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June 20, 2006
Movies : A Prairie Home Companion
Writers and Directors in Hollywood have been fighting for decades about the "possessory credit" – who gets to say "a film by…" (or equivalent) in the opening credits. On the one hand, who doubts that "Psycho" is an Alfred Hitchcock film (as opposed to Robert Bloch or Joseph Stefano, the writers)? On the other hand, who doubts that "The Odd Couple" is a Neil Simon film (as opposed to Gene Saks, the director)? Then there are cases like "Carrie" – should it be labeled a "Steven King" film after the writer or a "Bran De Palma" film after the director? Each profession has practitioners who are able to leave an indelible mark on their work, leaving no doubt as to whose work it is; yet coming up with industry rules to cover these "I know it when I see it" issues has proven impossible and too frequently has ended up in court.
Thus I start this review with the observation that the movie "A Prairie Home Companion" is without a doubt "owned" by its director, Robert Altman; not its writer Garrison Keillor, creator of the radio program from which it gets its name. Altman is famous for many things in his films: large casts of characters (check), complex overlapping dialog where characters either talk over each other or where there are multiple conversations going on screen at the same time (check). He is also known for using character as opposed to story to carry his themes. The plots of Altman films are often thin meandering affairs where not much actually happens, but where you understand the various characters' points of view quite well (check).
Most of all, Altman films are often not about what they seem to be about. M*A*S*H was not about the Korean War. Nashville was not about country music. Prêt-à-Porter was not about fashion. And "A Prairie Home Companion" is not about a radio show. It isn't even set in the real-world radio show of that name, as is evidenced by the fact that many of the fictional characters from the radio show appear as real people in the film. No, as with many of his other films, Altman presents us with a stylized version of some reality as a setting for characters who have something else to say.
This is important to understand as I have seen many negative reviews by critics who seem to have gone to the screening expecting this movie to be come kind of concert film – showing the production of the actual show – and were confused and disappointed when it did not meet those expectations. No, this film is something quite different.
As to what this film is actually about, that's another matter. I think I understand it; but am hesitant to express my opinions here because I fear they would lead people astray. It is a film about X; but quite unlike any other film about X which has ever been made. Were I to say what X is, I suspect I would discourage people from seeing the movie that would very much enjoy it, and might attract people who would be bored by the experience. The film's greatest virtue is its uniqueness and any simple statement here would not do it justice.
To be honest, it took me a while to form my own opinion about the movie. When I got home I felt like I had to wait for my brain to reset after the experience (in part because I too had gone to it with incorrect expectations). In the end I have decided that this is a truly great film, and want to actually go out and see it again soon (now that I know what to expect). My recommendation to others – if you go to the movie without expectations of what it will be, you are likely to enjoy it.
Posted by Steven at June 20, 2006 06:20 AM
