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A Prairie Home Companion

Play trailer Poster for A Prairie Home Companion PG-13 Released Jun 9, 2006 1h 45m Comedy Drama Music Play Trailer Watchlist
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81% Tomatometer 197 Reviews 59% Popcornmeter 50,000+ Ratings
A private investigator (Kevin Kline) keeps tabs on the proceedings as guests, cast and crew (Meryl Streep, Lindsay Lohan, Woody Harrelson) of a long-running radio show prepare for the final broadcast. Their home, the Fitzgerald Theater, is due for demolition, and they await the arrival of the Texas axe-man (Tommy Lee Jones). Meanwhile, the show's creator and host (Garrison Keillor) conducts business as usual in the face of the show's impending demise.
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A Prairie Home Companion

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Critics Consensus

The final film by the great Robert Altman, A Prairie Home Companion, the big screen adaptation of Garrison Keillor's radio broadcast showcases plenty of the director's strengths: it's got a gigantic cast and plenty of quirky acting and dialogue.

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Critics Reviews

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Matthew Leyland BBC.com It's a warm and dignified end to a sometimes erratic but often enthralling career. Jan 9, 2007 Full Review Philip French Guardian It's a lovely and loving film. Jan 6, 2007 Full Review David Edelstein New York Magazine/Vulture The movie, redolent of death, is a sort of wake, but a funny-sad one, teeming with music, corny jokes, and an ensemble of gifted performers who appear to be having an obscene amount of fun in one another's company. Jan 6, 2007 Full Review Peter Sobczynski The Spool Altman conducts all of these disparate elements in a manner that simultaneously suggests both a practiced veteran and an eager newcomer. He calls upon all of his still-undiminished skills while staying agog with the possibilities to achieve. Jun 9, 2021 Full Review David Walsh World Socialist Web Site A Prairie Home Companion exudes a general warmth and foolishness, favors the chaos of a creative community, argues for some sort of elemental human and artistic solidarity and kindness-and aside from that, not much. Feb 14, 2021 Full Review Mike Massie Gone With The Twins Contains not even the faintest trace of a plot. Rated: 2/10 Nov 21, 2020 Full Review Read all reviews

Audience Reviews

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N P With an A-List cast, the carefree banter and charming show tunes within a niche radio show about to close is entertaining and delightful that harkens to an older time. However, I'm ngl that I was pretty bored. Maybe because the point of the movie is that nothing much was supposed to happen despite an angel of death on the loose. It's a chill watch with an interesting and laid back premise to witness these great actors interact, but besides that, that's kind of it. Rated 2.5 out of 5 stars 11/09/24 Full Review Joseph B I was actually very surprised by this film. Great characters and a lot of fun music make the movie even more enjoyable. While the film has many side-plots, it is easy to keep up with. Performances that stand out particularly are Kline, Streep, Rudolph, Tomlin, Reilly, and Lohan. Kline and Reilly serve as great contrasts of comedic and dramatic actors while Streep and Tomlin’s charm being shown through song and comedy bring out the most laughs. Rudolph, in one of her early roles, show the true potential she had and why she succeeded. For Lohan, as it was her first role in a drama, the movie proves that she is not only great as a comedic actress, but also knows her craft as a dramatic actress in her transition from Disney kid to a leading Hollywood actress. I absolutely recommend this film. This all-star cast and plot make this film very enjoyable. Rated 5 out of 5 stars 10/02/24 Full Review Rob G An original and unique concept. Based on a real show's last night on air but with a fictional story and all star cast thrown in. Had the feel of those old time radio shows with a little weirdness thrown in with the cast of characters and Angel/Ghost. I've always loved this movie and have seen a few times now. Just makes you feel good. Rated 4 out of 5 stars 05/20/24 Full Review Jon L Meryl Streep and Lindsay Lohan deliver incredible performances! Rated 5 out of 5 stars 02/16/24 Full Review Kyle M Robert Altman's final picture attracts based on his connective complex signature with a star-studded ensemble cleverly delivered in all the critical glory now properly grasped, even if not a listener to the titular radio broadcast done faithfully with comedic reverence. (B+) Rated 4 out of 5 stars 01/11/24 Full Review Tom W A masterpiece in which Robert Altman brought together a huge, wonderful cast & great music, amid seeming total chaos & wraps its all up to give us a super movie. A fitting last movie. Rated 5 out of 5 stars 10/14/23 Full Review Read all reviews
A Prairie Home Companion

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Cast & Crew

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Movie Info

Synopsis A private investigator (Kevin Kline) keeps tabs on the proceedings as guests, cast and crew (Meryl Streep, Lindsay Lohan, Woody Harrelson) of a long-running radio show prepare for the final broadcast. Their home, the Fitzgerald Theater, is due for demolition, and they await the arrival of the Texas axe-man (Tommy Lee Jones). Meanwhile, the show's creator and host (Garrison Keillor) conducts business as usual in the face of the show's impending demise.
Director
Robert Altman
Producer
Robert Altman, Wren Arthur, Joshua Astrachan, Tony Judge, David Levy
Screenwriter
Garrison Keillor
Distributor
Picturehouse
Production Co
River Road Entertainment, Prairie Home Productions, GreeneStreet Films Inc., Picturehouse Cinemas, Sandcastle 5 Productions
Rating
PG-13 (Risque Humor)
Genre
Comedy, Drama, Music
Original Language
English
Release Date (Theaters)
Jun 9, 2006, Wide
Release Date (Streaming)
Jul 24, 2014
Box Office (Gross USA)
$20.3M
Runtime
1h 45m
Sound Mix
SDDS, Dolby Digital, DTS, Dolby SRD
Aspect Ratio
Scope (2.35:1)
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