A MIGHTY WIND
US, 2003, 98 minutes, Colour.
Eugene Levy, Catherine O' Hara, Christopher Guest, Harry Shearer, Michael Mc Kean, John Michael Higgins, Jane Lynch, Paul Dooley, Fred Willard, Bob Balaban, Ed Begley Jnr, Jennifer Coolidge, Larry Miller.
Directed by Christopher Guest.
In 1984, This is Spinal Tap began its journey to being a very popular cult classic. This spoof of rock music and musicians was written by Christopher Guest, Michael Mc Kean and Harry Shearer. They continued their collaboration in such hilarious spoofs as Waiting for Guffman (small towns and their patriotic pageants) and their best comedy, Best in Show (dog competitions). In comparison, A Mighty Wind is slighter and narrower in focus, but enjoyable nonetheless. Christopher Guest is the director and co-writer, collaborating in Best in Show and here with actor, Eugene Levy.
The screenplay is very witty with plenty of laughs at and with the characters. The target is the popular country music and clean cut and sentimental groups of the 1960s. Their producer has died and his son thinks that a televised concert starring three of his groups would be a tribute to him. As in previous films, there are lots of interviews with Guest's regular cast enjoying themselves with script and improvising. In fact, Guest, Shearer and McKean? portray one of the groups, The Folksmen, who are reuniting after more than 30 years with humorously deadpan memories. Eugene Levy himself (almost unrecognisable in grey fright wig) and Catherine O'Hara are Mitch and Mikey, a kind of romantic Peter, Paul and Mary (without Paul), he having had a series of breakdowns and she married to a catheter salesman whose hobby is model trains. The third group is an overenthusiastic ensemble called the New Main Street Singers, featuring cleancut husband and wife (John Michael Higgins and Jane Lynch) who give hilarious interviews, she, looking cleaner than clean, about her questionable life, and he and she explaining their New Age beliefs and rituals about colour.
By the time the concert comes on, there is more than a touch of nostalgia for those old days. The lyrics might be over the top or just plain silly, but there is a zest about the singing and the playing which means, that despite the spoof, those old days were sometimes good old days. Well, maybe the makers are getting a little older and appealing to their generation while the younger generation might just scratch their heads. But it is very entertaining.
1. The films of Christopher Guest and his friends, twenty years of spoofs on American society, American music, silliness, affectation? Yet a sense of affection and nostalgia for some of the subjects?
2. The structure of the film: the in memoriam of the producer, his son and the interviews, the decision to have the concert? The involvement of the Public Broadcasting Network and its manager? The range of the testimonies for the dead producer, the journalists, the music people, the academics? The original member of the Main Street Singers and his memories? The new Main Street Singers and their eccentric manager, The Folksmen and their interviews, the footage of all these groups from television of the 60s? Mitch and Mickey, the covers of their albums, the television shows, their story - culminating in the kiss on television? Their all gathering for rehearsals, the preparation for the concert?
3. The range of interviews throughout the film, scripted and improvised? Funny, ironic, deadpan, surface clean-cut, underneath? The editing of these interviews, cutting into the action, the cumulative effect? Information about the past, a funny look at the past, American music in the 60s and onwards?
4. The portrait of The Folksmen - then, now? Their songs and their main hit, "Eat at Joe's", their singing it in the past, the present, at the concert? Even in their casino career? Their meeting together, seeming old to each other, their rehearsals, reminiscences, the characters, their diversity of personality? Their going to the town hall, their song being stolen, their success and the audience response? Mark and his boring story about the Spanish Civil War? Their watching Mitch and Mickey and their emotions at the kiss? Their job at the casino, their comments, singing the same song - and the irony of Mark deciding that he was always a woman and dressing accordingly?
5. The Main Street Singers and their music, the country style, the lyrics, television appearances, their travels? The original founder, his reminiscences? The re-teaming? The Bohners and the stories of their life, the wife and her career in pornography and her bland and cheery telling of the story? The husband and his career, as a little boy, his songs, wanting to be with the Main Street Singers? The young woman and her story and her happiness at being part of the group? The other members of the group, the young man and his need for practice before he could play without the uniform? The rehearsals? The philosophy of colour, The Bohners and their rituals? Their manager, his talk about television, his crass and corny jokes, his inability to see what an impression he made, the particular phrases that he used on shows? The aftermath of the concert and his still trying to pitch ideas to the television stations - and the same awkward and unfunny phrases?
6. Mitch and Mickey and the more human face of the singers of the 60s? The son on the phone persuading Mitch that his father liked him best? The past, their story, working together, the hospital incident and Mitch being injured in defending Mickey, the rose? The song, the kiss on television? His going downhill, the institutions, his hair, his eyes popping? His arrival to see Mickey, his being lost, going to the motel, the sex activity next door, the son visiting him and the same disturbance? With Mickey, their reminiscences, making up for past differences? The rehearsals and their detail? Mickey, the memory of their fights, her marrying, her husband and his deadpan talk, showing Mitch his model trains, explaining his job in selling catheters and other equipment? The build-up to the concert, Mitch wandering, Mickey's anger, the delay on stage, his bringing a rose and making up, the kiss on stage at the concert? Mickey later singing at exhibitions of her husband's wares and finding it satisfying? Mitch continuing to write?
7. The family of the producer, the son and his interviews, obsessive manner and tidying? His talking with the producer from Public Broadcasting, the broadcaster's reminiscences of growing up in Sweden? The other son and daughter, relationships, with their father? The son compering the concert, the clash with the manager and the detailed discussions about security with the vase of flowers, the lights, the exasperation of the officer?
8. The show, the PBN producer in the box, the producer and his exasperation, the success of televising the show?
9. The publicity, the party, the agent and his assistant, her clothes, her inane comments?
10. The singing of "A Mighty Wind", the ensemble, the audience joining in, sung with affection?
11. The combination of laughing at eccentricities, laughing with eccentricities - and yet a feelgood tone?
