‘Home Companion’
Screenplay written by: Garrison Keillor
Actors: Meryl Streep, Lily Tomlin, Garrison Keillor, Virginia
Madsen, Woody Harrelson, Kevin Kline, John C. Reilly, Maya Rudolph,
Lindsay Lohan, Virginia Madsen, L.Q. Jones, Tim Russell
Directed by: Robert Altman
Rated: PG-13 (Risque humor)
‘Home Companion’
Screenplay written by: Garrison Keillor
Actors: Meryl Streep, Lily Tomlin, Garrison Keillor, Virginia Madsen, Woody Harrelson, Kevin Kline, John C. Reilly, Maya Rudolph, Lindsay Lohan, Virginia Madsen, L.Q. Jones, Tim Russell
Directed by: Robert Altman
Rated: PG-13 (Risque humor)
On the last night of the decades old live radio variety show hosted by Garrison Keillor at the dingy Fitzgerald theater in America’s mid-west, the backstage is filling with diverse and eccentric characters whose weekly routine is about to be ended forever. Nostalgic and sad, the singing Johnson Sisters (Meryl Streep and Lily Tomlin) pass a fumbling detective, Guy Noir (Kevin Kline) who all work for the company that just sold the property to a heartless developer who plans to replace the theater with a parking lot deemed more important. The chattering girls are rushed backstage by a largely ignored stage manager (Maya Rudolph) to urge them to get ready for their last performance. The guitar strumming cowboy duo of Dusty (Woody Harrelson) and Lefty (John C. Reilly) weave themselves into the tight quarters as the anxious stage manager announces “two minutes.” Through the antics, conversations, and tragedies backstage, the camera voyeurs each character’s memorial to memories of the past, to dreamers that never had their dreams come to fruition, and to their appreciation of what little success they have had – despite death, in all forms, walking among them (Virginia Madsen).
He Said:
A well-done commemoration of purely Midwest American human, social, and philosophical values, A Prairie Home Companion was a realistic flashback in time and culture that captured the essence of it all so well (especially for a boy once so profoundly influenced by the conversations and radio shows emanating from an Iowa kitchen). There were many noteworthy acting scenes, not the least of which, to my surprise, was a natural and emotionally invested, Lola Johnson (Lindsay Lohan). The overt and subtle humor by this “stage family” will tickle you, the characters will charm you, and the messages will touch and haunt you. I’d see A Prairie Home Companion, if only to experience it and talk about it later. And, I do mean later, since Altman and the gifted Garrison Keillor have created a unique noteworthy script and movie that will be compared to for a long time.
On the R&R Scale (1-10)
8 for Script: Keillor at his best.
7 for Direction: Altman, quirky and real.
9 for Acting: Streep and Lohan, especially good.
7 for Plot: Authentic and thought provoking.
9 for Entertainment Value: Something for all levels of sophistication and experience.
8.0 Overall
She Said:
So much banter between characters at first – but then one begins to appreciate the writers’ and actors’ skills in delivering those seemingly casual comments that so poignantly reveal cultural values and unique personality quirks while furthering the story. That is when you realize the genius of them all. Add to that the uncommon ability of the director to successfully mesh an absolute riot of talent and orchestrate them so effectively, and you get an unforgettable film experience. Altman delivered all of that with such aplomb that we were somehow comforted by A Prairie Home Companion despite the reoccurring theme of coping with sad endings and death. It’s etched beneath all the activity and you “get” that it relates to our dying value system, the dying medium of radio, and death as part of the normal cycle of life. As far as the acting goes, Streep was great and all the others were nearly up to the standard she sets. Surprisingly, Garrison Keillor is not just a voice. Depicting yourself, while acting, has to be quite a challenge, and he did it well. Altman’s gift commemorated the old-fashioned radio show by stamping it into our 2006 contemporary cinematic minds with The Prairie Home Companion. As is typical of Altman’s genius, it is original and peculiar, with unexpected happenings, and in the end, this film experience stays with you.
On the R&R Scale (1-10)
10 for Script: Tight, relatable, mid-west indigenous humor and ideals, characters, and story.
8 for Direction: A riot of talent orchestrated so effectively.
9 for Acting: Streep, Keillor, Lohan a 10, others 8.
8 for Plot: Such colorful weaves, and sub-weaves on the themes.
8 for Entertainment Value: Tribute to the past.
8.6 Overall
