Skunkyrate Gripping story with well-crafted characters

Livestonth I am only giving this movie a 1 for the great cast, though I can't imagine what any of them were thinking. This movie was horrible

Ogosmith Each character in this movie — down to the smallest one — is an individual rather than a type, prone to spontaneous changes of mood and sometimes amusing outbursts of pettiness or ill humor.

Gary The movie's not perfect, but it sticks the landing of its message. It was engaging - thrilling at times - and I personally thought it was a great time.

PandoraProductions4 This is a charming wonderful film about the last night of a radio show before it goes off the air forever. There is a sort of sweet sadness and memory of older times that hangs over the performers, as they reminisce about their lives. The camera weaves back and forth, letting the actors do their thing, without any chopping editing. The radio show is country/folk music themed, so there is plenty of good music to be had. Much of the inner workings of the show are revealed. We get to know the characters almost too well, with all their individual quirks and personalities. There's Guy Noir, who seems like he's from a Film Noir. And the Johnson sisters with all their emotional baggage. There's Dusty and Lefty, two cowboys; hillbillies and proud of it. You get the picture. All their interactions are golden. Yet, underneath the lively music and warmhearted people, there is an undercurrent of death. Because that's what the movie's about, when it comes right down to it. It's about things coming to a close. There are so many references to death in the movie. It shows how large a role death plays in these people's lives. This is personified in an angel who wanders around the proceedings. Even the young people are affected: Lindsay Lohan's character writes poems about suicide. So how can a film with such strong and serious themes be also so joyous and uplifting? That's the magic of it. It was Robert Altman's last film; he died shortly after the making of it, and he probably knew that he would. I think this is his parting gift to us. We should cherish this gem.

przgzr Harrelson, Kline, Streep, Jones, Madsen, Tomlin… great names, each of them would make me consider or even force me to watch any movie. And there is Altman himself.Well, if it were not for Altman, probably this movie would stay within USA borders as a cult movie that nobody of us "foreigners" would hear about, except in those stars' filmographies. We would put it in a ladder with other strictly USA projects like Saturday Night Live and similar and mostly forget about it, while Americans would praise it as a highlight of their culture – and I guess they would have all rights to do it: we, across the ocean, simply can't completely understand and recognize it, can't feel it and can't develop enough emotions for it.And this is a deeply emotional movie, unlike most Altman's works that open us a part of the reality, show it, analyze, but usually from the point of a spectator, a chronicler. Here Altman includes even supernatural elements, very unlikely for his other works. But in this movie he expresses sentimental feelings for the subject of the movie which, as usual, is not one or few human destinies, but some community, place, event, society etc. The trouble for non-Americans is that we can understand Nashville because, no matter how deeply American their elections are, we are well informed about them, either by daily news or by so many movies that give us really wide perspective (and also all of us have some elections traditions, events and affairs in our own countries), and besides Altman doesn't expect us to feel something about Nashville; but we can't feel Prairie Home Companion because it is too different from our experiences, and Altman tries to induce emotions in his audience, emotions that you can have only for something that has already touched you in childhood or some other sensitive phase of your life.For me personally, this movie is another prove of Altman's genius, because I had no previous emotions for the subject and he still managed to give me breathless scenes and a create a mood that I felt even more than in many of his movies that corresponded better with my knowledge, feelings, culture. But I am a person that also understands and appreciates words of Queen's Radio Ga-Ga better than the music. I'm glad that I've seen this movie, but I won't repeat it, and I'm not sure to whom could I suggest it if living outside USA (except, of course, Altman's fans, but they've probably watched it already).

gregeichelberger Originally published on June 9, 2006:The pairing of Robert Altman ("M*A*S*H," "The Long Goodbye," "Come Back To The Five and Dime, Jimmy Dean," "The Player," "Gosford Park") and Garrison Keillor, the creator of the long-running radio show, "A Prairie Home Companion" (and author of "Lake Wobegone Days") for a film version of PHG may have seemed a bit odd at first, but the results are inspired.The former's frantic, non-stop dialogue-fueled energy mixes well with the latter's laid-back, down-home, almost sleep-inducing style (with a voice so syrupy you could pour it over your flapjacks), to create Altman's best ensemble work since 1975's "Nashville." In fact, there's a lot of that classic film in this telling of PHC's last night on the air.There's also some of "Waiting For Guffman" and "A Mighty Wind" vibe in the mix, making this film a parody and a homage all at the same time.Narrated by Kevin Kline (who plays security officer Guy Noir, complete with a decades old pinstriped suit), like Bogart's Sam Spade in any number of 1940s detective films, "Companion" weaves a fascinating tale of a radio variety show that should have "died 50 years ago; only no one told" the performers. Now, with a Texas corporation buying station WLT in St. Paul (the bloodsuckers represented by Mr. Axeman - Tommy Lee Jones, "Men In Black II"), and planning to shut it down, this is its last Saturday night performance.And what a bittersweet performance it is. Down home homilies, songs of faith, banjo and guitar pickers, sweet harmonics, a torch song or two, a pair of hilarious cowboys, Dusty and Lefty (Oscar nominees Woody Harrelson, "The People vs. Larry Flint" and John C. Reilly, "Chicago"), the singing Johnson sisters (Meryl Streep and "Nashville" vet, Lily Tomlin, the latter almost sure to get her second Academy Award nomination for this role), and commercial messages (for shoes, herring, rhubarb pie filling, coffee and powder-milk biscuits) that are blatantly ridiculous (yet oddly persuasive) - all presided over by Keillor's gentle ringmaster. By the way, even though he's basically playing himself, Keillor's performance is marvelous, as are all of the actors.These warm moments balanced out Altman's silly subplot of an Angel of Death (Virginia Madsen, "Candyman," "Sideways") who visits the set of that last episode, giving the entire enterprise a rather unnecessary otherworldly feel. I could have done without these distracting sequences, but they do not interfere with the overall work - too much.Nevertheless, with some powerful performances, some great tunes and skits (the bad joke song by Dusty and Lefty is the funniest thing I've seen on the screen in a long time), the crisp writing Altman and Keillor are known for, and an interesting storyline, "A Prairie Home Companion" is well-worth the effort to see (even though you may have to go a bit out of your way to do so). It's moving at times, and a bit surreal in places, but overall a thoroughly enjoyable slice of Americana.

Syl Garrison Keillor should get the Mark Twain Prize for humor, the National Medal of the Arts, and a Star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame for Radio if he hasn't already. He really is a comedic American genius from St. Paul, Minnesota. This film is a must see for those who have listened to the radio show which was taped live at the Fitzgerald Theatre in St. Paul, Minnesota for years and decades. The show reminded me of my visit and experience at the Grand Ole Opry in Nashville. The radio show included advertisements, music, humor, and story-telling in an American style. This film will put a smile on your face even if you don't like country music or easy going American style. Of course, the film's star is Garrison Keillor, an American living legend of humor. His style is approachable, realistic, and practical. The humor doesn't need to be offensive and it isn't on the Prairie home Companion. I love the cast which included Lindsay Lohan before her personal problems; Meryl Streep; Lily Tomlin; John C. Reilly; Woody Harrelson; Kevin Kline; Virginia Madsen; and Maya Rudolph among the regular players who perform on the actual radio show. This film, the radio show, and the story is as American as American pie.