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22 December 2023
A Mighty Wind doesn’t blow.
Documentary filmmaker Christopher Guest has done it again with his loving look at folk music, A Mighty Wind. Like his previous triumphs, the backstage theatre shenanigans of Waiting For Guffman and the dog show exposé Best In Show, Guest allows the real participants to move the true story along in lieu of inserting himself into the action, like Michael Moore in Bowling for Columbine or Marti DeBergi in This is Spinal Tap.
A Mighty Wind captures the events following the death of legendary producer and, some would say, father of modern folk music, Irving Steinbloom. Steinbloom\'s most famous bands, The Folksmen, The New Main Street Singers, and Mitch & Mickey, all reunite for a historic concert organized in his honor by his children.
Not being a fan of folk music, I wasn’t familiar with most of these bands, nor had I seen the concert that aired on PBN (I don’t think I get that station), but Guest and his team bring the viewer into the drama. The Folksmen have some trouble getting back into the groove, while the cult-like The New Main Street Singers apparently never quit,.. even though maybe they should have. Most heartbreaking, though, are Mitch & Mickey, as apparently they had a great love that went sour, resulting in Mitch becoming a total moccasin wearing burnout. To Guest’s credit, the film doesn’t shy away from this, despite the potential controversy.
Though it’s a rocky road, seeing these great performers of yesteryear come together for perhaps one last time was a very touching experience to behold. The audience I saw the film with was inexplicably laughing the whole time, not taking the true, human drama seriously. This same nonsense happened, even more so, with Guffman and Best In Show. Maybe people today don’t appreciate the sincerity Guest puts forth in his documentaries, but this reviewer certainly does. Why, I might just go to the record store and seek some of these oldies but goodies out (maybe Meet Mitch & Mickey, if I can find it), which is surely what Guest must’ve hoped for when crafting this love letter to folk music.
Documentary filmmaker Christopher Guest has done it again with his loving look at folk music, A Mighty Wind. Like his previous triumphs, the backstage theatre shenanigans of Waiting For Guffman and the dog show exposé Best In Show, Guest allows the real participants to move the true story along in lieu of inserting himself into the action, like Michael Moore in Bowling for Columbine or Marti DeBergi in This is Spinal Tap.
A Mighty Wind captures the events following the death of legendary producer and, some would say, father of modern folk music, Irving Steinbloom. Steinbloom\'s most famous bands, The Folksmen, The New Main Street Singers, and Mitch & Mickey, all reunite for a historic concert organized in his honor by his children.
Not being a fan of folk music, I wasn’t familiar with most of these bands, nor had I seen the concert that aired on PBN (I don’t think I get that station), but Guest and his team bring the viewer into the drama. The Folksmen have some trouble getting back into the groove, while the cult-like The New Main Street Singers apparently never quit,.. even though maybe they should have. Most heartbreaking, though, are Mitch & Mickey, as apparently they had a great love that went sour, resulting in Mitch becoming a total moccasin wearing burnout. To Guest’s credit, the film doesn’t shy away from this, despite the potential controversy.
Though it’s a rocky road, seeing these great performers of yesteryear come together for perhaps one last time was a very touching experience to behold. The audience I saw the film with was inexplicably laughing the whole time, not taking the true, human drama seriously. This same nonsense happened, even more so, with Guffman and Best In Show. Maybe people today don’t appreciate the sincerity Guest puts forth in his documentaries, but this reviewer certainly does. Why, I might just go to the record store and seek some of these oldies but goodies out (maybe Meet Mitch & Mickey, if I can find it), which is surely what Guest must’ve hoped for when crafting this love letter to folk music.
artid
1354
Old Image
5_9_mightywind.jpg
issue
vol 5 - issue 09 (may 2003)
section
entertainmental