Lester Bangs In Almost Famous
Hoffman will always be remembered for his dramatic range, but he was also a versatile comedic actor. His droll turn as a smooth-talking CIA agent in Charlie Wilson’s War (seen below) was that film’s highlight and earned him his second Oscar nomination. However, it was his performance as Creem editor and critic Lester Bangs in Almost Famous that’s as iconic as it is iconoclastic.
It’s quite amazing that the coolest character in a movie about rock and roll is the rock and roll critic. But Hoffman is a head-banger and a thinker, a man who embraces music to the extent that he empowers others to feel rock’s groovy, thrashy licks as much as he does. He loves to slam Jim Morrison and christen Iggy Pop, and in that regard, he thinks of himself as a rock star. He criticizes “the industry of cool” but also tries to be a part of it.
We see a bit of that humanity behind his self-effacing critique when he becomes the mentor to the budding journalist William Miller (Patrick Fugit). Under a shaggy hairdo and sunglasses, Bangs makes for a wonderful guide, teaching the chaste young writer some good techniques to help him from becoming starry-eyed on the road. The two share a touching bond that makes Bangs like a father figure for Miller.
One of the pieces of advice Bangs gives to Miller is that, as a journalist, it’s necessary to “make your reputation on being honest and unmerciful.” Through the rest of his career, Hoffman made his impact on the industry by being those very two things. But he never looked as glamorous or as approachable as when he got under the skin of one of music culture’s foremost, most fascinating voices.