F***)

All are laughing. He laughs with them, and turns as his face

goes slack. He shrugs, marches on.

20 EXT. DOWNTOWN SAN DIEGO RADIO STATION -- DAY20

The song we've been listening to is ripped off the turntable by

a highly-active man in a red promotional t-shirt proclaiming the

greatness of The Guess Who. He is a ferocious, lumbering, music-

driven presence, and he fills this small radio studio to the

very brim. This is LESTER BANGS, 25, the rarely-seen God of a

then new art-form -- Rock Journalism. A Disc-jockey with long-

long hair watches helplessly. William views all this through a

glass window. He stands on the corner of a downtown side

street, halfway up a steep incline. He is the only person on

the streets this early Saturday morning. Reveal that he is

watching a live radio show, audible to us through the small

p.a. speaker overhead.

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