Softwing Most undeservingly overhyped movie of all time??

Aneesa Wardle The story, direction, characters, and writing/dialogue is akin to taking a tranquilizer shot to the neck, but everything else was so well done.

Alistair Olson After playing with our expectations, this turns out to be a very different sort of film.

Staci Frederick Blistering performances.

quantumcat I watched this in my hotel room. And really it scared me. It's very good entertaining documentary, that starts off with a good concert in the UK by the Dixie Chicks in the UK at the eve of the second Gulf War. Instead of saying thank you and goodbye, one of the D-girls speaks her heart and speaks up against the pending war, which the Britisch press gladly covers. When it hits the American Press, the controversy is a fact and a riot is born that is just a tad shy of the Nazi book-burning in the late 30's for dissing the President of America. Apparently everything is Free, except the freedom of speech. Songs are banned from the radio stations, CD's are destroyed. This documentary follows the three years of heavy weather the three D-girls landed in and the swimming upstream in which they mature as a band.I personally liked the documentary, it's filled with great and catchy country music, it's funny, witty, endearing and because you get a nice insight to the Dixie Chicks, to who they are and what moves them. You also get a scary insight to the USA, in what seems a funny political satire, but which sadly isn't so ... it's real. That what makes it scary! This is "Canadian Bacon" meets "This is Spinal Tap" on reality TV! I wouldn't recommend people to go buy the DVD, but catch it on TV if you get the chance! I said this, since I'm not a big fan of rockumentaries on DVD. The only ones I ever bought were (for obvious reasons): "This is Spinal Tap", "Meet the Ruttles" and "I'm Not There". (if not obvious: they 're not real documentaries, the first two are mocumentaries, the latter is a collection of surreal impression based on several phases in Dylans life, portrayed through actors, rather than running after Dylan with a camera all the time)Apparently the movie made a bigger impact than expected. So: Correction: do go and buy the DVD if you missed this on TV!

bexandbarn I knew that the chicks were vilified for speaking out against the Iraq war, but I presumed it was calculated and that they were politically savvy. Not so, as it turned out, it was merely a throwaway comment from the lead singer which she wouldn't have said if she'd realized the consequences. Saying that, this was a good indication of how nuts mainstream America is. They even got death threats! Beyond the PR damage limitation exercises and the corporate proclamations of their oily manager, this was quite an interesting journey. Unfortunately, I don't like their middle-of-the-road music at all, although some of the lyrics are quite good. It was a good finale when they returned to London. I would have called this Don't shut up and don't sing.

Ed Uyeshima The galvanizing effect of one offhand statement from singer Natalie Maines on a London concert stage in 2003 turned the Dixie Chicks, the highly popular crossover country-pop trio, into a corn-belt pariah and a lightning rod for anti-Bush sentiments. Veteran documentarian Barbara Kopple, along with co-director Cecilia Peck (daughter of Gregory), cover the incident in question with minimum fuss in this 2006 film, but what they do quite well is show how much effort it has taken the group to ride the firestorm and get their career back on track with the music. Kopple and Peck spent three years with the band, and the resulting sense of intimacy makes this one of the better backstage-type documentaries.The film's chief takeaway is that the sisterhood between Maines and bandmates Emily Robison and Martie Maguire is genuine. As they ride the torrent of death threats, hate mail, boycotts and plummeting record sales and canceled tour stops, they never appear at serious odds with each other. There is one honest scene where Maguire suggests that she and her sister separate themselves from the remark to minimize the impact, but they all eventually realize there is more strength to be had in staying together through it. Much of the intractable bond has to do with each woman's efforts at balancing work and family, and a lot of credit seems due to their longtime manager Simon Renshaw.Unsurprisingly, Maines come across as the sharp-tongued, unapologetic contrarian of the group, a fountain of impulsive outbursts, but her instincts often prove right as they find triumph with their last album produced by the indefatigable, comeback-savvy Rick Rubin, who looks and acts a bit like Brian Wilson during his acid-saturated days. The mob mentality that builds against the group provide the most visceral scenes in the movie, although given the trio's abundant talent and the fact that most of the protests were concentrated in the country radio market, one can't help but feel there is something of a tempest in a teapot about the whole story. Credited to no less than seven cameramen, the cinematography is vivid, and the print condition on the 2007 DVD is pristine. The only extra is the theatrical trailer.

susan_mckevitt84 I just watched the movie last night and felt really uplifted about the way these gals handled the whole situation, from start to finish. I loved the ending when they went back to the "scene of the crime". The Brits just loved it too.I have never listened to the Dixie Chick's music and knew nothing about them other than the controversy. They are truly role models in a way that so many music stars aren't. I thoroughly enjoyed seeing the various family members and sharing in the birth of the twins. They are all so wonderfully grounded. I enjoyed their music and will definitely be buying a CD or two soon. Also, if I'm fortunate enough to catch a concert when they're next in Canada (Ottawa, not Moose Jaw!), I'll be a happy camper.