Johnna Rotten

Penny Lane is a character played by Kate Hudson in Cameron Crowe’s iconic film, Almost Famous. Almost Famous is a film that takes place in the early 70s, following a teenage journalist touring with an up-and-coming fictional rock band, Stillwater. The Band-Aids, the girls who tour with Stillwater, are not groupies though. They may be mistaken for groupies. The heart and soul of their pack, Penny Lane, describes themselves as necessary support. Penny Lane dances alone with a rose without irony or embarrassment. Dancing for herself. It’s a defiant act because at this point in the film, she knows her lifestyle is coming to an end, yet instead of becoming cynical, she chooses to dance. Her barefoot spins in an empty post-show concert hall is a statement that says that while good things may come to an end, it’s necessary to keep your inner world intact, to dance without shame, because the things that made those fleeting moments are still within you. It’s necessary to be vulnerable and to embrace life without embarrassment, and without sarcasm. Dancing alone with a rose may be perceived as corny or naive, but Penny Lane chooses to do so because it makes her happy. It allows her to soak in the moment. She’s being honest with herself and it would be cynical to not allow herself to do that. Her character is so flawlessly written and what the ethos she represents says about human nature. #pennylane #almostfamous #katehudson