A Prairie Home Companion (2006)

Director:

Robert Altman

Writers:

Garrison Keillor (screenplay)
Garrison Keillor (story) ...

Release Date:

9 June 2006 (USA)

Genre:

Comedy | Drama | Musical

Tagline:

Radio like you've never seen it before.

Plot:

A look at what goes on backstage during the last broadcast of America's most celebrated radio show, where singing cowboys Dusty and Lefty, a country music siren, and a host of others hold court.

Plot Keywords:

Cowboy | Singing | Theater | Backstage | Radio

Awards:

3 wins & 10 nominations

Cast

Marylouise Burke	...	Lunch Lady
Woody Harrelson	...	Dusty
L.Q. Jones	...	Chuck Akers
Tommy Lee Jones	...	The Axeman
Garrison Keillor	...	GK
Kevin Kline	...	Guy Noir
Lindsay Lohan	...	Lola Johnson
Virginia Madsen	...	Dangerous Woman
John C. Reilly	...	Lefty
Maya Rudolph	...	Molly
Tim Russell	...	Stage Manager
Sue Scott	...	Makeup Lady
Meryl Streep	...	Yolanda Johnson
Lily Tomlin	...	Rhonda Johnson
Tom Keith	...	Himself - Sound Effects Man

Also Known As:

A Última Noite (Brazil) (festival title) [pt]
A Prairie Home Companion (Denmark) [da]
A Prairie Home Companion: Last Radio Show (Germany) [de]
El último show (Spain) [es]
I kalyteri parea (Greece) [el]
La mélodie des prairies (Canada: French title) [fr]
Noches mágicas de radio (Argentina) [es]
Ostatnia audycja (Poland) (festival title) [pl]
Radio America (Italy) [it]
Robert Altmanin huonot vitsit (Finland) [fi]
The Last Show (France) [fr]

MPAA:

Rated PG-13 for risque humor.

Runtime:

105 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.78 : 1

Sound Mix:

SDDS | Dolby Digital | DTS

Certification:

USA:PG-13 (certificate #42472) | Hong Kong:IIA | Finland:K-3 | Sweden:Btl | Portugal:M/12 | UK:PG | Canada:PG (British Columbia) (Canadian Home Video rating) | Ireland:PG | Netherlands:AL | Australia:PG | Iceland:L | Argentina:Atp | Switzerland:7 (canton of Geneva) | Switzerland:7 (canton of Vaud) | Singapore:PG | South Korea:12

Filming Locations:

Fitzgerald Theater - 10 Exchange Street E., St. Paul, Minnesota, USA

Company:

Picturehouse Entertainment

Trivia:

Meryl Streep's mother-in-law helped her practice the Midwestern accent necessary for this role.

Goofs:

Continuity: In the Lobby scene when Guy Noir is talking to Donna, the make-up lady, he leaps over the bar to retrieve something. The bottles on the bar change just before he jumps over as the camera angle changes, then they change again to a third set of bottles after he leaps over the bar.

Quotes:

Dusty, Lefty: [singing] Bad jokes, Lord, I love 'em. / Bad jokes, can't get enough of em. / O-o-o-whee, / Bad jokes for me.

Movie Connections:

Spoofs The Maltese Falcon (1941)

Soundtrack:

Baby, Baby, Be My Man

A Joyful Film About Death

As usual Altman will divide his audience in a radical way. He, clearly, doesn't do it on purpose but it happens more often than not with the works of real artists where there is no room (or very little) for concessions. It is what it is, his vision, his whole. He mentioned that the film was about death and found that not everyone agreed not even some of his closest and more devoted collaborators. That's what he saw, that's what it is but it's bound to be contradicted by critics and audiences alike. Personally, I don't think I'll see a better film this year. The work of an idiosyncratic artist and masterful craftsman doesn't hit the main stream screens every day of the week. My only reservation is that the film is too short. I wanted to go on and on and on. To say that Meryl Streep is sublime seems kind of redundant but never mind, she is, sublime, surprising, funny, very funny, moving, very, very moving. Lily Tomlin and Meryl have the best moments in the film. They appear, look and sound as if they had been working together all their lives. Total chemistry. Lindsay Lohan is the biggest surprise. Good for her. That's the way to forge a way ahead. Work with the best. Woody Harrelson and John C Reilly are simply glorious. Kevin Kline does a Kevin Kline in the most enchanting way. It was also a delight to see Garrison Keillor himself playing himself, not just wonderfully but very convincingly as well. I recommend it with all my heart.