It's been a quiet week...
We went to see A Prairie Home Companion this afternoon. It wasn't unpleasant by any means, but it also wasn't a particularly good movie. Not bad, but not great. I'm a big fan of the radio show, though, so I had pretty high expectations. If I had the choice, I'd spent most Saturday nights from 5 to 7 sitting someplace quietly listening to KUAF. Since I seldom get that chance, though, I prefer to listen to the replay on Sunday afternoon, usually while either napping or browsing the paper. Ah...good times.
The primary problem with the movie was that it was weird to see other actors playing the characters that I've known from the show for years. Kevin Kline is a great guy, but he's not Guy Noir (although he did look a bit like Dabney Coleman). Woody Harrelson has turned into a pretty good actor, and John C. Reilly is always enjoyable, but they were not Dusty and Lefty.
I tried to figure out if they and the other classic characters were actually supposed to be figments of Garrison Keillor's imagination, but if that was the case, I missed it. In fact, I feel like there was a lot I missed. I left with the feeling that it didn't entirely make sense because I didn't understand it. I'm not at all bothered by movies that don't explicitly explain everything to the audience (in fact, I kind of like them), and I usually clue into that sort of thing, so I tend toward the movie-just-didn't-make-sense explanation.
There were some cute, funny parts, but most of them involved in-jokes from the radio show. Since people who don't listen to the show probably wouldn't go see the movie either, that was probably pretty safe.
Personally, I would've enjoyed staying home and listening to the show more. I think my preference for a movie version would've just been setting up cameras and recording an episode of the radio show, maybe interspersed with some backstage stuff and interviews. Since it's doubtful I'll get a chance to see a live show anytime soon, I'd pay good money to watch it in a theater.
The primary problem with the movie was that it was weird to see other actors playing the characters that I've known from the show for years. Kevin Kline is a great guy, but he's not Guy Noir (although he did look a bit like Dabney Coleman). Woody Harrelson has turned into a pretty good actor, and John C. Reilly is always enjoyable, but they were not Dusty and Lefty.
I tried to figure out if they and the other classic characters were actually supposed to be figments of Garrison Keillor's imagination, but if that was the case, I missed it. In fact, I feel like there was a lot I missed. I left with the feeling that it didn't entirely make sense because I didn't understand it. I'm not at all bothered by movies that don't explicitly explain everything to the audience (in fact, I kind of like them), and I usually clue into that sort of thing, so I tend toward the movie-just-didn't-make-sense explanation.
There were some cute, funny parts, but most of them involved in-jokes from the radio show. Since people who don't listen to the show probably wouldn't go see the movie either, that was probably pretty safe.
Personally, I would've enjoyed staying home and listening to the show more. I think my preference for a movie version would've just been setting up cameras and recording an episode of the radio show, maybe interspersed with some backstage stuff and interviews. Since it's doubtful I'll get a chance to see a live show anytime soon, I'd pay good money to watch it in a theater.
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