Performance Profile: Frances McDormand in "Almost Famous" (2000)

So begins my second profiling year with a interesting batch of ladies, and the first one in line comes in the form of a respected, reliable, and intelligent actress who here is given another chance to shine and show just how great she is in any given role. The role in this case has been given attention and treatment, but it's hard to imagine it coming alive without the performance given by....

 

....Frances McDormand in Almost Famous (2000)

Frances McDormand plays Elaine Miller, the loving but overly protective mother of teenager William (Patrick Fugit in a pudgy, uneven performance) who aspires to be a rock journalist in the early '70s.

She's the devoted mother hen whose words of wisdom emanate intuitively into the lives of her children - whether they like it or not - as they are just itching to spread their wings and fly. She's the college professor and widow who's life is now centered on doing what's right and best for her kids.

In the early scenes of the film, (which take place a few years before the main events) the lives of she and her children seem to be in working order, and she tries her hardest to maintain this order with the maternal disciplinary skills she so naturally possesses -- this means sticking to a lifestyle which includes no rock and roll, no freedom, no change, and absolutely no drugs. In these essential scenes, McDormand simply but distinctively lays down all of this, and turns out to be the character's firm foundation which is to crack slowly as the film moves along.

The first crack comes when William is hired to hit the road with a hot rock band who's posse likes to party and live life like there's no tomorrow, much to the dismay of Elaine, who doesn't approve or even like the idea of her son getting involved with people who's lives have no direction.

Though still apprehensive, she lets William off his leash, and so begins her worst nightmare as something big begins to happen, something which seems beyond her control.

In the hands of a lesser actress and director, this character might have eventually shriveled up into some overwrought and absurd sketch of the "mother knows best" routine (like so many are), but here something a bit more delicate is taking place. Director Cameron Crowe has total and utter respect for the character; sensitively giving her time to develop into something deeper and more important. However, it is the work of the actress which makes this flower flourish.

 McDormand conveys Elaine's escalating anxiety that she is perhaps losing her son and that maybe it is her fault for it because of how she raised him. She lets us understand that all she wants is what's best for her son and for him to lead a life of success and discovery.

Elaine does want her child to live his life, yet at the same time is realizing that the reality has come to quickly and is too much for her to handle. McDormand vividly and painfully illustrates all of the character's flaws with clarity and forthright warmth, love, and true affection. She avoids so many easy pitfalls by never letting Elaine become this self-indulgent, cold, or shrilly one note sketch -- instead she shows us a woman of genuine depth and feeling who's experiencing something big.

What I also find interesting about McDormand's performance is how she infuses the character with a light touch, and lets the humor of the role also register in a melancholic fashion to gather subtle empathy for Elaine's situation. What also comes to light -- especially in the phone scene with Russell -- is just how swiftly McDormand fundamentally anchors the film with quick intelligence and verve.

This powerful scene shakes the proceedings of the film, as she lets this rock star know what's on her mind. But she also manages to ground the narrative as well, and provides the film with an essential moral compass which keeps everything on track. She has reached the end of her rope and introduces Russell to the idea that he could actually be a person of morals and dignity like she.

Frances McDormand's subtle, understated work in the role is sublime and touching. From a great part, she expands the dimensions into a rich and enduring characterization that remains vital to the effectiveness of this delightful film.