Almost Famous Page #15

WILLIAM:

I will quote you warmly and accurately.

RUSSELL:

That's what I'm worried about. See -

some of us have girlfriends back home.

Some of us have wives. And... some of

the people you meet on the road are

really amazing people...

They both watch Penny Lane, sparkling, fresh from the pool.

She places hotel furniture into the shallow end and inviting

all, even other curious hotel guests, to join them in the pool.

RUSSELL (cont'd)

Like you. And some of the things that

happen are good for just a few people

to know about - as opposed to, say, a

million people.

Dawn is breaking for William.

WILLIAM:

Ohhhh. Oh. Yeah.

RUSSELL:

You know what I mean?

WILLIAM:

Right. Yeah.

RUSSELL:

See, you're dangerous. Most people

are just waiting to talk, but you

listen.

WILLIAM:

Right. Right.

RUSSELL:

So your question you asked me. I think

about It every f***ing night. The

"business." I hate it!

(quietly)

I grew up with these guys, okay? I

can't play all that I can play, I'm

past these musicians, do you understand?

WILLIAM:

I do.

RUSSELL:

The more popular we get, the more I

can't walk on them, the bigger their

houses get, the more pressure... you

forget, man. You forget what it was

like to be real, to be a fan. You can

hear it in a lot of bands who've been

successful - it doesn't sound like

music anymore. It sounds like...

like lifestyle maintenance.

(suddenly confessional)

I used to be able to hear the sounds

of the world. Everything, to me, used

to sound like music. Everything. Now

I don't hear it. You know what I'm

trying to say?

WILLIAM:

(ruefully)

Yeah.

RUSSELL:

Man, it feels good to say this stuff

out loud. But what am I doing? I'm

telling secrets to the one guy you

don't tell secrets to.

WILLIAM:

(feeling included)

No, that's okay. We'll do the interview

tomorrow.

RUSSELL:

This is good. So there's the "friend"

and then there's the "interview guy."

WILLIAM:

Yeah.

RUSSELL:

So tonight it's "friend".... and when

we wake up tomorrow - "interview guy."

We'll figure it out as we go, buddy.

WILLIAM:

Hey - for whatever it's worth - you

guys are really good.

Russell laughs at the kid's easy naivete. He hands his guitar

to the kid, and joins the party. William watches, part of the

crowd... somehow feeling a little compromised. He doesn't

care. Penny gestures for him to join them.

70 EXT. SUN STADIUM - AFTERNOON70

William interviews Larry in the seats of the empty arena. On

stage, Ed soundchecks his drums.

WILLIAM:

How would you describe your role in

Stillwater? What is the chemical that

you add to the chemistry?

LARRY:

I'm the bass-player.

WILLIAM:

(pressing for some poetry)

Right. And when you take that away...

what would be missing? Stylistically?

What chemical?

LARRY:

(not getting it)

The bass?

Larry doesn't give him much.

71 EXT. SUN STADIUM - NIGHT 71

It's raining. The pre-show huddle breaks up, William a part

of them. Penny Lane adjusts Larry's look. She takes the scarf

from around his neck and ties it around his leg. He looks

instantly better. William watches in the darkness as Dick

takes the microphone. The best part of his day has arrived.

In his important voice:

DICK:

Good evening Phoenix.

(applause)

From Troy, Michigan. Please welcome,

Stillwater.

Lights come up, as the band launches into "Fever Dog." Jeff

begins singing. Russell reaches to adjust the microphone for

a back-up vocal and is hit with something unexpected.

A sharp electrical shock.

It's just a slight pop in the loud din of music, but within a

moment something is clearly wrong. Russell holds onto the

microphone stand with a surprised look, conducting high-voltage

for two seconds and then he snaps his hand off the metal. His

face is white, he takes off his guitar and walks off-stage,

collapsing a couple steps later.

72 EXT. BACKSTAGE -- NIGHT72

Dick is waving wildly for the band to board the bus, which has

been pulled up into the backstage area. He guides a sagging

Russell, assisted by Penny Lane, into the bus.

DICK:

Get in, get in!!

William boards the bus, as the extremely agitated PROMOTER

arrives to confront Dick.

PROMOTER:

Are you the manager of this band?

DICK:

That, and more. Get in!

PROMOTER:

You didn't even play a full set!

Dick whirls and unleashes an anger we've not yet seen, gesturing

with the silver briefcase that does not leave his hand.

DICK:

Your shoddy stage set-up almost killed

our guitarist!

PROMOTER:

You trashed the dressing room - you

didn't play your thirty-five minutes.

You didn't fulfill your contract -

DICK:

Everybody in! Get in the bus!

PROMOTER:

I'll report you to every promoter in

the country! I'm gonna talk to Frank

Barcelona!

DICK:

YOU DON'T F*** WITH MY BAND'S SAFETY!

PROMOTER:

I hope you have a good lawyer.

DICK:

I AM A LAWYER!

He swings into the bus, as the bus revs.

PROMOTER:

LOCK THE GATE ON 'EM!

73 INT. BUS -- NIGHT73

Russell sits, pale, next to Penny at the front of the bus. He

examines his singed hand, shaking it a little to emphasize the

positivity of her words.

PENNY:

Don't worry. It's happened to all the

greats. Thank God you didn't hold the

mike stand with both hands, you'd still

be holding it. This is a good thing.

It's a good, good, good thing.

William sits nearby, watching Russell, making notes out of eye-

sight of others. The ever-wary Jeff, unseen by William, cranes

to see that he's writing in his notebook.

Dick swings into the seat across from Russell. The bus door

shuts, as the promoter is still yelling.

Doris is slow to gain speed, as Estrella appears, running

alongside. She knocks on the window next to William.

ESTRELLA:

I forgot to tell you! Your mom says

to call home immediately. She says

she knows what's going on!

(receding)

See you guys in Topeka! I'll catch a

ride with Sabbath!

William nods with embarrassment, waves to her, as the bus races

toward the now closing gate.

DICK:

(casually, to Russell)

Wanna buy a gate?

Before Russell can answer - BASH. Doris barrels through the

steel-gate, snapping it like a chopstick to great cheers inside

this bus.

DICK (cont'd)

You just bought a gate.

(to the bus)

C'mon Doris!! Get us out of town!!

The bus struggles up a slight incline, everybody rooting for

Doris, as she eases out of the parking lot and onto a

thoroughfare.

WILLIAM:

What did it feel like to be

electrocuted?

RUSSELL:

It burns. It feels like a dose of

lead shooting through your body... and

then you see God, and he says, "How

bad do you want to be legendary?" And

god damnit. I let go.

(shaky grin as all laugh

warmly)

Rock and roll.

Jeff watches this charisma with thinly veiled envy. The kid

scribbles in his notebook. We hear Led Zeppelin's "That's the

Way."

74 INT. BUS - EARLY MORNING74

Song continues. Almost everybody is asleep. William takes

the camera and snaps a Polaroid of a sleeping Penny. She wakes

up.

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