“A Prairie Home Companion” (Picturehouse)
Cleverly Witty, Wittily Clever
Director Robert Altman combines his talents with those of Garrison Keillor, the host and creator of the radio show “A Prairie Home Companion,” to make a movie based on the radio show. This film, which is also titled “A Prairie Home Companion,” is chock full of humor and heart. It also has more acting talent than you can shake a stick at. Meryl Streep, Lily Tomlin, Kevin Kline, Virginia Madsen, Lindsay Lohan, Woody Harrelson and John C Reilly are some of the stars taking part in this glorious look at the behind the scenes story of a radio show.
The movie deals with the last program for a radio show. Everyone knows the powers that be are pulling the plug on the show but the performers go through their last night with talent and enthusiasm. Garrison Keillor (as himself) is the master of ceremonies and host of the show. He brings out the talent such as the Johnson sisters (Streep and Tomlin) and the Old Trailhands, Rusty and Dusty (Harrelson and O’Reilly).
Backstage Yolanda (Streep) is trying to get her daughter Lola (Lohan) to sing a song on the air. Lola is more into poetry of the depressing kind than singing, but she is interested in the stories her mother and aunt tell about their lives.
Guy Noir (Kline), the security man at the theater, has his hands full with a woman who is dressed in a white trench coat (Virginia Madsen) and appears to be some type of angel of death. He also has to be on the alert for the Axeman (Tommy Lee Jones) who is bringing notice of the theater’s closing.
The dialogue among the performers runs from interesting to hilarious and it is all delivered in the most natural way. Altman is a genius at bringing multiple stories to the screen and having them interweave and interlock. His most famous film of this type was the classic “Nashville.”
All of the actors in this movie are at their very best, but it is Streep who steals the show. She can sing, which is a surprise; and she is also a natural comedienne, which is a bigger surprise. She has sung before and she has been funny before, but never on this level.
Tomlin is also great in her role. Her performance is so funny and so well acted that it makes you wonder why she has not been cast in more movies. Surely there have been roles over the years which she could have played. Her last truly great performance was in Altman’s “Nashville” and he seems to be totally tuned into her talent.
Even Lindsay Lohan seems to be pulled up to a different level of performing by being in the company of this group of actors. She won’t win any awards by any means but she is certainly competent in her role.
The movie is rated PG-13 for profanity and raunchy humor.
“A Prairie Home Companion” is probably not a movie that will appeal to everyone. But anyone at any age who appreciates cleverness, true talent, and humor of the most subtle and other times outrageous kind will have a ball with this film. Altman has done it again!
I scored “A Prairie Home Companion” a static free 8 out of 10.
