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A Prairie Home Companion (2006)
Front Cover Actor Back Cover
Marylouise Burke Evelyn the Lunch Lady
Woody Harrelson Dusty
L.Q. Jones Chuck Akers
Tommy Lee Jones Axeman
Garrison Keillor G.K.
Kevin Kline Guy Noir
Meryl Streep Yolanda Johnson
Lily Tomlin Rhonda Johnson
Virginia Madsen The Dangerous Woman
Lindsay Lohan Lola Johnson
Maya Rudolph Molly
John C. Reilly Lefty
Movie Details
Genre Comedy; Music
Director Robert Altman
Producer Robert Altman; Joshua Astrachan; Wren Arthur
Writer Garrison Keillor
Studio New Line Home Video
Language English
Audience Rating PG-13 (Parental Guidance Suggested)
Running Time 106 mins
Country USA
Color Color
IMDb Rating 7.1
Plot
Robert Altman and Garrison Keillor combine reality and fantasy in this smooth, ebullient take on the long-running Prairie Home Companion radio show. Set during the show's fictitious last broadcast--the host station has been bought--the film has plenty of elements from the real PHC radiocasts, including a live audience and the sensational Shoe band. The onstage program is mostly music numbers, a beguiling mix of standards and old-style country. However, the show's usual comedy sketches are never presented, save for the commercial parodies--this may be a PHC show, but Lake Wobegone is never mentioned. Instead, the sketches are played out as backstage banter that feautres the Johnson Sisters (Meryl Streep and Lily Tomlin), a harried stage hand (Maya Rudolph), a former listener turned angel (Virginia Madsen), and Keillor himself (a crusty alter-ego named simply G.K.). A few characters from the real PHC are given life: the singing cowboys Dusty and Lefty and gumshoe Guy Noir are embodied by Woody Harrelson, John C. Reilly, and Kevin Kline, respectively. Old flames are fanned, stories are spun, new talents are found (Lindsay Lohan has a chance to shine as Streep's daughter) and everyone wonders if G.K. will do something to ebb the tide of cancellation (personified by Tommy Lee Jones as the corporate Axeman). All of the actors do right as singers, and seem to be having the time of their life. Keillor's screenplay is perfect fodder for Altman's usual brand of storytelling, as characters babble on with the camera picking them up often in mid-thought. The film appeared a few months after Altman received an honorary Oscar, and the director is still at the top of his game, creating this smile-inducing, song-filled time, ending with an ethereal last musical number. --Doug Thomas
Personal Details
Seen It Yes
Index 306
Collection Status In Collection
Purchase Price $14.99
Links Amazon US
DVD Empire
A Prairie Home Companion at Movie Collector Connect
IMDB
Edition Details
Format DVD
Region Region 1
Screen Ratio 1.85:1
Layers Single Side, Single Layer
Barcode 794043105418
Release Date 10/10/2006
Subtitles English; Spanish
Packaging Keep Case
Audio Tracks ENGLISH: Dolby Digital 5.1 [CC]
ENGLISH: Dolby Digital Stereo [CC]
Nr of Disks/Tapes 1
Extra Features
Additional Scenes
Behind-The-Scenes Documentary
Commentary With Famed Director Robert Altman and Kevin Kline