The vignettes of Lake Wobegone are woven into the fabric of the screenplay but not explicitly portrayed. The Virginia Madsen character was, in my opinion, a stroke of shear genius that cements the story line of the movie and weaves in the ethereal quality of the Lake Wobegone tales that Garrison tells.
Kevin Kline, as an alter ego, is so comically wonderful with his pratfalls and self-absorption, yet he brings subtlety and nuance to the role.
Tim Russell is absolutely magnificent in his role as stage manager and deserves consideration for Best Supporting Actor, as does Tom Keith for his sound effects. His "off stage" antics were just a riot--as if his "idiot savant" gift were his only means of communication.
The only clinker in the ensemble was Lindsay Lohan. Clearly this is the best performance she has turned in to-date, but her talent is just not in the same league as any of the other actors and her inclusion is the reason why this movie does not score a 10 in my rating.
I've never been a fan of Meryl Streep, but I must say that her performance here, as a singer and as a character, qualify her as a true national asset. She is mesmerizing as Yolanda Johnson and plays off and with Lily Tomlin with such brilliance that she deserves another Best Actress nomination for this role.
Garrison Keillor, writer, actor, professor, has written a masterpiece. Radio is important. Every show is your last. Get on with it. This is a truly brilliant, wonderful script.
To his credit, this movie seems to have more Garrison than Altman. I don't know what Robert Altman's motivation was for doing this film, but I am glad he undertook the project, for I fear that no other director could have given it the breath that has been achieved. There were the satisfyingly long one shots and not a lot of jump edits that are hallmarks of Altman, and (although I did not look for it specifically, but rather intuit) good tracking shots that give the viewer a sense of depth to the picture.
We saw A Prairie Home Companion in a packed house at 2:30 on a Sunday on opening weekend. The audience skewed a little older but there were many families with younger children in attendance, too. I hope every listener sees the film, and I hope every viewer of the film becomes a listener. This is a very special movie.
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