A Mighty Wind (2003)

Director:

Christopher Guest

Writers (WGA):

Christopher Guest (written by) &
Eugene Levy (written by)

Release Date:

9 May 2003 (USA)

Genre:

Comedy | Music

Tagline:

Back together for the first time, again.

Plot:

Mockumentary captures the reunion of 1960s folk trio the Folksmen as they prepare for a show at The Town Hall to memorialize a recently deceased concert promoter.

Plot Keywords:

Concert | Reunion | Musician | New York City | Mockumentary

Awards:

Nominated for Oscar. Another 12 wins & 12 nominations

Cast

Jim Moret	...	Newscaster
Stuart Luce	...	Irving Steinbloom
Mary Gross	...	Ma Klapper
Marty Belafsky	...	Ramblin' Sandy Pitnik (also as Marty Belasky)
Michael Baser	...	Pa Klapper
Jared Nelson Smith	...	Young Chuck Wiseman
Ryan Raddatz	...	Bill Weyburn
Todd Lieberman	...	Fred Knox
Matthew Joy	...	Boy Klapper
Laura Harris	...	Girl Klapper
Brian Riley	...	Young George Menschell
Harry Shearer	...	Mark Shubb
Michael McKean	...	Jerry Palter
Christopher Guest	...	Alan Barrows
Eugene Levy	...	Mitch Cohen
Catherine O'Hara	...	Mickey Crabbe
Bob Balaban	...	Jonathan Steinbloom
Rachael Harris	...	Steinbloom's Assistant
Tyler Forsberg	...	Young Jonathan Steinbloom
Paul Dooley	...	George Menschell
Jim Ortlieb	...	David Kantor
Andrew Dickler	...	1971 Dell Wiseman
Thomas Lowry	...	1971 Howard Wiseman (as Thom Lowry)
Keva Rosenfeld	...	1971 Chuck Wiseman
Brian Allen	...	1960s Mitch & Mickey Bass
Danny Merritt	...	1960s Mitch & Mickey Guitar
Paul Benedict	...	Martin Berg
Floyd Van Buskirk	...	Steve Lang (as Floyd Vanbuskirk)
Jane Lynch	...	Laurie Bohner
John Michael Higgins	...	Terry Bohner
Parker Posey	...	Sissy Knox
Christopher Moynihan	...	Sean Halloran
David Blasucci	...	Tony Pollono
Patrick Sauber	...	Jerald Smithers
Steve Pandis	...	Johnny Athenakis
Mark Nonisa	...	Mike Maryama
Cameron Sprague	...	Young Terry Bohner
LeShay N. Tomlinson	...	Steinbloom's Secretary (as Leshay Tomlinson)
Mina Kolb	...	Dr. Mildred Wickes
Jim Piddock	...	Leonard Crabbe
Don Lake	...	Elliott Steinbloom
Deborah Theaker	...	Naomi Steinbloom
Fred Willard	...	Mike LaFontaine
Ed Begley Jr.	...	Lars Olfen
Wendel Meldrum	...	Witch #1
Diane Delano	...	Witch #2
Jim Jennewein	...	Witch #3 (as James Jennewein)
Richard Hicks	...	Witch #4
Michael Hitchcock	...	Lawrence E. Turpin
Larry Miller	...	Wally Fenton
Jennifer Coolidge	...	Amber Cole
Michael Mantell	...	Deputy Mayor
Bill Cobbs	...	Blues Musician
Freda Foh Shen	...	Melinda Barrows
Darlene Kardon	...	Shirley Steinbloom
Scott Williamson	...	PBN TV Director
Joe Godfrey	...	Mitch & Mickey Bass
Bruce Gaitsch	...	Mitch & Mickey Guitar
Diane Baker	...	Supreme Folk Defense Lawyer

Directed by
Christopher Guest

Writing credits (WGA)
Christopher Guest		(written by) &
Eugene Levy		(written by)

Produced by
Donna E. Bloom	....	line producer
Karen Murphy	....	producer

Cinematography by
Arlene Nelson		(director of photography) (as Arlene Donnelly Nelson)

Film Editing by
Robert Leighton

Production Design by
Joseph T. Garrity

Art Direction by
Pat Tagliaferro

Set Decoration by
Dena Roth

Costume Design by
Durinda Wood

Makeup Department
Kathryn Bihr	....	makeup artist: New York
Judi Cooper-Sealy	....	hair designer
Roxie Hodenfield	....	hair stylist (as Roxie Norman)
Lona Jeffers	....	makeup artist
Ann Masterson	....	key makeup artist
Josée Normand	....	hair stylist (as Josee Normand)
Maria Randelman	....	hair stylist
Kate Shorter	....	department head makeup
Jennifer Zide	....	makeup artist
Terri Ewton	....	hair stylist (uncredited)
Terri Ewton	....	makeup artist (uncredited)

Production Management
Donna E. Bloom	....	unit production manager
Pamela Louise Griner	....	post-production supervisor (as Pamela Griner)
Montez A. Monroe	....	production supervisor

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Joan G. Bostwick	....	second assistant director: New York
Laurel Cobble	....	dga trainee: New York
Stephen Lee Davis	....	first assistant director: New York
Cary Jones	....	second second assistant director
Scott Andrew Robertson	....	first assistant director (as Scott Robertson)
Sunday Stevens	....	second assistant director
Robin Linh Willey	....	dga trainee

Art Department
Daril Alder	....	swing gang
Rachel Beers	....	swing gang
Bob Bissonnette	....	greensman
Scott Buckwald	....	property master (as Scott A. Buckwald)
Randy Bushnell	....	propmaker
Brien Campbell	....	propmaker
Glenn M. Carrere	....	swing gang
David Clark	....	assistant property master
Chris Coakley	....	set painter
Robert Covelman	....	property master: New York
Ara Darakjian	....	swing gang
James Dean	....	swing gang
Frank DeCurtis Jr.	....	assistant property master: New York
Ken Deubel III	....	paint coordinator (as Kenneth G. Deubel III)
Terry Deubel	....	paint foreman
Dan Dorfer	....	set painter
Andrew Endsley	....	swing gang (as Andrew M. Endsley)
Marcus Epps	....	swing gang
Franco Esile	....	swing gang
Tim Ewell	....	swing gang
Daniel Favor	....	propmaker (as Dan Favor)
John Ford	....	set painter
Ron Gielow	....	labor foreman (as Ronald G. Gielow)
Kon Iliov	....	propmaker
Mervyn Johnson	....	construction coordinator
Dean B. Katz	....	leadman (as Dean Katz)
Joseph Kearney	....	propmaker
Jeanne Kukor	....	property assistant (as Jeanne Marie Kukor)
Tyler Lafferty	....	propmaker
Mike Needham	....	greensman
Peter Nesmith	....	greensman
John S. Ogden	....	propmaker
Kathy Orlando	....	set decorating buyer
Sherand Palmer	....	set painter
David Park	....	graphic designer
Douglas Peters	....	set painter
Joseph Proscia	....	leadman: New York (as Joseph F. Proscia)
Ron Rhodes	....	construction foreman
Christopher M. Ridino	....	propmaker
David Roesch	....	propmaker
Eli Rosenfeld	....	construction assistant
John Schmale	....	plaster foreman
Stan Shapiro	....	set painter
Craig Sheets	....	propmaker
Tim Snowber	....	on-set dresser
Debi Shirk Tagliaferro	....	art department coordinator (as Deborah Shirk-Tagliaferro)
Vartan 'V.T.' Tashjian	....	swing gang (as Vartan Tashjian)
Gary Thomas	....	set painter
George Torres	....	flooring foreman
Anne Margaret Tower	....	art department assistant
Warner Zavala	....	greensman
L. David Gordon	....	drapery foreman (uncredited)

Sound Department
Lawrence L. Commans	....	boom operator
Alison Fisher	....	adr editor
Alison Fisher	....	dialogue editor
Gary Gegan	....	sound re-recording mixer
Amy Hammer	....	sound facility coordinator
Robin Harlan	....	foley artist
Todd Harris	....	assistant sound editor (as Todd M. Harris)
Matthew Iadarola	....	sound re-recording mixer
Sarah Jacobs	....	foley artist
Tom Krajecki	....	audio consultant: Shure, Inc.
Tommy Louie	....	utility sound: New York
Michael Magill	....	dialogue editor
Danny Michael	....	sound mixer: New York
Michael A. Morongell	....	sound facility engineer (as Mike Morongell)
Chris Navarro	....	adr recordist
Nancy Nugent	....	adr recordist
Mark Pappas	....	foley supervisor
Andy Peach	....	sound mixing recordist (as Andrew Peach)
Paul Rodriguez	....	sound facility coordinator
Andrew Schmetterling	....	boom operator: New York (as Andy Schmetterling)
Randy Singer	....	foley mixer
Kira Smith	....	utility sound
Hamilton Sterling	....	supervising sound editor
Eric Thompson	....	adr mixer
Mark Weingarten	....	sound mixer
Sarah Monat	....	foley artist (uncredited)
Susumu Tokunow	....	sound mixer: reshoots (uncredited)

Special Effects by
Chris Walkowiak	....	special effects coordinator (as Christopher Walkowiak)

Visual Effects by
Anna Bolek	....	still imaging visual effects: Digital Fusion, LLC
Kim Metzger	....	still imaging visual effects: Digital Fusion, LLC
Hugh Milstein	....	still imaging visual effects: Digital Fusion, LLC
Joe Puleio	....	still imaging visual effects: Digital Fusion, LLC

Stunts
Mark Warrick	....	stunt coordinator (as Mark Warrack)
Crystal Michelle	....	stunts: coast riders (uncredited)

Camera and Electrical Department
Rudy Arietta	....	grip (as Rudy Arrieta)
David Barker	....	video assist
Matt Blades	....	key grip: New York
Jack Coffen	....	chief lighting technician: New York
Rick Davis	....	key grip
Mark DeGeorge	....	grip (as Mark De Georgeo)
Damien F. Donohue	....	key grip: New York (as Damien Donohue)
Rick Drapkin	....	first assistant camera
David M. Dunlap	....	camera operator: New York
Doug Foote	....	first assistant camera: New York (as Douglas Foote)
Mara Galus	....	camera loader: New York
Janene Garey	....	second assistant camera (as Janene V. Garey)
Brad Goss	....	key grip: New York (as Brad J. Goss)
Nathan Hathaway	....	best boy electric
Timothy J. Kalisz	....	grip
Jennifer Koestler	....	second assistant camera: New York
Jordan Lapsansky	....	lighting technician
David Lee	....	gaffer
Rob Lewbel	....	lighting technician (as Rob Lewbell)
Douglas Martines	....	video assist: New York (as Douglas A. Martines)
Richard Mazola	....	key rigging grip
Steven R. Morales	....	lighting technician
Tony Muller	....	camera loader
Jim Niuewenhuis	....	grip (as Jim Nieuwenhuis)
Tim Pogoler	....	best boy grip
Mark Proscia	....	best boy electric: New York
Joe Pugliese	....	vintage stills photographer
Dan Reilly	....	grip
Kory Salomone	....	second assistant camera: New York
Steve Savage	....	rigging grip
T. Daniel Scaringi	....	rigging grip (as T.D. Scaringi)
Ian Strang	....	lighting technician
Suzanne Tenner	....	stills photographer
Brian Bartolini	....	electrician: re-shoots (uncredited)
Barry Berona	....	first assistant camera (uncredited)
Russell Griffith	....	electrician: re-shoots (uncredited)
Tim Hubbard	....	camera operator (uncredited)
Mike Shaheen	....	video playback operator (uncredited)
William M. Weberg	....	best boy grip: New York (uncredited)

Animation Department
Mia Szafran	....	animation sequence: PBN, R!ot

Casting Department
Karen E. Etcoff	....	extras casting: Kee Casting, New York
Leigh French	....	voice casting
Linda Grigorian	....	casting associate
Richard Hicks	....	casting consultant
Jimmy Jue	....	extras casting: Central Casting
Matthew Skrobalak	....	casting associate (as Matt Skrobalak)
Jill Warner	....	casting intern (uncredited)
Summer Wesson	....	extras casting (uncredited)

Costume and Wardrobe Department
Lucinda Campbell	....	costume supervisor
Gloria Fonseca	....	costumer
Melissa Stanton	....	costumer: New York (as Melissa Adzima Stanton)
Jennifer Starzyk	....	costumer
Cesha Ventre	....	costumer
Benjamin Wilson	....	costume supervisor: New York
Katherine Wright	....	costumer
Jaimie Froemming	....	costumer intern (uncredited)

Editorial Department
Andrew Dickler	....	additional editor
Stephanie Sea	....	post-production coordinator
Chris Wagley	....	color timer
Mark Yoshikawa	....	first assistant editor

Music Department
Kit Alderson	....	instrument instructor
Ted Barela	....	assistant remote music recording engineer
Fernand Bos	....	supervising music editor
Charlie Bouis	....	remote music recording engineer
Ian Charbonneau	....	assistant remote music recording engineer
Ed Cherney	....	music mixer
Ed Cherney	....	music recording engineer
David Cole	....	music recording engineer
Tom Halm	....	music coordinator
John Michael Higgins	....	vocal arranger: The New Main Street Singers
Ohkee Kim	....	assistant music mixing engineer (as Oh Kee Kim)
John Kurnick	....	instrument instructor
Tom Lowry	....	instrument technician
Jim McAuley	....	instrument instructor
Barry Mitterhoff	....	instrument instructor
Jared Nelson Smith	....	instrument rustler
Adrian Van Velsen	....	assistant music editor
Jeffrey C.J. Vanston	....	logic audio engineer (as CJ Vanston)
Jeffrey C.J. Vanston	....	music producer (as Jeffrey CJ Vanston)

Transportation Department
George Andrews	....	production driver (as George L. Andrews)
Robert Baeza	....	production driver: New York
Mike Berdrow	....	production driver
Rudolph Camphausen	....	production driver: New York
David T. Chong	....	production driver
Edward Coonan	....	production driver: New York
Robert Deluca	....	production driver: New York (as Robert M. Deluca)
Anthony A. Devito	....	production driver
Bob Donavan	....	production driver: New York (as Bob Donovan)
Gary Edelman	....	production driver (as Gary B. Edelman)
Ken Farnell	....	production driver (as Kenny Farnell)
Keith D. Fisher	....	transportation captain (as Keith Fisher)
Mo Fitzgerald	....	production driver: New York
Kevin Harrigan	....	production driver: New York
Lawrence J. Hennessy	....	production driver: New York
Thomas J. Hoke	....	production driver (as Tom Hoke)
Kevin Keefe	....	transportation coordinator: New York (as Kevin K. Keefe)
Carl Keobalein	....	production driver: New York
Bill Liversage	....	production driver (as William Liversage)
Salvatore R. Maffei	....	production driver: New York
Dick McCartney	....	production driver (as Dick T. McCartney)
Tim Moran	....	production driver (as Timothy Scott Moran)
James Moreno	....	production driver: New York (as Jimmy Moreno)
Angelo J. Orefice	....	production driver (as Angelo Joseph Orefice)
Jan Ostermann	....	production driver
Joe Parvis	....	production driver: New York (as Joseph Parvis)
Don Poole	....	production driver (as Dan Poole)
Richard Presutti	....	production driver: New York
T.J. Seccamanie III	....	production driver: New York (as Thomas J. Seccaranie III)
Aaron Skalka	....	transportation coordinator
Russ Swanson	....	production driver: New York (as Russell Swanson)
Jay Thompson	....	production driver (as Jay C. Thompson)
Arthur Trapolsi	....	production driver (as Arthur Trapolisi)
Ted Visser	....	production driver
James Waitkus	....	production driver
Gregg Wallace	....	production driver (as Greg Wallace)
Samuel S. White	....	production driver
Lee Willis	....	production driver
Michael Forte	....	transportation coordinator: re-shoots (uncredited)
Rick Scheil	....	driver: cast (uncredited)

Other crew
Chris Angelich	....	stock footage
Simona Aranda	....	accounting clerk
Michael Wesley Aycock	....	assistant location manager (as Michael Wesley)
Michele Baker	....	location scout: New York
Judith M. Brown	....	studio teacher (as Judy Brown)
Ian Calip	....	set production assistant
Barbara Calloway	....	payroll supervisor
Mark Dobkousky	....	assistant production coordinator
Andre Dukes	....	additional craft service
Gary Ferraro	....	chef: For Stars Catering (as Gary C. Ferraro)
Larry Fine	....	stand-in
Elisha Fiore	....	consultant: catheter
Robby Fisher	....	assistant: Mr. Murphy
Carol Gans	....	studio teacher
Robbie Goldstein	....	location manager
Pamela Louise Griner	....	assistant: Mr. Guest (as Pamela Griner)
Ronald Hairston Jr.	....	craft service
Ronald E. Hairston	....	craft service (as Ronald Hairston)
Gregory D. Hemstreet	....	production accountant (as Greg Hemstreet)
Janet Henry	....	location manager: New York
Ryce Hetherington	....	office production assistant
Bart Higgins	....	set production assistant
Jason Huberman	....	accounting clerk (as Jason W. Huberman)
Dameon Johnson	....	additional craft service
Trevor Jones	....	stand-in
Michael Judd	....	set production assistant
Tom Krajecki	....	wireless consultant: Shure, Inc.
Nancy Kriegel	....	production accountant: New York
Meti Kusari	....	additional craft service
Tami Lane	....	animal trainer
Christine Leaman	....	assistant location manager: New York
Robyn Lundin	....	animal trainer
Kelci Macintyre	....	accounting clerk
Helen McGinn	....	script supervisor
Colin McKean	....	set production assistant
Bronwyn Preston	....	unit publicist
Joe Pugliese	....	album cover
Shaheed Qaasim	....	set production assistant
Carla Raij	....	location manager: New York
Alex Roman	....	post-production accountant
Marci Rosenberg	....	production coordinator (as Marci L. Rosenberg)
Peter Sabat	....	production coordinator: New York (as Peter I. Sabat)
Charles Saldana IV	....	office production assistant
Scott Senar	....	stand-in
Mimi Turner	....	location scout: New York
Susan White	....	set production assistant
Susie Yamamoto	....	first assistant accountant
Clark Credle	....	additional production assistant (uncredited)
Michael M. Franklin	....	production assistant (uncredited)
David Kaufman	....	location manager (uncredited)
Jonathan B. Lee	....	production assistant (uncredited)
Stephanie Lovell	....	additional set production assistant (uncredited)
Albert Salsich	....	assistant location manager (uncredited)
Steffen Schlachtenhaufen	....	production assistant (uncredited)
Anne Scott	....	post-production accountant (uncredited)
Billy Taylor	....	production assistant (uncredited)

Thanks
David Blasucci	....	special thanks: Castle Rock
Henry Burnett	....	special thanks
Jim Campbell	....	special thanks: Castle Rock
Pam Evans	....	special thanks: Castle Rock
Dan Fellman	....	special thanks: Warner Bros
Patti Fernandez	....	special thanks: Castle Rock
Jim Fredrick	....	special thanks: Warner Bros
Sam Fusco	....	special thanks: Castle Rock
Barbara Galbo	....	special thanks: Warner Bros
Liz Glotzer	....	special thanks: Castle Rock
Juli Goodwin	....	special thanks: Warner Bros
Margo Meyer	....	special thanks: Castle Rock
Debbie Miller	....	special thanks: Warner Bros
Debbie Padrick	....	special thanks: Warner Bros
Rob Reiner	....	special thanks: Castle Rock
Jessica Roddy	....	special thanks: Castle Rock
Andrew Scheinman	....	special thanks: Castle Rock (as Andy Scheinman)
Mark Scoon	....	special thanks: Warner Bros
Anne Scott	....	special thanks: Castle Rock
Martin Shafer	....	special thanks: Castle Rock
Marc Solomon	....	special thanks: Warner Bros
Jeffrey Stott	....	special thanks: Castle Rock (as Jeff Stott)
Dawn Taubin	....	special thanks: Warner Bros
Jess Wittenberg	....	special thanks: Castle Rock
Keith Zajic	....	special thanks: Warner Bros

Production Companies

• Castle Rock Entertainment (an AOL Time Warner Company)

Distributors

• Warner Bros. Pictures (2003) (USA) (theatrical) (an AOL Time Warner Company)
• Warner Bros. Entertainment (2003) (Canada) (theatrical)
• Warner Bros. (2004) (Argentina) (theatrical)
• Warner Bros. (2004) (UK) (theatrical)
• Warner Bros. (2004) (Japan) (theatrical)
• Argentina Video Home (2004) (Argentina) (DVD)
• Argentina Video Home (2004) (Argentina) (VHS)
• Mainostelevisio (MTV3) (2009) (Finland) (TV)
• Net5 (2009) (Netherlands) (TV) (first national airing)
• Sandrew Metronome Distribution (2004) (Finland) (DVD)
• Sandrew Metronome Distribution (2004) (Finland) (VHS)
• Warner Bros. Television (????) (USA) (TV) (distributed by) (An AOL Time Warner Company)
• Warner Home Video (2004) (Netherlands) (DVD) (VHS)
• Warner Home Video (2004) (USA) (DVD)
• Warner Home Video (2004) (USA) (VHS)

Special Effects

• Eyeon Digital Fusion Post (still imaging visual effects) (as Digital Fusion, LLC)

Other Companies

• American Humane Association, The  animal action monitored by: AHA 00373 (as American Humane Association)
• Beyond Our Reality Productions  stock footage
• Cartoon Network  footage courtesy of: Power Puff Girls (as Him Diddle Riddle © Cartoon Network 2002)
• Castle Rock Entertainment  acknowledgement: is the author of this motion picture for the purposes of worldwide copyrignt and other laws
• Central Casting  extras casting
• Chapman/Leonard Studio Equipment  camera dollies by (as Chapman/Leonard Studio Equipment, Inc.)
• Cinema Mechanics  grip and lighting equipment (uncredited)
• Columbia Records  soundtrack available on (as Columbia)
• Corbis  images: historical New York City
• DMZ Records  soundtrack available on (as DMZ)
• Eddie Current Company  playback speakers provided by: Orpheum
• Ernie Ball Company, The  thank you
• Filmout Xpress  video to film conversion
• For Stars Catering  catering
• Historic Films Archive  stock footage (as Historic Films Archive, LLC)
• Inter Video  24 frame video services (uncredited)
• International Alliance of Theatrical Stage Employees (IATSE)  this picture made under the jurisdiction of (as I.A.T.S.E.)
• JBL  amusement park p.a. systems provided by
• John E. Allen Associates  optical preprint mastering
• Kee Casting  extras casting: New York
• Kodak  motion picture film
• Lowdown Music Inc.  music editorial services
• Magic Film and Video Works  negative cutting (as Magic Film & Video Works)
• Mandolin Brothers  instruments from
• National Broadcasting Company (NBC)  thank you (as NBC)
• National Mobile Television  video truck provided by: PBN
• Norman's Rare Guitars  instruments from
• Orpheum Theatre, Los Angeles, The  music recorded at
• Pacific Title  titles: opticals and 60's tv footage
• Panavision  photographic equipment provided by
• R!ot  animation sequence: PBN
• Rusch  catheter equipment provided by (as Rusch, Inc.)
• Shure  microphones and psm personal monitor systems provided by (as Shure, Inc.)
• Sony Music Soundtrax  soundtrack available on
• TNT Optical Effects Co.  8 mm. format conversion (as Tnt Optical)
• The Treehouse, North hollywood, California  music recorded at (as The Treehouse, North Hollywood)
• Town Hall, The  thank you
• Village, Los Angeles, The  music recorded at
• Westwood Music Group  instruments from (as Westwood Music)
• Wilshire Stages, The  digital re-recording (as Wilshire Stages, Los Angeles)

Also Known As:

MPAA:

Rated PG-13 for sex-related humor

Runtime:

91 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

DTS (as dts) | Dolby Digital | SDDS

Certification:

Iceland:L | Finland:K-3 | Netherlands:AL | Argentina:13 | Australia:PG | New Zealand:PG | Singapore:PG | UK:12A | USA:PG-13 (certificate #39820) | Canada:PG

Filming Locations:

Greystone Park & Mansion - 905 Loma Vista Drive, Beverly Hills, California, USA

Company:

Castle Rock Entertainment

Trivia:

In an early-'90s, and again in late 90's/ early 2000's, Spinal Tap tour, Michael McKean, Harry Shearer and Christopher Guest opened for themselves as The Folksmen and were booed during the first act, as people did not know or cared that the two bands had the same musicians.

Goofs:

Audio/visual unsynchronized: In the final Reunion Scene, you can obviously tell that none of the actors are actually playing guitar. Most of them just move their fingers like strumming, and you can clearly see no vibration from the strings or contact with the fingers and strings.

Quotes:

Mike LaFontaine:But thank you, sincerely, Your Honor - which reminds me, I was at a swingers' party the other night and a fella said to me, "I'd like to meet your wife." I said, "Your honor!"

Movie Connections:

Referenced in Unwigged & Unplugged Live Concert DVD: An Evening with Christopher Guest, Michael McKean and Harry Shearer (2009) (V)

Soundtrack:

Irv's Blues

Subtle Bull's Eye

Christopher Guest's movies, like his performances, are generally subtle and always low-key. They are not for people who need laugh tracks to follow the humor and most of his work is so contextually-based that some knowledge of the subject he's dissecting is a definite asset. Guest, who was a performer in the very early SATURDAY NIGHT LIVE, is, in many respects, the Anti-Belushi of modern American comedy.

Nevertheless, he shares with Belushi - and many of their contemporaries, who came from one or another branch of the Second City organization - a certain fondness for off-the-wall elements in his work; Guest's tend to be slipped in, quietly, while Belushi's popped out of exploding cakes.

A MIGHTY WIND is a spot-on satire of the American Folk Music movement of the early and mid-1960s. The narrative conceit is a memorial concert for a recently deceased impressario, organized by his son, which reunites three folk groups from the 60s.

The real elements of the film are the send-ups of a variety of tropes of the era, musical styles, personalities, and quite an array of music-business cliches. Remarkably, however, the songs are genuinely entertaining in themselves; both the writing and the performances. They're satirical, but so subtlely performed that it's easy to loose the thread of the lyrics and wind up mindlessly nodding heads and grooving along, which pretty neatly captures the popular music experience for the last several generations. Satire within satire.

The musical performances are excellent, recreating, almost frighteningly, the taste and texture of folk music of the era. And, bringing several real 60s folk acts to mind.

The acting is typical of Guest movies, such as SPINAL TAP and BEST IN SHOW; very quiet, restrained, low-key, with, apparently, a lot of dialogue improvised. The performers are mostly drawn from the same group Guest has used in the past: Eugene Levy (who co-wrote the script with Guest) and Catherine O'Hara, Harry Shearer, Michael McKean, Ed Begley, Jr., and Guest, himself.

Comparisons with Guest's most popular picture, THIS IS SPINAL TAP are both interesting and tricky. Interesting because both movies were written and directed by the same man, and shared most of the same casts. Tricky, because while some seem to compare AMW unfavorably with TIST, a looking at these films, together, they have a lot in common. So much so, in fact, that it's reasonable to consider them a pair; very similar takes on two, distinct musical genres of a similar era. The writing, acting, tone, pacing of these two movies is very similar. The jokes are similar. The points of view are similar. The focus on both performers, and the behind-the-scenes people is similar. The real difference is the music.

This, in turn, tends to suggest that those who react very differently to these two films may be reacting more to the music, directly, and to the ambiance of the world around the particular musical genre more than anything else.

Guest's movies don't have many laugh-out-loud moments. Most of the humor is more the "big-smile", sometimes, the chuckle, kind. But, Ed Begley, Jr. has perhaps his best comic scene, ever, when he does a take as a Swedish-American public television producer dropping Yiddish into his conversation; one word per sentence. It's a totally dead-pan and very quiet performance which, like so much of Christopher Guest's humor, you will either get or not get. If you do, you may fall off your chair.

Eugene Levy, who co-wrote the script, with Guest, is also very good, having finally invented a second character after having spent something more than 30 years (since his Second City TV days) doing variations of one.

Who might enjoy A MIGHTY WIND? Anyone who remembers the era and the music, and anyone who enjoys show business insider takes. It's a more difficult call for those born later. And, if you have trouble keeping Janis Joplin and Joanie Mitchell distinct in your mind, you probably won't follow most of what's going on.