A Mighty Wind
Watched the new Christopher Guest movie (Spinal Tap, Waiting for Guffman, Best in Show) over the weekend with my family. I think it’s my second favorite of the group, after “Spinal Tap.” I didn’t much care for “Best in Show,” the one everyone seems to love; I don’t even remember much of it, other than Parker Posey’s freak-out over a stuffed dog toy.
What makes “Mighty Wind” so fascinating is the tone. Most of it is in the same vein as the others – jokey and fun, with some great sly lines that you laugh at and then find even funnier later. (I’ll never forget the line, “We were at a hootenanny, and we were jamming with the Klapper Family.”)
But the centerpiece for me was Eugene Levy and Catherine O’Hara as “Mitch and Mickey,” a famous 60s folk duo who split but got back together for the reunion concert chronicled in the movie. Their story and interaction was touching and “real” in a way Guest doesn’t usually attempt. Levy and O’Hara are brilliant, and they bring the movie into surprising territory.
Strongly recommended.
i think it was kind of boring. the acting was so natural that it almost seemed like an actual documentary sometimes. not that it’s bad, just not what i expected.
Catherine O’Hara is really an amazing actress. She never gets any credit, but I don’t think I’ve ever seen her stumble. I mean, her role in Beetlejuice alone is amazing. She takes parts that really have little to them and makes them memorable.
On the other hand, Eugene Levy gives me the creeps and I can’t stand to watch him.
When people go on and on about Best in Show being their favorite Guest movie, I automatically ask if they’ve seen Waiting for Guffman (my personal favorite). The answer is usually no. They are then called Stool Tools, and they don’t know why until they see it.
Now I have the stool song in my head. Great.
Guffman was great,