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Friday, June 9, 2006 12:00 AM

"A Prairie Home Companion"

Garrison Keillor and Robert Altman gather an all-star cast to sing an ode to the good old days and an anthem for the future.

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  • Saturday, June 10, 2006 08:36 PM

    PHC A Listener's Movie

    I listen to PHC. Those that haven't will be lost.

    The movie itself is like a Lake Wobegon monologue, there is not much of beginning, middle or end, just a slice of life. Why no mention of Lake Wobegon? Probably eliminated any of the just sitting on a stool monologues. Plus the 'monologue' of how GK got into radio WAS a typical Lake Wobegon story, just interpersed so as not to be stuck on the stool. Probably threw some folks off by the main character being GK, not the Lake Wobegon Librarian or Norwegion Bachelor Farmer. Too much like the real show would not be very visual (radio concert?). The compromises were good choices, maybe a bit too much bumbling for Guy Noir. And GK's typical no happy endings, but rather just a natural dying out prevailed throughout.

    Agree with the writers who noticed that Tomlin is no Streep, either in song or dialogue. But this role called for a real toning down of the usual manic Tomlin type characters (even in the drama West Wing, she gets to show more 'Tomlin' characteristics). Sisters are not often matched in talent, but yes, Streep showed 'chemistry' with other characters that was not matched back. GK looked most alive when interacting with Streep, give credit to Streep for making Keillor almost look real in those scenes.

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