A Prairie Home Companion (2006)

 

A Prairie Home Companion - 2006

Coming up next is 2006's "A Prairie Home Companion", a film that explores the last installment of a long-standing and much-beloved radio show.  We meet all the characters and see what they are like both off and on stage.

The film's cast includes Woody Harrelson, Tommy Lee Jones, Garrison Keillor, Kevin Kline, Lindsay Lohan, Virginia Madsen, John C. Reilly, Maya Rudolph, Meryl Streep, Lily Tomlin, Marylouise Burke, and L.Q. Jones.

At the Fitzgerald Theater in St. Paul, Minnesota, a very popular and much-loved radio show is coming to an end.  It's the final night of the show.  However, the audience knows nothing.  Garrison Keillor is the host and keeps the whole thing flowing onstage with witty stories and various commercials for such things as "Jens Jensen Pickled Herring" and "BeBop ReBop Frozen Rhubarb Pie and Frozen Rhubarb Pie Filling".

Show security is provided by private eye Guy Noir, who has a terrific way with words.  All of show's cast and crew love him.

He's fascinated by a mysterious woman who appeared backstage and wanders around unimpeded.  When talking of her to another man, he says, "Her hair was what God had in mind when he said, 'Let there be...hair'".

It turns out that this woman was a former listener of the show.  She is currently deceased and now acts as a sort of "Death Angel" named Asphodel, bringing comfort to the cast and crew of the show.

Among the more famous acts of the show are members of a great singing family, Rhonda and Yolanda Johnson.  The two sisters sing "My Minnesota Home" to rapturous applause from the audience.

After a beloved cast member dies during the show, the Johnson girls take to the stage to sing "Goodbye To My Mama" in memory of their friend.

Garrison Keillor occasionally teams up with Yolanda, as he does here with a song called "Gold Watch And Chain".

Yolanda is very excited to have her daughter, Lola, attending the show.  Lola even gets a chance on stage.  She sings a rendition of "Frankie And Johnny".

Chuck Akers is a sort of bluegrass singer.  His farewell to the show (in more ways than one) is a song called "You've Been A Friend To Me".

We've also got those "Pachelbels of the prairie" and those "Brahms of the bunkhouse", singing cowboys Dusty and Lefty.  Their act/song "Bad Jokes" leaves the audience in stitches.

Other acts with the show include Robin and Linda Williams and gospel-style singer Jearlyn Steele.  Jearlyn does a "Coffee" commercial with Garrison that is pretty funny.

Smells so lovely when you pour it, you will want to drink a quart of coffee.

It's delicious all alone, it's also good with donuts, black coffee.

Coffee stimulates your urges, is served in Lutheran churches.

Keeps the Swedes and the Germans awake through the sermons.

Have a pot of it today, I'm sure you'll say it's awfully good coffee.

During the show, the man who is going to pull the plug on it comes to watch.  He gets more than he bargained for when he gets a visit from Death Angel Asphodel.

At the conclusion of the show, the cast comes together on the stage to sing "Red River Valley" and "In The Sweet By and By" as they bid the audience goodnight.

Some years later, the main cast is sitting in Mickey's Diner in St. Paul discussing the possibility of a road touring of the old radio show.  Everybody is excited at the prospect of getting back together.

Everybody pauses, however, when a familiar face walks into the diner.  They wonder who among them she has come for.

Cast rundown:

   Woody Harrelson.............................Dusty

   Tommy Lee Jones............................Axeman

   Garrison Keillor................................Himself

   Kevin Kline......................................Guy Noir

   Lindsay Lohan.................................Lola Johnson

   Virginia Madsen...............................Asphodel

   John C. Reilly...................................Lefty

   Maya Rudolph..................................Molly

   Meryl Streep...................................Yolanda Johnson

   Lily Tomlin......................................Rhonda Johnson

   Marylouise Burke.............................Evelyn

   L.Q. Jones......................................Chuck Akers

And that's it for A Prairie Home Companion.  This film was included on Roger Ebert's "Great Movies" list.  All of the musical segments were recorded live before an audience.  The director then asked the audience to choose their favorite take of each song, which was then included in the film.  Michelle Pfeiffer was originally supposed to play the role of Asphodel, however, she later backed out.  Virginia Madsen's agent mentioned the role to her in passing, figuring that Madsen would pass.  She jumped at the chance as she was a huge fan of the original radio show.

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