A Mighty Wind
Back Together for the First Time, Again.
In A Mighty Wind, director Christopher Guest reunites the team from Best in Show and Waiting for Guffman to tell the story (co-written by Eugene Levy) of '60s-era folk musicians, who, inspired by the death of their former manager, get back on the stage for one concert in New York City's Town Hall.
Levy and Catherine O'Hara are Mitch and Mickey, once the sweethearts of folk music until their bitter separation; Guest, Michael McKean and Harry Shearer are classic folk trio The Folksmen, and Parker Posey, John Michael Higgins and Jane Lynch anchor a color-coordinated, harmonizing "neuftet" - the New Main Street Singers.
Joining the musicians are Bob Balaban, Ed Begley, Jr., Jennifer Coolidge, Paul Dooley, Michael Hitchcock, Don Lake, Larry Miller, Jim Piddock, Deborah Theaker and Fred Willard, who all work to revive folk music in this uniquely touching comedy.
Member Reviews
Hmmmm - Sprock
A Mighty Wind did not live up to the expectations that I had for it. I really enjoyed the movie Best in Show and I was hoping that A Mighty Wind would deliver just as many laughs. I enjoy the moc-umentry style of the this movie but there just didn't seem to be enough effort put into the making of it.Loco Man - SPSullivan
I imagine that Christopher Guest's mockumentaries must be mysterious beasts to the novice viewer. Apart from their unusual format, the style of humour Guest employs is well removed from typical Hollywood fare. He doesn't go for zinging one-liners or big set-piece gags: rarely is Guest striving for a joke which will have the audience rolling in the aisles. Instead he aims to build an offbeat atmosphere, gradually introducing people and situations which are off-kilter but rarely totally ludicrous, so that by the time the credits roll, the viewer is grinning madly at the deft twisting of the subject matter. "A Mighty Wind" falls into this category: all the characters are a little strange, but none of them come from totally out of left field, and nothing happens which feels overly contrived. High marks go to Levy for the wonderfully eccentric Mitch, and Balaban for his portrayal of a neurotic concert organiser. But where Guest fails in comparison to his last effort, "Best In Show", is that he's not willing to really skewer the folk music scenario. Every time he seems to be building to such a moment, he pulls up short; it's as if he likes the characters too much to add any real bite to the movie. The result is a lukewarm, slightly empty affair. "A Mighty Wind" is still amusing, but it's a lesser entry into the Guest book.What a delight - Shawn_in_Montreal
Another great effort from Guest, Levy, O'Hara et al. It's amost unfair that these people should be such talented actors, comedians, improvisors, writers AND be so musically talented to boot. I did find myself getting a bit impatient during some of the folk songs; on the other hand the duet by Levy and O'Hara is actually quite touching and her solo number about catheters at the end of the film... well, perhaps I've said too much. After you've watched the film, watch it again with the commentary on: its another comic treat from Guest and Levy, with plenty of fun insights. Lots of Cancon in this movie, too!
Member Reviews
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Hmmmm - Sprock
A Mighty Wind did not live up to the expectations that I had for it. I really enjoyed the movie Best in Show and I was hoping that A Mighty Wind would deliver just as many laughs. I enjoy the moc-umentry style of the this movie but there just didn't seem ...Loco Man - SPSullivan
I imagine that Christopher Guest's mockumentaries must be mysterious beasts to the novice viewer. Apart from their unusual format, the style of humour Guest employs is well removed from typical Hollywood fare. He doesn't go for zinging one-liners or big set-piece ...What a delight - Shawn_in_Montreal
Another great effort from Guest, Levy, O'Hara et al. It's amost unfair that these people should be such talented actors, comedians, improvisors, writers AND be so musically talented to boot. I did find myself getting a bit impatient during some of the folk ...