"A Prairie Home Companion"--a Movie Review

If for no other reason (and there are others) you should see this movie for one of the funniest singing duets ever put on screen--Woody Harrelson & John C. Reilly singing a song cold "Bad Jokes"--the jokes are so funny you will get hiccups from laughing so much!

Okay,you either love or hate or dismiss Robert Altman's movies--you won't hate or dismiss this one. I am not familiar with Garrison Keillor's radio show but I am assuming this is a pretty accurate picture of it and of a bygone era--I found it interesting on both points. He (Garrison) certainly isn't an actor just playing himself and doing a fine job--the whole radio show is from an nostalgic time and captures it just right.

Altman's pictures usually are all over the place--covering many different aspects--and most people have a hard time hearing and/or following everything but this is a pretty easy one to to both.

I forget that Streep has a good singing voice but my main complaint against her has always been that you can see her 'acting' but here a little less so.

I LOVE Lily Tomlin and she is excellent BUT you have to see this to see her hair (wig)--at certain angles you would swear she is Medusa with the snakes all over the place.

I, also, LOVE Kevin Kline and has always been underrated as a comedian who is excellent at pratfalls and he does both here though I didn't particularly care for his character--Virginia Madsen is wasted in a
role that could have easily been eliminated though I understand why her character is there.

Tommy Lee Jones is also wasted in uncalled for role--now Lindsay Lohan--I understand she records records but her voice certainly isn't that good and the words given to her for "Frankie & Johnnie" are pretty bad.

Talking about music--this is as close to being a movie musical without being called one--over 20 songs!

It's not a must see for Altman fans but a pleasant way to spend 105 minutes.