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I went to see A Prairie Home Companion the ‘Movie’ again. A truly wonderful film, a cinematic break from the trivial or sensational adaptations we’ve seen in the cinema before. Its altogether different - first off PHC is a radio programme- that really goes out every Saturday on NPR over in the States’, a musical variety show interspersed with the host’s (Garrison Keillor) long tales. He wrote and stars in the PHC Movie, directed by Robert Altman - his final film. Not an obvious choice for hollywood… it was filmed on location at the Fitzgerald Theatre- and seems to be making the rounds in the filmhouse cinemas (here in Scotland) after generally positive reception in America.

The long tales don’t really make it onto the screen although the very documentary style of the first scene - in which Keillor stands in his underpants in the middle of the bustling dressingrooms telling hyperbolic stories of his early days in radio, saving a drowning man from ankle-deep water, clarifying the identity of a pilot in a tangled story about an early transcontinental flight that ditched in a Minnesota lake (after shooting itself down) - does capture a little of his whimsical musings… sadly no “News from lake Wobegon“.

Altman has not tampered, it would seem, from a Keillor screenplay. I’ve just finished “Lake Wobegon Days” a semi-autobiographical fiction of his… how simple it would be for the director - a fan - to belittle the show, to compile great moments of the broadcast and film them documentary style. No, Altman’s film is a backstage farce. Kline is excellent- a happy John Cleese of a character, jumping around, providing physical comic relief. When you’re not sure if that last bit was supposed to be touching or Keillor stretching religious absurdities - one of the songs the “Johnson Sisters” sing as an example;

Goodbye to my Mama, my uncles and aunts,
One after another they went to lie down.
In the green pastures beside the still waters
And make no sound.

There is some fine comedy acting from the supporting cast too. Not to skip the headliners (Streep, Harrelson, Tommy Lee Jones) who fit in well, Altman’s take is true to any real stage-show where its all about the background people- the crew, most of the screentime is spent in the wings even the front-of-house staff at the ‘Fitzgerald have a part. And I feel these are the real deal… the only stooge in the whole performance was perhaps Tommy Lee Jones’ character, who could have benefited from a little more to play off of. His entrance in the film was hilarious on first viewing, no one laughed tonight. Its a thin line between parody and wit.

Altman filmed on location where the street was the street, the stage was the stage and the guy having a quick cigarette before the show on the sidewalks was the real macoy. Certainly the real Robin and Linda Williams are there and Tom Keith is great as- well Himself. If you don’t know the radio show you won’t be disappointed the music is foot-thumpingly great and the atmosphere will intoxicate you.

A possible wink to F. Scott Fitzgerald (in Gatsby, a car accident is a great turning point - not so here) where an angel character guides the new owner of the big-bad (TEXAN!) radio station (who are about to cancel this wonderful show) to take the short-cut home… via the same stretch of road on which she crashed and died, while listening to the radio show. Another one where where Guy Noir asks the Texan whether he was driven to the mad decision because God had instructed it.

The direction is not without its faults - Altman encouraged imrovisation its quite obvious who wins: Kline, who looses: Lily Tomlin, supporting Streep in one of her character’s mental-jaunts. The interpretation of characters, the Johnson sisters particularly reminded me of Witherspoon’s weak and pretty boring performance in ‘Walk the Line”, the female characters on stage are subservient did make me think Meryl Streep had taken the Carter reference “like us (Johnson sisters) but famous” to heart, like the June Carter in Walk the Line, pretty weak. Behind the scenes their voice is heard and is pretty amusing - actually perhaps its bang on (I don’t know many mid-westerners), Keillor makes himself out to be a cruel disinterested toffee-nose. Perhaps that’s how he views himself, this isn’t a documentary… I really like his placing in the whole scheme of things, asked by Lola (that’s Lohan’s character, above) whether he wants to be remembered after he dies G.K. responds “sure, I want people to remember me, I just don’t want them to be forced to” again, when Lola’s mother (played by Streep) asks what he’ll do if this really is the last show he answers back

G.K: “I’ll probably get another job somewhere where I never have to talk again”

Yolanda: “an underwear model?”

G.K.: “sure, if they’ll take me.”

The scene (Keillor’s character, himself to a point) epitomises this film’s attraction to me. It is not going to be everything to everyone, its going to drop everything and do what it wants. That’s uncomfortable and unsightly at times, but look at if differently and its kind of cute.

[insert image of Garrison Keillor as underwear model]

…wouldn’t this be a good time for a piece of rhubarb pie? Yes! Nothing gets the taste of shame and humiliation out of your mouth like Bebopareebop: Rhubarb Pie.

Yes, One little thing can revive a guy,
And that is a piece of rhubarb pie.
Serve it up!
All Nice and hot!
Maybe things aren’t as bad as you thought?

Oh - Mama’s little baby loves rhubarb, rhubarb-
Beebopareebop Rhubarb Pie.
Mama’s little baby loves rhubarb, rhubarb
Beebopareebop Rhubarb Pie.
Beebopareebop Rhubarb Pie.