A look back at gentler times
Since 1974, the radio show "A Prairie Home Companion" has been broadcast from St. Paul, Minnesota.  The brainchild of Garrison Keillor, the show has been a fixture of National Public Radio for years, usually airing on Saturdays from 5 to 7 P.M. Central Time.  Its current home is the Fitzgerald Theatre (formerly the World).  Each show features a storytelling monologue from Keillor, claiming to be a report from his fictitious home of Lake Wobegon, "the little town that time forgot and the decades cannot improve."  The show also includes folksy music of the Grand Ole Opry school and commercials for such fictitious products as Powdermilk Biscuits, Bebop-a-reebop Rhubarb Pie, Jack's Warm Car Service, and Bertha's Kitty Boutique.<br /><br />Turning the radio show into a movie was the task of director Robert Altman ("M*A*S*H," "Gosford Park"), known for his ability to elicit improvisational performances from his actors, create intriguing ensemble casts, and put his personal, inimitable stamp on his films.  "A Prairie Home Companion" entered theatres like a whisper, rather than with the huge publicity push that accompanies most new movies.  And that seems appropriate for such a low-key, gentle film.  Like the radio show, the movie focuses on spirited entertainment but also gives us revealing glimpses of backstage relationships as the stars and technical crew discuss their personal lives, reminisce about their careers or simply allow us to savor their eccentric characters.<br /><br />The premise of the movie is that "A Prairie Home Companion" is solely a local broadcast and this one is its last.  A mixture of nostalgia, sentiment, steely show biz acceptance, and nonchalance pervades the wings of the theatre.<br /><br />GK (Keillor) is the emcee and host of the show.  His singing stars are the Johnson sisters, Yolanda (Meryl Streep) and Rhonda (Lily Tomlin) and the cowboy duo Lefty (John C. Reilly) and Dusty (Woody Harrelson), who incorporate endless bad jokes into their routine.  Lola (Lindsay Lohan) is Yolanda's daughter, a young woman who writes poems about suicide but is able to pitch in on stage when the need arises.<br /><br />Though Altman integrates his cast nicely, editing their private moments with the onstage show being aired, Keillor comes off as its heart.  He maintains his down-home manner and Everyman face throughout, never breaking character.  His on-air personality and real personality are essentially interchangeable, and he sails through the show's swan song performance with expert timing.<br /><br />Tomlin is just wonderful as Rhonda, who has spent a lifetime in show business but never really hit the big time, resigned and content to earn a living doing what she likes best.  Her comments about the business ring true because she assesses her audience, her coworkers, and even her family with biting accuracy.<br /><br />Streep's Yolanda is the dreamy one.  Lost in her own world, when we first see her check in backstage, she has the misty-eyed look of a woman attending her tenth high school reunion.  She is entering another time, another place, and she has always felt the thrill of being on the verge of a performance.  Streep looks as if she's having a ball dreaming, commenting on her family ("We're like the Carters ... only not famous"), and waxing nostalgic.<br /><br />We like these people because of their complete lack of pretension.  You feel that if you met them at the supermarket, they'd be exactly the same.  I'm sure this is what Altman strove to achieve, and he does it almost completely. Where he fails, I think, is in two characters:  the Dangerous Woman (Virginia Madsen) and Guy Noir (Kevin Kline). Noir is a recurring character on the Home Companion radio shows -- a 1940's gumshoe detective.  In the film, he's made the show's security guy.  Dressed in striped suit and speaking in Warner Brothers gangster flick dialogue, he is entirely out of synch with the rest of the film.  While the cast members have eccentricities of their own, his seems closer to psychotic, though no one in the film seems to notice.  You never believe Guy Noir is real.  And in a film built on solid, if quirky, characters, Noir just doesn't convince.<br /><br />The Dangerous Woman is a mysterious, trench-coated woman seen lurking backstage, saying little.  Eventually, we understand she is a sort of angel or specter of death, hovering over both a person connected with the show and the show itself.  This symbol strikes a false note and seems an obvious attempt to help the viewer "get" the demise of an era.  We get it, Mr. Altman.<br /><br />Rated PG-13 for some mildly risque humor, "A Prairie Home Companion" is not for everyone.  It moves along at a moderate pace with no conspicuously big scenes, and it requires the viewer to pay attention and learn about the characters through dialogue and interaction with others.  Altman intended a look at a world not known to most of us, one in which people enjoy entertaining an appreciative -- if small -- audience and have respect and affection for one another.
The movie title "A Prairie Home Companion," available on Movies & TV, has received an average rating of 4.5 from 1023 reviewers. 
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This title falls under the categories of Movies & TV, Featured Categories, DVD and Comedy. 
The additional details include the following in key-value format :
 {"Genre": "Drama, Comedy, Science Fiction", "Format": "NTSC, Closed-captioned, Color, Full Screen", "Contributor": "Tony Judge, Wren Arthur, Meryl Streep, Woody Harrelson, Maya Rudolph, Lily Tomlin, John Penotti, Robert Altman, Garrison Keillor, L.Q. Jones, Joshua Astrachan, Fisher Stevens, Bill Pohlad, Virginia Madsen, George Sheanshang, Kevin Kline, David Levy, Tommy Lee Jones, Lindsay Lohan, John C. Reilly, Ken LazebnikTony Judge, Wren Arthur, Meryl Streep, Woody Harrelson, Maya Rudolph, Lily Tomlin, John Penotti, Robert Altman, Garrison Keillor, L.Q. Jones, Joshua Astrachan, Fisher Stevens, Bill Pohlad, Virginia Madsen, George Sheanshang, Kevin Kline, David Levy, Tommy Lee Jones, L\u2026   See more", "Initial release date": "2007-01-16", "Language": "English (Dolby Digital 2.0 Surround), Unqualified, English (Dolby Digital 5.1)", "Aspect Ratio": "1.85:1", "Is Discontinued By Manufacturer": "No", "MPAA rating": "PG-13 (Parents Strongly Cautioned)", "Product Dimensions": "7.5 x 5.5 x 0.5 inches; 3.2 Ounces", "Item model number": "N10541", "Director": "Robert Altman", "Media Format": "NTSC, Closed-captioned, Color, Full Screen", "Run time": "1 hour and 46 minutes", "Release date": "January 16, 2007", "Actors": "Woody Harrelson, Tommy Lee Jones, Garrison Keillor, Kevin Kline, Lindsay Lohan", "Subtitles": "Spanish, English", "Producers": "Robert Altman, John Penotti, Wren Arthur, Bill Pohlad, George Sheanshang", "Studio": "Studio Distribution Services", "Writers": "Garrison Keillor, Ken Lazebnik", "Number of discs": "1"}

Here is a brief synopsis of the title : Prairie Home Companion, A (DVD).