A Prairie Home Companion (2006) -vs- Nashville (1975)

Review by Bryce Zabel 

The Smackdown | Both our films are dramas with lots of music, directed by Robert Altman, with fine performances by Lily Tomlin. Separated by thirty years.

The Challenger | "A Prairie Home Companion" is the name of the radio show that Garrison Keillor's been doing for, oh, about as long as it's been since "Nashville" was in the theaters. Only in this movie, the real-life Garrison Keillor plays G.K. (also referred to as Garrison Keillor) who is doing a show that is also called "A Prairie Home Companion" but, in the movie world, the show is being shut down by a character named the Axeman, played by Tommy Lee Jones. Is that clear? It doesn't matter. The movie is chock full of celebrity actors including Meryl Streep, Lindsay Lohan, Kevin Kline, Virginia Madsen, Lily Tomlin, Woody Harrelson and John C. Reilly. Plus, with the exception of Kline and Madsen, they all sing. It's way more than a performance show -- like recording Keillor's radio show the way they recorded "Woodstock" -- and is really a moving euglogy to a time that is fast leaving us.

A tribute to a real show that's still on-the-air about it going off-the-air. Got it?

The Defending Champion |Altman made "Nashville" three decades ago and it really began his reputation as a director who sees movies differently than other directors -- less emphasis on story, more on a collection of characters in a particular place just living their lives. There are nearly two dozen characters in this film and no real star. There are stars in it, to be sure, but none of them can really lay claim to the film being their vehicle. It's hard to describe the plot. There's politics involved, even a potential assassination, but it's more about a few days and nights in the lives of these Nashville visitors (and some locals) all of whom are obsessed with country music.

"How did I get in a movie with a bunch of Shriners?"

Scorecard |"A Prairie Home Companion" is a great movie if A) you're an Altman fan and B) you're a "A Prairie Home Companion" fan. It's whimsical in a way that still leaves it imbued with meaning and, when it's done, it does feel like you've learned something about the human condition. But it's still pretty much cotton candy with some nice gentle humor, fun music and distinct characters. "Nashville", on the other hand, has all that going for it, but it also feels like an important film and has only grown in its stature over the years between the two.

The Decision |If you have never seen "Nashville" then that's your pick. Go get it and watch it and see Robert Altman doing what he does best. If you're one of the people who just has to go see "A Prairie Home Companion" while it's out, then you know who you are, and it doesn't matter which is the better film. But, for the record, that's "Nashville."