Garrison Keillor Movies

Acclaimed filmmaker Robert Altman (Short Cuts, Nashville) brings National Public Radio stalwart Garrison Keillor's long-running radio program to vivid life on the big screen in a intricately woven backstage fable centering on the final performance of a fictionalized version of his variety show. As if the result of some strange mass-media fluke, the popular radio program A Prairie Home Companion somehow managed to survive the television age to entertain its audience every Saturday night from the stage of the historic Fitzgerald Theater in St. Paul, MN. Week after week, hangdog host Garrison Keillor serves as unflappable emcee to an amiable hodgepodge of radio-friendly acts that include the likes of popular country duo Yolanda and Rhonda Johnson (Meryl Streep and Lily Tomlin) and singing cowboys the Old Trailhands (Woody Harrelson and John C. Reilly). This is one show where the under-the-line antics are nearly as entertaining as the program itself, though, and in between the efforts of down-on-his-luck private dick and backstage doorkeeper Guy Noir (Kevin Kline) to discover the true identity of a mysterious blonde (Virginia Madsen) and aspiring teen singer Lola (Lindsay Lohan) to find her true voice before a live audience, there's still plenty of fun and mystery to be had at the old Fitzgerald before the final curtain falls on A Prairie Home Companion. ~ Jason Buchanan, Rovi

Filmmakers Karen Cantor and Camilla Kjaerulff team to reveal how the Jews of Denmark managed to escape falling victim to Hitler's Third Reich. With World War II raging throughout Europe, Hitler announced his intentions to impose his Final Solution on Denmark. Incredibly, the citizens of Denmark stood strong against the German tyrant at a time when most European nations were crumbling beneath his might. As a result, the vast majority of Jews in Denmark were spared the grim fate of their brethren in other European countries such as Poland. ~ Jason Buchanan, Rovi

Written, produced, and directed by Nancy Porter, this documentary chronicles how the eccentric Wright brothers overcame their own sibling bickering and the skepticism of the world to build the first successful flying machine. As Tom Crouch of the National Air and Space Museum explains in an interview, "They weren't college graduate engineers, but at the same time, they were two of the best engineers working in the world at the time." Highlights include footage of a replica of the Wright brothers' plane built by Rick and Sue Young and flown at Kitty Hawk by Jacqueline Young and David Young. Narrated by Garrison Keillor. David McCullough hosts this program, which originally aired as an episode of the Emmy award-winning PBS series The American Experience. ~ Steve Blackburn, Rovi

Ken Burns' epic series begins with the causes of the Civil War in 1861 and ends with the war's aftermath in 1865. A combination of photographs, interviews, and narration create a sweeping historical documentary. Commentary and anecdotes by historian Shelby Foote add another level of authority to the film while providing the viewer insight into distant events and personalities. While Burns covers the major battles and personalities, he also emphasizes the plight of African-Americans and the common soldier. Each of the nine segments concentrates on a particular part of the war, allowing the viewer to isolate episodes of interest. For instance, episode five, The Universe of Battle, follows General Robert E. Lee into Pennsylvania for the devastating battle of Gettysburg. Social events are also given coverage. Each episode opens with a list of events simultaneously taking place around the world, while a more detailed treatment is provided for domestic affairs. Accounts of the draft riots in the North and famine in the South help to place the war within a larger social context. At the end of the nine episodes, Burns' ambitious series has offered a complete account of the causes of the war, the personalities of the generals and politicians who directed it, and the domestic and foreign events that shaped the war's outcome. ~ Ronnie D. Lankford, Jr., Rovi