A Mighty Wind

PG-13

Released Apr 16, 2003

1 hr. 30 min.

Comedy

List

87%

173 Reviews

Tomatometer

75%

25,000+ Ratings

Audience Score

In this hilarious backstage mockumentary, three eclectic, never-quite-famous folk bands come together for the first time in decades following the death of their manager to put on an reunion concert in his honor, at the request of his son (Bob Balaban). For the members of The Folksmen, The New Main Street Singers, and Mitch & Mickey, time has not been kind. As the show approaches, apprehension sets in, romances are rekindled and ambitions are permanently deferred.

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Critics Consensus

Though not as uproariously funny as Guest's previous movies, A Mighty Wind is also more heartfelt.

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Alec B

Christopher Guest's masterpiece. You get the sense that while he's mocking elements of the folk music scene, he ultimately loves the genre and these characters. Everything with Mitch and Mickey is so perfect I can't help but get moved to tears.

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

12/14/23

Full Review

Jules S

Like all Guest's films, fresh, amusing, innovative, and just great.

Rated 4 out of 5 stars

05/31/23

Full Review

Diane B

That "Kiss At The End of the Rainbow" song? Pretty dammmm good.

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

08/13/22

Full Review

Audience Member

There's something about Christopher Guest movies. Yes, they're funny. Yes, they're quirky. But there's more to it. The regular cast that populates his films are first-rate and they pull off the comedy so expertly. Whether it's this movie, Best in Show, This is Spinal Tap, Waiting for Guffman, they are all recognizable as Christopher Guest movies. The one that's in a class by itself is Princess Bride. But, A Mighty Wind is certainly deserving of your time if you'd like a positive laugh.

Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars

02/12/23

Full Review

dave s

Christopher Guest's A Mighty Wind doesn't have the same cutting satire as some of his other mockumentaries, sometimes coming across as more of a loving tribute to the folk scene of the early 1960s, but there is still plenty to like. When folk producer Irving Steinbloom passes away, his son Jonathan (Bob Balaban) decides to organize a tribute concert featuring acts that his father worked with, among them Mitch and Mickey (Eugene Levy, Catherine O'Hara). The dialogue, much of which feels improvised, is clever and insightful, the music is catchy and kitschy, and the cast, most of whom are Guest regulars, are excellent, notably Levy and O'Hara, as well as Jane Lynch as a former porn actress turned folk singer.

Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars

03/30/23

Full Review

fred n

Haven't seen it in a while, but liked it when it was in theaters. Saw it on HBO, and it is a delight, just what I needed as a change from real-life heaviness. Simple, silly, sentimental, it sure looks like they had fun making it. I'm not a folk music historian, but they captured the era as far as this layman can tell. Nothing blew up, no one died, (almost) no one reached a turning point in their lives. A rootbeer float on a hot day.

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

03/31/23

Full Review

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Christopher Guest

Director

Bob Balaban

Jonathan Steinbloom

Christopher Guest

Alan Barrows

John Michael Higgins

Terry Bohner

Eugene Levy

Mitch Cohen

Jane Lynch

Laurie Bohner

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Nell Minow

Common Sense Media

Hilarious folk music mockumentary has some innuendo.

Rated: 4/5

Dec 21, 2010

Full Review

Empire Magazine

Rated: 4/5

Apr 1, 2006

Full Review

Nev Pierce

BBC.com

Rated: 2/5

Jan 15, 2004

Full Review

Mark Steyn

The Spectator

Aside from Miss Lynch, there are two very sweet performances, by Levy and O'Hara as Mitch and Mickey.

Feb 3, 2018

Full Review

Matt Brunson

Creative Loafing

The performance that sticks is the one by Eugene Levy, whose work conveys a tenderness that momentarily slices through the satire.

Rated: 3.5/4

Feb 13, 2016

Full Review

Nick Rogers

Midwest Film Journal

One breathtaking moment of clarity between Eugene Levy's Mitch and Catherine O'Hara's Mickey gives way to an anticipated kiss during which you can practically sense the characters' hearts thumping and their fictional contemporaries rooting for them.

Rated: 3.5/4

Sep 25, 2010

Full Review

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Synopsis

In this hilarious backstage mockumentary, three eclectic, never-quite-famous folk bands come together for the first time in decades following the death of their manager to put on an reunion concert in his honor, at the request of his son (Bob Balaban). For the members of The Folksmen, The New Main Street Singers, and Mitch & Mickey, time has not been kind. As the show approaches, apprehension sets in, romances are rekindled and ambitions are permanently deferred.

Director: Christopher Guest
Screenwriter: Christopher Guest, Eugene Levy
Distributor: Warner Bros. Pictures
Production Co: Castle Rock Entertainment
Rating: PG-13 (Sex-Related Humor)
Genre: Comedy
Original Language: English
Release Date (Theaters): Apr 16, 2003, Wide
Release Date (Streaming): Jun 30, 2011
Box Office (Gross USA): $17.5M
Sound Mix: Dolby Stereo, Dolby A, SDDS, DTS, Surround, Dolby Digital, Dolby SR
Aspect Ratio: Flat (1.85:1)

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