Review of A Prairie Home Companion (2006) by Jimg. — 11 Jun 2006

How do you preserve the essence of a live radio show? I'm not asking how you capture a performance on film, but how you capture the cumulative essence of thirty years of performances--the weekly ins and outs? Just as our memories someday will do, Altman separates Prairie's wheat from its chaff, alternating between on-air performances and backstage fellowship.

He gives us much recognizable (longstanding bits, GK's sighs and harmonies, wonderful musical performances, and sound effects) but, cleverly, distracts us---our memory will be full but incomplete.

The news from Lake Wobegon isn't missing, it's simply delivered by GK through his backstage screenplay rather than "on air." Fans of Keillor present and future will have this cinematic memory to savor.

The only fault I could find is that, though Streep and Tomlin are perfectly placed and enjoyable, I wish Sue Scott was featured in her usual multiple "on air" roles rather relegated to a single backstage role.

(And, only because Keillor's inspiration for PHC was the Grand Ole Opry, I am left wondering what we would enjoy now if only Altman had sought out to preserve the Grand Ole Opry on film in this manner when the scinons of the 30's, 40's and 50's were alive and still performing.