I heard of this film after the death of legendary director Robert Altman (MASH, Nashville, Gosford Park), who died from complications of leukaemia after completing this film, so I had to watch it. There is no specific plot, it is basically seeing behind the scenes of the making of the last of episode of radio show "A Prairie Home Companion", being cancelled. It is a music variety show recorded live in front of an audience in a theatre in St. Paul, Minnesota, hosted by real radio presenter Garrison Keillor, or GK (best known for voicing the Honda adverts). Regulars including singing guitarist cowboys and risqué humoured Dusty (Woody Harrelson) and Lefty (John C. Reilly), and the singing Johnson sisters Rhonda (Lily Tomlin) and Yolanda (Meryl Streep). The film sees them talk about their lives and the show backstage, and they try to convince the youngest Johnson sister, Lola (Lindsay Lohan) to sing on this last show. Also there is a mysterious white trench coat wearing woman (Virginia Madsen) wandering around the theatre, dim-witted security guard Guy Noir (Kevin Kline) is around too, and of course the man closing the theatre and show down, The Axeman (Tommy Lee Jones) is around to see the show end. Also starring Maya Rudolph as Molly, Marylouise Burke as Lunch Lady and L.Q. Jones as Chuck Akers. The all-star cast is very appealing, the singing and humour is the big hook of the film, and it was certainly a fine film for Altman to bow out with, a great comedy. Very good!
Review of A Prairie Home Companion
