Such a frustrating disappointment

Instant Favorite.

This is one of the few movies I've ever seen where the whole audience broke into spontaneous, loud applause a third of the way in.

The plot isn't so bad, but the pace of storytelling is too slow which makes people bored. Certain moments are so obvious and unnecessary for the main plot. I would've fast-forwarded those moments if it was an online streaming. The ending looks like implying a sequel, not sure if this movie will get one

Watching this movie again, great cast! So many awesome singers, Merryl, Lily, Garrison, Woody.

I had no idea what I was getting into with this odd yet cozy little portrayal of an American icon. I expected the dialogue to be smart, the characters to be memorable, the humor to be sharp, & the music to be wonderful, & that was all fulfilled. However, the almost nihilistic existentialism that pervades the surprising fantasy elements threw me for a loop; I can't decide if they were misguided overreaches or acutely genius. Either way, I loved this movie, & I think it will only benefit from multiple viewings.

I heard of this film after the death of legendary director Robert Altman (MASH, Nashville, Gosford Park), who died from complications of leukaemia after completing this film, so I had to watch it. There is no specific plot, it is basically seeing behind the scenes of the making of the last of episode of radio show "A Prairie Home Companion", being cancelled. It is a music variety show recorded live in front of an audience in a theatre in St. Paul, Minnesota, hosted by real radio presenter Garrison Keillor, or GK (best known for voicing the Honda adverts). Regulars including singing guitarist cowboys and risqué humoured Dusty (Woody Harrelson) and Lefty (John C. Reilly), and the singing Johnson sisters Rhonda (Lily Tomlin) and Yolanda (Meryl Streep). The film sees them talk about their lives and the show backstage, and they try to convince the youngest Johnson sister, Lola (Lindsay Lohan) to sing on this last show. Also there is a mysterious white trench coat wearing woman (Virginia Madsen) wandering around the theatre, dim-witted security guard Guy Noir (Kevin Kline) is around too, and of course the man closing the theatre and show down, The Axeman (Tommy Lee Jones) is around to see the show end. Also starring Maya Rudolph as Molly, Marylouise Burke as Lunch Lady and L.Q. Jones as Chuck Akers. The all-star cast is very appealing, the singing and humour is the big hook of the film, and it was certainly a fine film for Altman to bow out with, a great comedy. Very good!

Was fantastic watching it. The music was great great great! Meryl Streep was awesome. GK was GK. Woody Harrelson has a surprisingly good role and the songs he played were both funny and lovely to hear. Meryl Streep probably cast a big shadow on the film, but surprisingly and to good effect most major actors played limited but significant roles and were well cast. It was like most Nordic films, though this has nothing to do with anything other than the PHC radio show. It had a feeling of celebration, music and joy, but it has an underlying tone of destruction and death to it. One softens the other naturally.