Python Hyena
A Prairie Home Companion (2006): Dir: Robert Altman / Cast: Kevin Kline, Meryl Streep, Lindsay Lohan, Virginia Madsen, Lily Tomlin: Send off to old theatre radio where the voices heard seem personal. It is the final night before the radio theatre show is shut down and the screenplay sways between musical numbers and setup scenes where performers ready for their act. Kevin Kline is hilarious as a private investigator down on his luck. He observes everything and reflects upon the history of the event. Meryl Streep is excellent as she voices her hurt over a past relationship with the host. She and Lily Tomlin will perform a perfect pitch number before they farewell the place. Her daughter is played by Lindsay Lohan stealing scenes with her obsession of poetry and suicide. She also delivers an on stage performance that elevate her beyond what she has done before. Biggest weakness is Virginia Madsen as an angel who appears. and her subplot is totally unnecessary. Lily Tomlin plays Streep's sister and together they make up a country music act. It is great to see these two veterans share the screen as well as the stage. Director Robert Altman proves to know theatre radio and backs it up with superb art direction. Altman is a celebrated director whose films are often ensemble and different as with Gosford Park or Nashville. This film regards the dusk of years of love and the dawn of new beginnings. Score: 8 ½ / 10
Syl
Garrison Keillor should get the Mark Twain Prize for humor, the National Medal of the Arts, and a Star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame for Radio if he hasn't already. He really is a comedic American genius from St. Paul, Minnesota. This film is a must see for those who have listened to the radio show which was taped live at the Fitzgerald Theatre in St. Paul, Minnesota for years and decades. The show reminded me of my visit and experience at the Grand Ole Opry in Nashville. The radio show included advertisements, music, humor, and story-telling in an American style. This film will put a smile on your face even if you don't like country music or easy going American style. Of course, the film's star is Garrison Keillor, an American living legend of humor. His style is approachable, realistic, and practical. The humor doesn't need to be offensive and it isn't on the Prairie home Companion. I love the cast which included Lindsay Lohan before her personal problems; Meryl Streep; Lily Tomlin; John C. Reilly; Woody Harrelson; Kevin Kline; Virginia Madsen; and Maya Rudolph among the regular players who perform on the actual radio show. This film, the radio show, and the story is as American as American pie.
xbharath
Was fantastic watching it. The music was great great great! Meryl Streep was awesome. GK was GK. Woody Harrelson has a surprisingly good role and the songs he played were both funny and lovely to hear. Meryl Streep probably cast a big shadow on the film, but surprisingly and to good effect most major actors played limited but significant roles and were well cast. It was like most Nordic films, though this has nothing to do with anything other than the PHC radio show. It had a feeling of celebration, music and joy, but it has an underlying tone of destruction and death to it. One softens the other naturally.
hydrogenu
I have to admit that I'm not a big country music fan. I do enjoy country while dance in a barn. However, listening to bad country music through out the movie was beyond my personal limit. Without the over one hour music, there only 20 minutes or so random pointless conversation left. I guess if you're die hard fan of the radio show "the Prairie Home Companion", you might like the movie. Otherwise, there isn't much appeal to offer others.All the performance were excellent except Keillor. I guess I'm not a fan of him. However all the wonderful stars can't save the bad movie because I don't give a damn about the characters. I felt like watching an old dog covered with its own feces reminiscing glory days, or a seventy years old show girl trying to do her last performance on stage naked. It's not a beautiful scene. Altman, what a sad man. He just couldn't keep up as Clint Eastwood.
AD
