Stephanie Zacharek does justice to the spirit of Altman and Keillor. The destination of this movie seems to be not back to the 70's of Nashville, or the 12th floor of the Acme building circa 1949, but forward. Some of us who love the show get to visit simple places our own creation, like the heaven of The Dangerous Woman. In this way the final show carries on, much as it does today. I hope it will carry on in some form after its creators take their final bow.

I speak as an Iowan who used to tune into Prairie Home Companion religiously, week after week.

Having lived in north central Iowa, being of German and Norwegian ancestry, married a second generation Scandinavian woman and nodded in recognition of much of the early PRC schtick, Gary (yeah, your given name, you poser) Keillor's angst just got to be too much. His little "Roots" excersion to Scandinvia with his long lost foreign exchange student lost love, dumping his main squeeze here for this Valkyrie hottie and then coming back, whining about how difficult it was living over there, only to take his rightful place back on NPR is just a bit to much for me.

This is not a movie I will even bother to wathc on cable.

And Salon gives his movie a great review...

hmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm....

Geez, dude-- bitter much?

I'll never understand the snottiness of the puckered Midwesterner-- really, I won't. It's one of the few traits of my homefolk I find truly unattractive.

Keillor has written and spoken (on PHC, no less) of his regret re: his marital (ahem) misadventures. Never has he been less than respectful toward the parties involved... which is more than can be said for YOU-- "Valkyrie hottie," indeed.

But, no matter. Once "A Prairie Home Companion" makes it to cable, I'm sure you'll be too busy upgrading your spell-check to "wathc" [sic] it.

but it's getting crotchety in here already...

As for me, I'm thankful again for more appetite-whetting from Salon. As a minor-league fan of both Altman and Keillor, my only fear is that the PHC movie won't play in my neck of the world (central IL, where only the biggest, block-bustingest "films" run) and I'll have to wait 'til it comes to Netflix (from whence MOST of my viewing comes).

Anyway, I'm looking forward to the experience. Thanks again.

– David Opdyke

The end of this article brought tears to my eyes, rather unexpectedly. Maybe I was thinking about my own childhood memories of listening to PHC with my family, maybe I was thinking of my dear old dad, a movie buff and Keillor devotee. Or perhaps, it was just my own feeling of lonliness being lifted suddenly, knowing there are others out there who still believe in film and all things seemingly dusty or obsolete.

Despite my young age, I often find myself slipping into cynicism and even anger about the state of the world around me. I sometimes have a hard time letting myself feel deeply touched by anything, so this is certainly a surprising exception. I thank you.

Thanks for another thoughtful commentary on film. There's a reason this is the place I go for reviews on movies. Thanks for giving me a sense of the emotional, artistic and, yes, even the atmospheric wash of a film--so that it actually gives me something to think about before I see it. I'm never disappointed with your reviews.

Makes me look forward to Fridays.

I am still, 24 hours after viewing, trying to figure out how a 2 hour concert of not very good singers singing not very good songs has anyhting to do with the wonderfulness that is PHC. I mean, Lake Woebegone isn't even mentioned. Admit it - if I said the words "Prarie Home Companion" to you, what would be the first thing to pop into your head? And much as I love Robert Altman (and I do), you do occasionally have to have to check in with the plot in order to keep up interest.

The humor ranges from occasionally and sporadically hysterical to sophmoric to nonexistant. The performances are, on the whole, quite good, but whoever told Lily Tomlin she could hold her own with Meryl Streep in a duet owes that poor woman a huge apology.

The radio show in the movie is billed as an "old-fashioned variety show." If only there had been some variety. But it's just okay song after okay song, a never-ending concert of mediocrity. No story telling, no skits, no nothing. No wonder the Axeman came to shut them down - I just wish someone had done the same for this 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.

This is a fine, sweet movie that nearly broke my heart when the sisters sang about their mother's work worn hands. I thought about how I love a good story teller whether it be someone on This American Life or Doug Brown on the Book Club or a fine singer-songwriter that can evoke memories and feelings nearly forgotten.

It wasn't a perfect movie - the whole Dangerous Woman bit was unnecessary or at least unappreciated by me, but the cowboy's bad jokes were just plain fun.