Shut Up & Sing (2006)

A documentary on the Dixie Chicks in the wake of singer Natalie Maines' anti-George W. Bush statement at a 2003 concert.

Directors:

Barbara Kopple, Cecilia Peck

Stars:

Natalie Maines, Emily Robison, Martie Maguire

8 wins & 13 nominations.

Cast

Credited cast:
Natalie Maines	...	Herself
Emily Robison	...	Herself
Martie Maguire	...	Herself
Rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Clayton Allen	...	Himself
Billy B.	...	Himself (archive footage)
Paul Beane	...	Himself
Cindi Berger	...	Herself
Barbara Boxer	...	Herself (archive footage)
Aaron Brown	...	Himself (archive footage)
Pat Buchanan	...	Himself (archive footage)
George W. Bush	...	Himself (archive footage)
Randy Carroll	...	Himself
Dick Cheney	...	Himself (archive footage)
Darlene Conte	...	Herself (as Darlene Kegan)
Anderson Cooper	...	Himself (archive footage)

Storyline

In 2003, the female country band, The Dixie Chicks, are at the top of their game being one of the most successful bands of all time. However with the US invasion of Iraq about to begin over frustrated worldwide objections about this needless war, one of the Chick vents off the cuff in concert about being ashamed of US President George W. Bush. This statement sparks a firestorm of organized and personal right wing attacks against the Chicks for daring to think they have the right to express a negative personal opinion about the President. This film covers the band's effort to ride out the turmoil that would leave their careers under a cloud, but would eventually give them a opportunity to grow as great artists who bow to no one.

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Plot Keywords:

band | right wing | singer | four word title | title directed by female | 

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Taglines:

In the land of the free can you dare to be brave?

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Genres:

Documentary | Biography | Music

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Certificate:

R

Details

Official Sites:

Dixie Chicks Official Site

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

1 December 2006 (USA)

Also Known As:

Untitled Dixie Chicks Documentary

Filming Locations:

Austin, Texas, USA

Box Office

Opening Weekend USA:

$50,103, 29 October 2006

Gross USA:

$1,215,045

Cumulative Worldwide Gross:

$1,902,212

Company Credits

Production Co:

Cabin Creek Films

Technical Specs

Runtime:

93 min 99 min

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.33 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

"Shut Up and Sing" is also the name of a best-selling book by conservative talk radio pundit Laura Ingraham. In her book, Ingraham skewers the Dixie Chicks and other musical acts who use their concerts and television appearances to voice their political opinions.

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Goofs

Natalie is wearing a shirt that states "Dare to Be Free," in one shot the image is mirrored left to right. Evident in the text and her hair are reversed.

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Quotes

Man in Red Shirt with Sign: Being ashamed of our president means being ashamed of our country. Move to France, Dixie Chicks.

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Connections

Features Howard Stern on Demand (2005)

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Soundtracks

Favorite Year
Written by Sheryl Crow, Martie Maguire, and Natalie Maines
Performed by Dixie Chicks

User Reviews

The Dixie Chicks Ride a Media Firestorm in an Intriguing Backstage Documentary

The galvanizing effect of one offhand statement from singer Natalie Maines on a London concert stage in 2003 turned the Dixie Chicks, the highly popular crossover country-pop trio, into a corn-belt pariah and a lightning rod for anti-Bush sentiments. Veteran documentarian Barbara Kopple, along with co-director Cecilia Peck (daughter of Gregory), cover the incident in question with minimum fuss in this 2006 film, but what they do quite well is show how much effort it has taken the group to ride the firestorm and get their career back on track with the music. Kopple and Peck spent three years with the band, and the resulting sense of intimacy makes this one of the better backstage-type documentaries.

The film's chief takeaway is that the sisterhood between Maines and bandmates Emily Robison and Martie Maguire is genuine. As they ride the torrent of death threats, hate mail, boycotts and plummeting record sales and canceled tour stops, they never appear at serious odds with each other. There is one honest scene where Maguire suggests that she and her sister separate themselves from the remark to minimize the impact, but they all eventually realize there is more strength to be had in staying together through it. Much of the intractable bond has to do with each woman's efforts at balancing work and family, and a lot of credit seems due to their longtime manager Simon Renshaw.

Unsurprisingly, Maines come across as the sharp-tongued, unapologetic contrarian of the group, a fountain of impulsive outbursts, but her instincts often prove right as they find triumph with their last album produced by the indefatigable, comeback-savvy Rick Rubin, who looks and acts a bit like Brian Wilson during his acid-saturated days. The mob mentality that builds against the group provide the most visceral scenes in the movie, although given the trio's abundant talent and the fact that most of the protests were concentrated in the country radio market, one can't help but feel there is something of a tempest in a teapot about the whole story. Credited to no less than seven cameramen, the cinematography is vivid, and the print condition on the 2007 DVD is pristine. The only extra is the theatrical trailer.