A Mighty Wind (2003) User Reviews (275)

I thought I was the only one who saw the joke here!!!

[Gavno · 8/10 · 5 April 2004]

In the '60s and '70s, I was a MAJOR folk music fan, and a (very bad) would-be performer; I still have my old Yamaha guitar tucked away in a closet. For years now I've been a second shift engineer at the local PBS TV station... I'm the guy who runs the videotape while the SANE people around here are at home.

EVERY time we run a Pledge (or, as I refer to it, "The Big Beg"), it seems that they come up with ANOTHER nostalgic music reunion program... Doo Wop folks, Rockers, Surfin' music groups, and lately, Folkies.

The folk reunions have been, IMHO, sort of sad. The spirit is willing, but the flesh isn't quite up to recapturing the old glory days.

Judy Collins tries to sing the songs she did when she was 19, and her voice just can't come within a half tone of the high notes she used to hit.

Barry McGuire was an angry, fiery young poet, but now he just goes through the motions with dated stuff like EVE OF DESTRUCTION. It's hard to take him too seriously.

Even my favorites, Peter, Paul & Mary, have seen better days. Peter Yarrow looks like he should be running a pawn shop somewhere, Paul Stookey resembles a college professor who's just counting the days until retirement, and unfortunately Mary Travers hasn't aged very well at all... I remember her as a woman who used to OOZE a sultry, steamy sensuality, but nowadays, on high definition TV, she bears a very unfortunate resemblance to a bulldog!

Just the same tho, I have to admit that Peter, Paul & Mary's musical talent HAS lasted over the years.

When I discovered A MIGHTY WIND I thought I was going to die laughing with absolute joy... SOMEBODY besides ME saw these tries to capture the past in a bottle as a lost cause!!!

Ed Begley is MAGNIFICENT as Lars Olfen, the "PBN" executive producer; he has the Yuppie pseudointellectual pompousness of PBS paper shuffling executives down PERFECTLY!!! I KNOW Lars Olfen VERY well; I happily work the second shift just to AVOID these rancidly arrogant characters, who thankfully LEAVE the station every day at 5 PM!!!

The New Main Street Singers are a mix of THE NEW CHRISTY MINSTRELS and the squeaky clean, Stepford Wife - like automatons of the old UP WITH PEOPLE cast... but with a delicious touch of gameyness that we ALL knew was just below the surface, added by the past exploits of Bohners.

The Folksmen are a hybrid of the old Chad Mitchell Trio (which, incidentally, was a foursome until they dumped Henry John Deutchendorf, later better known as John Denver!), and the Limelighters.

The PBS reunions sort of tacitly ask the question "Whatever happened to...", and A MIGHTY WIND answers it... EXPLICITLY.

LIFE is what happened to them. They became part of reality, just like the rest of us.

I have to admit that the musical performances in the film are EXCELLENT; for a lot of people who weren't really part of the '60s commercialized folk music scene, they do a VERY creditable job with the material. They could have been folkies for real!

The only joker in the deck tho; the musical material, if you listen very closely to the lyrics, is ABSOLUTELY RIDICULOUS!!! Almost ALL of it, especially the song I NEVER DID NO WANDERIN', is a brilliant parody of the stuff we listened to and loved back in the '60's.

For anyone who knew the glory days of Bleeker Street in New York, or Old Town in Chicago, this is a film that will be an absolute joy. It shows both the GOOD parts of those days, and also shows up the silliness of some of the idealism in what we believed.

Hilarious!

[FilmOtaku · 8/10 · 20 April 2004]

Another in a long list of films that have been recommended to me, `A Mighty Wind' was probably one of the funniest films I've seen this century. The mockumentary style of `This is Spinal Tap' has always been a favorite of mine, and this film, about the reunion of three folk groups after the death of the owner of their former record label is absolutely hilarious. Christopher Guest's usual cast is involved, though Eugene Levy and Harry Shearer stood out for me personally. (Although every time Shearer's character spoke I couldn't get the image of Principal Skinner from `The Simpsons' out of my head.)

Anyone with either an absurdist or dry sense of humor will find this movie funny. Speaking for myself, I rarely laugh out loud when watching films by myself at home and I was in tears from having fits of laughter throughout most of the film. The writing is above brilliant, and the acting and timing are dead on. I haven't seen the other two `recent' films that proceeded this one, `Best in Show' and `Waiting for Guffman', but after seeing `A Mighty Wind' I will definitely check them out in the very near future.

--Shelly

This movie is retro, but it feels so now-tro

[cricketbat · 8/10 · 22 May 2020]

I am continually amazed with how Christopher Guest is able to create a world that's so bizarre, yet so realistic. With A Mighty Wind, he's cultivated a collection of catchy folk songs that are so fun to listen to. I own the soundtrack and I absolutely love it. This film also features an emotional climax that's so simple, yet so effective. This movie is retro, but it feels so now-tro.

Guest and Levy orchestrate a nice tribute to the 1960s folk groups.

[TxMike · 11 February 2004]

We have a duo, a trio, and a group of 9. These three fictitious 'folk' groups from the 60s reunite for a concert in this mockumentary. What makes it so interesting is (1) I was a young adult in the 60s and vividly remember the folk group wave and (2) Guest, Levy and the others do their own singing and playing of songs they wrote for the movie. I think its IMDb ratings which cluster around 7 and 8 are about right. Not everyone will like 'A Mighty Wind' (song from final concert), it has improvised humor and many of the same actors from 'Best in Show'. But for fans of the humor of Guest and Levy it is a very nice little movie. The DVD has interesting extras, and the commentary track by Guest and Levy discuss how, for example, Levy had to take lessons to get is guitar skills back, and how O'Hara learned to play the autoharp for this role.

The movie is 92 minutes long, which includes the 7 minutes of end credits. Of the 85 minutes of actual movie, the first 60 sets up the characters and groups, shows them in rehearsals, covers several back stories, then the final 25 minutes are the concert itself, actually performed before a live audience. There were a few truly outstanding folk groups in the 1960s, but there also were a whole bunch of mediocre ones. The three groups featured in this movie are as good as many of the 1960s groups that actually made a living entertaining. And, as at least one critic said, that's part of the problem with 'A Mighty Wind' - the groups are good enough, and the final concert is real enough, that much of the impact of the humor went away during the last act. The lampooning was gone, replaced by a legitimate set of performances.

Still, I found it thoroughly enjoyable, and my favorite of the 'Guest/Levy' movies.

Decent, But Not Guest's Best

[ccthemovieman-1 · 7/10 · 17 April 2006]

The third and last installment of Christopher Guest's "mockumentaries," this one centers around three folk-singing groups from the 1960s re-uniting for a concert many years later.

As someone who well remembers most of the folk singers from the '50s and '60s, and was familiar with Guest's other movies, I was anxious to see this. It was okay, but to be honest, I expected more, at least more laughs and a little better pacing. This was just a bit too slow and not as funny as his other films, especially "Best In Show."

There is some great music in here, to be sure, and not lip-synced, either, but most of that isn't heard until the last 30 minutes. Most of the same actors are in this film as in the previous two "mockumentaries," and I always appreciate the comedic talents of Catherine O'Hara and the rest of the crew.

The humor is unique, dry....very dry, and I appreciated it a bit more on the second viewing. The only annoying person, to me, was Eugene Levy's character "Mickey," a spaced-out loser whose act wears thin the more you see of him.

It's not a bad film; just not up to Guest's '"Best Of Show."

A Christopher Guest comedy that goes for something deeper.

[fcouckey · 10/10 · 10 January 2004]

SPOILERS LIE AHEAD

A Mighty Wind is a film that I loved, and it disappoints me that there were so many critics and filmgoers who were disappointed with it. It seems that quite a few people think that comedies, especially the ones of the mockumentary sort (as this one is), can't go farther then simple mocking. It puzzles me that so many were in agreement that a film about a bittersweet reunion can't be good comedy. I think some moviegoers need quit worrying about smuggling that bag of Milk Duds into the theater and remember to bring an open mind. There may be funnier, more farcical situations (which have been the basis of many, many lesser films), but a bittersweet reunion can inspire comedic moments as well as be the basis for a great film, which A Mighty Wind is.

Christopher Guest, who has championed the film making style that is mockumentary with his role in the classic This Is Spinal Tap, and by directing the hilarious Waiting for Guffman and Best in Show, directs as well as co-writes the story with Eugene Levy (the actual lines are all improvised by the actors).

The film plays as a documentary about the organization of a memorial concert featuring folk groups from the 60's who were managed by the late Irving Steinbloom. The groups featured in the concert are the cheesy "neuftet" The New Main Street Singers, the classic folk trio The Folksmen, and the former sweethearts of the folk music world Mitch and Mickey.

The best performance in the film is that of Catherine O'Hara as Mickey Crabbe. She boldly doesn't go for all the laughs, and creates a complete, full, interesting character. Note the interview scenes where she reminisces about her past as one half of the folk "phenomenon" that was Mitch and Mickey. When she talks about their relationship you can see and hear that this is a woman who loved Mitch and Mickey, but not Mitch. Levy is also superb as Mitch Cohen, clearly still in love with Mickey but also clearly insane. He creates an almost over the top comedic performance that makes great use of his infamous eyebrows. He is in a constant state of uncomfortable quirkiness, except when he is singing with Mickey, and he remembers what their relationship used to be, and how it felt to be loved. Note the scene where the two practice one of their hits, "A Kiss at the End of the Rainbow," and don't know what to do when its time for them to lovingly kiss each other, which was their claim to fame when they were making TV appearances back in the 60's. Without saying a word, they agree that it would be inappropriate and continue to the end of the song. O'Hara's reaction to that moment is perfect. Then note the scene when they perform the song at the concert and, each for different reasons, they decide to do the kiss. When I first saw that moment and the characters' reaction to it, I got goosebumps. I realized that for the first time in any of Guest's mockumentaries, I actually cared for the characters, and I loved it. It's great that instead of going down that road taken by so many other films, where the former lovers find that they have loved each-other all along and have sex to affirm this to the audience, A Mighty Wind gives something far more interesting.

Although the Mitch & Mickey relationship is the heart of the film, it should not be forgotten that this an ensemble movie. There are terrific comedic performances all around, including those of Harry Shearer, Michael McKean, and Guest as the members of The Folksmen, John Michael Higgins and Jane Lynch as the color worshiping Terry and Laurie Bohner, Jennifer Coolidge as the can't-quite-place-her-accent Amber Cole, Fred Willard as the outrageously sad Mike LaFontaine and Ed Begley Jr. the yiddish talking Swede Lars Olfen.

It may not have gotten as many laughs as This Is Spinal Tap, Waiting for Guffman, or Best in Show, but A Mighty Wind bravely goes where those films didn't. It achieves touching, real emotion. It is one of the best films of 2003.

Humorous and Adorable Mocumentary Looking Back to the Past

[jazzest · 6/10 · 20 May 2004]

A LITTLE SPOILERS INCLUDED

Nostalgia towards the good ol' days (the 70s and the 80s, particularly) has been apparently one of major trends in the relatively small budgeted American cinema in the early 21st century (e.g., "American Splendor" and Wes Anderson films). A Mighty Wind, a mocumentary about, and sincerely dedicated homage to, the American folksongs is another showcase that is humorously and adorably done.

A son of a record label owner produces a reunion concert at Town Hall, where three legendary groups from the label will perform. They are a trio, a big group, and a male-female duo. The elaborated details gradually build the emotional intensity towards the show. The apex comes at the moment the duo starts performing: Being unable to stay in the backstage, the other two groups join the duo on the stage, and the resurrection of the duo's legendary kiss occurs. The resolution is a little cliched, but it smoothly leads the viewers back to their everyday lives.

Doesn't have to be mean to be funny

[alana-dill · 9/10 · 11 February 2005]

Some felt that this was too close to reality to be considered a parody, but I thought it was beautifully done - made fun of the cloying smugness of some "folkies", but mixed it with genuine pathos. I have a feeling Eugene Levy may have lost a couple of friends to bad acid trips - his portrayal was hilarious, but not cruel. Christopher Guest continues to amaze me with his light touch; most comedies put people in bad situations and make them squirm their way through; instead Guest takes apparently mediocre characters and puts them in situations that stretch their personalities.

Contains the single funniest comment I've ever heard about model trains.

Suggested double feature: This is Spinal Tap, Waiting for Guffman, or Bob Roberts

The comedy is a bit too sincere, but the songs will make you cheer

[Jonny_Numb · 6/10 · 22 October 2006]

Christopher Guest is one of the most versatile filmmakers working today; when he and Eugene Levy work on a script, the end result is usually something special. And continuing with a collaboration that began with "Waiting for Guffman," we now have "A Mighty Wind"...a mockumentary about a folk-music revival that is simply too sincere for its own good. That's not to say it isn't funny in spurts--Levy's 1960s folk-music casualty, Ed Begley Jr.'s random bursts of Yiddish, and Fred Willard's hilariously lame band manager--but it ultimately comes up short in the comedy department, to the point where you're left wondering if Guest just wanted to make a fake documentary about the folk revival out of respect. Indeed, Guest's reliable troupe of comedic players (including Levy, Catherine O'Hara, John Michael Higgins, Michael McKean, Jane Lynch, and Harry Shearer, among others) are in top form, but their lines seldom produce the hearty laughs we've come to expect, and the characters are too hastily introduced (the film is limited by its 90-minute run time; Guest's work would actually be better translated to a fake-reality TV series). This, however, is forgivable, since all of them sing well enough to produce an incredibly rousing (and applause-worthy) finale, where all the musicians participate in a public-television tribute to honor their recently-deceased former manager. While no "Spinal Tap," "A Mighty Wind" has its worthwhile moments (it's just a shame there aren't more of them).

Guest's underrated masterpiece.

[matthewssilverhammer · 9/10 · 3 July 2020]

It's of course hilarious, but it's also his only mockumentary with real heart, and boy does it work. O'Hara and Levy lean on their decades of natural chemistry to make their post-romance relationship both gut-bustingly funny and sensibly sad. All three of the groups are uniquely perfect, and their musical performances are inspired. And if anyone wonders what made Fred Willard so beloved, just watch his tour de force introduction in this movie...it's everything.

watchable misfire

[winner55 · 6/10 · 26 January 2010]

There are two substantial problems with this film, neither making it unwatchable, although I confess they did make me feel uncomfortable. The first is that director Guest cannot capture any of the various "documentary" camera styles widely known with the necessary degree of accuracy; this isn't cinema verite, nor do we get successful sequences of talking heads. Even the concert scenes fail to emulate concert documentaries. Visually, then, we are always reminded that we are not watching a documentary but a mockumentary - we can't really allow ourselves the 'willing suspension of disbelief' such a satire requires from us. This problem is exasperated by some of the actors' performances who are trying way too hard to be funny, rather than play straight and let the ridiculous situations call out laughter.

The second problem is more troubling; the music is too good! Most of these songs are not "mock folk music," they ARE '60s style folk songs. Take even the title track: "A Mighty Wind" as a title is amusing in that it evokes flatulence; but by the time you get to such lyrics "a mighty wind of freedom/ blowing for you and me" you wonder where the joke is? That is after all exactly what many folkies thought was going on in the '60s, which makes the song dynamically expressive of that era.

Comparisons with "This is Spinal Tap" are of course unavoidable. The songs of "Spinal Tap" came to within a hair's breadth of real heavy metal, but push comes to shove, most real heavy metal songs escape their own pretentiousness by 'rocking out,' they are, bottom line, just variant forms of traditional rock songs; Spinal Tap, to make their point and remain funny, kept their pretentiousness meter pushed to 11.

Another issue in comparison indicates where "Mighty Wind" goes wrong. Both heavy metal and folk music had substantial sub-cultures develop around them. But when "Spinal Tap" was released the heavy metal sub-culture was alive and thriving, about to receive new blood with bands in NYC ad LA. The folk music subculture was dead by 1977; a lot of folkies did end up in business or academia and moved quietly into the suburbs (those refusing this route gathered 'round the Grateful Dead, a phenomenon requiring a whole other movie to explore). Consequently, a "where are they now" satire about folk singers ultimately requires a satire on 'midddle America,' and of course that's really too broad a subject for a film that wants so much to highlight the music involved.

In short then, "A Mighty Wind" fails to explore humorously the historical dissonance between where folk musicians came from and where they ended up - a dissonance captured powerfully (with much unintentional irony) in the study of Jerry Garcia's friendship with David Grisman, "Grateful Dawg." It's a dissonance strong enough to have fueled the addiction that killed Garcia; it is a dissonance that still quietly influences our current politics and cultural reference points. And while director Guest clearly tries to stab insightfully into the the heart of this dissonance, he doesn't even scratch the surface; that the Folksmen are last seen playing in the foyer of a casino maybe ironic, but since they are, in the last analysis professional musicians trying to earn a living, the irony is all about the casino, not the musicians. Their talent, and the entertainment value of their songs, remain untouched; it is simply not the '60s anymore.

Entertaining, but more for the music than the comedy, which is faint praise indeed.

Eugene Levy

[angler-2 · 9/10 · 9 December 2005]

Eugene Levy as "Mitch" of Mitch and Mickey, is nothing short of brilliant in the character he has created. Actually, less created than inhabited. Though clearly teetering on the edge of sanity, he manages to keep a tenuous grip on reality. His eyes, his voice, his hands--every inch of Eugene is invested in the character. Even after having seen this film several times, and enjoying it each and every time, I always get the feeling that one never knows what Mitch is going to say or do next, and it's because Mitch doesn't know either.

It has been said that comedy is tragedy that happens to someone else. In this case, Mitch's tragedy is our comedy. I can't help both laughing and feeling sorry for the character. Eugene Levy's Mitch is a creation of pure genius.

Odd and fascinating

[jmorrison-2 · 7/10 · 4 May 2005]

I had never seen Christopher Guest films, until stumbling on this one boring night on cable. An oddball, mesmerizing spoof of the folksinger world. It was hard not to root for these people, and their special night together. Some unexpected, bizarre moments. The "confession" of a female member of the New Main Street Singers is hilarious. She basically insinuates working in the porno industry, but the confession is delivered so matter-of-factly, and with an almost gleeful enthusiasm. It takes you off-guard, and evokes a disbelief (What did she just say?). She almost doesn't seem to realize what she had done. Quite a few sly, strange moments like that in the film. A strangely moving film, well done by a cast who were obviously enjoying themselves.

How to bore yourself silly for 95 minutes.

[quepid · 1/10 · 25 March 2004]

This movie redefines with every single frame of video the term "boring". This movie is a mock-u-mentary of folk bands from the 60's trying to score a comeback. This has to be one of the dullest films that I have ever tried to sit through in the past 10+ years. The story lacks any type of climax, or real plot. It is simply a really lousy fake documentary that attempts unsuccessfully to make a mockery of folk music. One may expect that this film has atleast a tinge of humour about it, but alas no.

The only good thing I can say about this film is that it discourages procrastination. Every single moment I watched the movie I found a thousand other things that I would rather be doing elsewhere.

So if you want to clear the living room of kids, or need motivation to clean out the gutters or tackle some other menial chore then please do give it a watch.

Another CG Movie to Add to My Favorites

[rtrdogs · 20 April 2004]

The first time I saw this movie, I laughed and thought it was pretty good. Then I saw it again. And again. And again. I bought it and watched it even more times.

I don't think the movie is "pretty good" anymore. It's made a permanent home in my Christopher Guest collection as one of the movies I go around quoting. I own the DVD, the soundtrack and even the songbook.

All of the cast members are hilarious as usual. I love The Folksmen trio of Harry Shearer, Michael McKean and Christopher Guest. A little reminiscent of Spinal Tap goes folk. The New Main Street Singers have such a dark side it's funny to see their on-stage presence as such chipper people. And Mitch and Mickey are the wacky split up sweethearts of yesteryear.

I love this movie and look forward to the next release of this great comedic team!

Amusing Spoof of the 1960's Folk Music Culture: A Kind of Sibling Film to "This is Spinal Tap"

[classicalsteve · 7/10 · 30 August 2017]

In the late 1950's and early 1960's, a different musical voice was emerging in small cafes in New York, a voice which was quite distinctive from Doris Day and Connie Francis singing about sentimental journeys and that it's pointless to concern ourselves about the future since "whatever will be, will be". The Weavers, Peter, Paul and Mary, Bob Dylan, and a host of others were singing about the darker sides of modern life to the accompaniment of acoustic guitars. The Folk Music Revival as it came to be known coincided with the counter-culture movement of young people in the 1960's. This cultural phenomenon becomes fodder for the stinging bite of Christopher Guest and company in a film which pokes fun at the movement. If you lived during the era, there are many in-jokes about the people, the music and the personalities which intrigued the young Boomer Generation. Being a gen-exer, I didn't live through the era but I know a bit about its history.

"A Mighty Wind" profiles three singing groups (fictional) which were prominent in the 1960's. The Folksmen (Christopher Guest, Harry Shearer, and Michael McKean) were probably loosely based upon the Kingston Trio. The romantic duo Mitch and Mickey (Eugene Levy and Catherine O'Hara) were probably inspired by a somewhat forgotten duo, Richard and Mimi Fariña. (Mickey appears to play the same instrument as Richard Farina who is probably best remembered for his novel "I've Been Down so Long It Looks Like Up to Me".) The New Main Street Singers are the most wholesome of the groups, which seems to be inspired by a group called the New Christy Minstrels which were very popular in the 1960's selling millions of records but have not withstood as well as other groups from the era, such as Peter, Paul and Mary. (However, Barry McGuire, who is frequent with the Mistrels, wrote "Eve of Destruction", one of the masterpiece protest songs of the 1960's.

The "story" is about the production of a music concert honoring an agent for many of the music groups, Irving Steinbloom (also fictional) but was probably inspired by real-life music manager Harold Leventhal whose clients included Woody and Arlo Guthrie, the Weavers, Pete Seeger, Joan Baez, Mary Travers, and many others. The film begins with a new report about the death of Steinbloom, and the plan is to bring three music groups managed by the late agent in a special tribute concert. (Such a concert was actually held to honor Leventhal.) However, much of the silliness of Guest's mockumentary comes to the fore.

One of the best aspects of the film is the album covers which capture some of the "creativity" of the era. The first album of Mitch and Mickey is simply a black and white photo of the two with their names in a "Peter, Paul and Mary" font. Prior to circa 1960, album covers typically just featured the performer(s) often sitting quaintly with a happy smile. By the 1960's and into the 1970's, album covers became more creative even psychedelic. Two of my favorites from the film are the Main Street Singers' album "Sunny Side Up" in which the members' faces are superimposed upon eggs in a skillet and Mitch's solo album "Calling It Quits" in which he appears to be digging his own grave.

The film then follows the typical Guest nuttiness. The performers are interviewed, first relating how they became musicians, often going off on tangential stories. The Folksmen relate a story in which their records were released without the holes in the center! The Main Street Singers disbanded in the early 1970's with some of the founding members going into the Adult Book shop business! They regrouped and became The New Main Street Singers, and are even more wholesome than before. Laurie Bohner (Jane Lynch), one of the New Main Street Singers engages in rituals which have to do with color. Her husband Terry was often locked his room with Percy Faith records. Mickey's husband has an elaborate train set which he shows and demonstrates to Mitch.

Overall an enjoyable spoof of the folk music culture. It has many of the same elements as "This is Spinal Tap" but is a bit more culturally softer than Guest's first try with a heavy metal rock band. Guest's writing is best in subjects which he knows. "Spinal Tap", "Waiting for Guffman" and "A Mighty Wind" are all subjects connected with arts and entertainment. His foray into other subjects, such as "Best in Show" and "Mascots" are much weaker probably because he doesn't know these subjects as well.

Blowin' in the wind

[jotix100 · 9/10 · 17 April 2003]

Christopher Guest is a generous actor/director in that he doesn't hog the camera for himself. He lets his actors do their thing without much interfering; he fades into the background, practically.

This pseudo-documentary about the folk music craze of the late 50s and early 60s in this country is accurate. It is a hilarious take on those performers that were part of the era. Mr. Guest has a great insight in presenting the different characters and brings them together with an accurate eye for detail.

Eugene Levy and Catherine OHara are teamed up again as Mitch and Mickey, a famous duo from those days who were the biggest act in folk music of the time. Eugene Levy appears to be catatonic as Mitch, who agrees to take part in the Town Hall ceremony honoring his mentor. Catherine O'Hara is excellent in her part as Mickey, the loyal partner.

The documentary form seems to work well, as it serves the point for the reunion of all these performers coming together one more time, even though the world has forgotten them.

There are disappointments in that no one has a central role, but the misuse of Parker Posey in the film is regrettable. I guess there was no space to showcase any actor over another.

Mr. Guest keeps getting better with every new film and it seems a very great idea to concentrate on this very talented cast for future occasions where they can all interact, as it has been the case, in the previous occasions.

Pretty good movie, but. . .

[philler2 · 6/10 · 8 December 2003]

I did finally watch this movie and I have to say that I did enjoy it. However, it was not near as good in my opinion as "Waiting for Guffman" or "Best In Show." Wind follows the same skeleton as those two movies in that there is a cast of characters and they are introduced as if they are being interviewed in front of a camera and tell the audience about themselves. But, Wind does not seem near as humorous and I think it is because maybe it really lacks some of the outlandish character like the play director in Guffman and the gay couples in Show. The character developement is just fine, but there is not one that seems to really grab you and make you remember.

While this is fine, it does seem to follow the same pattern and the movies seem to get more and more similar to one another. I did like Wind, but I am not sure if Guest releases another movie that follows the same formula if I will think the same. 6/10

Blew me away!

[[e-mail] · 8/10 · 9 May 2004]

An excellent entertainment, though very different from this ensemble's other pseudo-documentary efforts (Spinal Tap, Best in Show).

Incredibly creative. I'm a fan of folk music and this film really nails the eclectic backgrounds of folk musicians, right down to the distinctive vocalizations, multi-line harmonies and excessive enthusiasm. I was so impressed that all the parodied songs were written and performed (well) by the actors and I now covet the sound track. Get ready for a lot of subtle humor and story lines and enjoy the send-up.

Pretty funny but a little uneven

[rosscinema · 6/10 · 25 June 2003]

This is Christopher Guest's third mockumentary type of film and to be honest its his least funny. The story starts with a man named Jonathan Steinbloom (Bob Balaban) who is the son of a deceased music mogul and in his memory he wants to stage a folk music reunion with the bands New Main Street Singers, The Folksmen and Mitch and Mickey. The film does a good job of introducing all the characters and showing us the background of each one of them, some with flashback sequences. The film ultimately ends up with the big reunion live on television and the music really dominates the film. The music is entirely made for the film by various members of the cast and it is quite impressive to listen to. As I watched this film it dawned on me that all these actors are just so immensely talented with the singing and instrument playing, not to mention the character development that is needed. But the major flaw of the film comes with Eugene Levy as Mitch and Catherine O'Hara as Mickey. The story line with these characters becomes serious in tone and it seems out of place with the rest of the film. Mitch and Mickey split up years ago and now Mitch is a border line psychotic with real issues of self doubt. These two terrific performers show that they can handle serious roles but it should be in another film. Also, as good as the music is it seems to take over the film and your kept waiting for the humor to return. There is still plenty of laughs to recommend this funny film and as usual Fred Willard practically steals the picture. No where near as good as "Waiting For Guffman" or "Best in Show" but this is still a very entertaining film with enough laughs and charm to carry it.

beautiful homage to folk music--with a little bit of humor to boot

[planktonrules · 9/10 · 10 April 2006]

This movie is a lot different than its predecessor, BEST IN SHOW. While most of the cast is a reprise of this earlier film, A MIGHTY WIND is a lot more subtle and more of a homage to folk music instead of a parody. BEST IN SHOW was laugh out loud funny, while A MIGHTY WIND is more of a well-made imitation of the sounds of 60s folk music. And, surprisingly, the cast of non-singers do an incredible job. In fact, some of the music is very catchy and you will probably find yourself tapping your toes EVEN IF YOU DON'T LIKE FOLK MUSIC. In particular, the "SPINAL TAPPERS" (Christopher Guest, Harry Shearer and Michael McKeon) sound almost exactly like the Kingston Trio! And, while Eugen Levy and Catherine O'Hara are not great singers, they make the absolute most of their talents in this sweet little film. Watch it for the occasionally funny moments and watch to see what a spot-on recreation the actors do of this medium.

Unsatisfying, but that's good

[danhicks · 7/10 · 22 May 2003]

I'm 5-10 years too young to have really been "into" the folk scene in the late 50s and early 60s, so I probably missed a lot of subtle send-ups in the movie, but overall it was a remarkably honest (though sentimental) treatment of folk music. For the most part they played it straight, with the humor coming more from pathos than slapstick.

My greatest praise for this movie, and my strongest criticism, is that, like a good folk song, it leaves you somehow unsatisfied.

Gentler, funnier, better

[JamesRoy · 9/10 · 24 January 2005]

More gentle than Christopher Guest's other mockumentaries, "A Mighty Wind" lacks the obvious satire and parody of "Best in Show" and "Waiting for Guffman." This is not a criticism. If the actors in this film weren't already well-known from other movies, in particular the above-mentioned mockos, one might be totally suckered into thinking that this was a real account of real folk musicians. Fred Willard's hysterical "once-was" character and the rather dim-witted publicity assistant aside, these characters are believable and endearing. I would go so far as to say that Eugene Levy's acting in this film is real, serious, heart-tugging acting, rather than the goofy buck-toothed oddball he usually plays.

And of course there is the music. If you were impressed by the lads from Spinal Tap and their musical prowess, check out this incredible ensemble of actors who throw themselves headlong into the folk genre with amazing aplomb. You don't like folk? Don't worry about it. This'll get you every time.

Makes you smile all the time

[madsimon · 7/10 · 17 January 2013]

Movie that makes you feel good. If you liked 'Best in show' you will like this one. Although is not as good as 'Best..' Great cast, interesting and hilarious characters. Written and played well. The folk music is the same platform in this film like dog shows in 'Best in show'. Nevertheless folk music in this movie wasn't really ridiculed. It even left me with a bit of liking it. I'm not going to be a fan of it though. The movie leaves you with the 'feel good' mood and you realize that smile doesn't go off your face till the very end. If you have DVD, deleted scenes are worth watching. My favorite is the one with Amber Cole, the PR lady.

A Disappointment

[Stumpypeterlegs · 5/10 · 17 April 2003]

Ok, I just saw the movie earlier today, and I have to say that I came out of the theater disappointed.

Now, just to get this out in the open, I'm a huge fan of Spinal Tap. I think that it was nothing short of brilliance, possibly the funniest movie ever made and one of my favorite movies made in the final quarter of the 20th century. More recent works of Christopher Guest, however, have been a bit of a let-down compared to that first comet. I found Waiting for Guffman to be stale, uninspired and just rather un-funny. However, I enjoyed Best in Show considerably, I found some of the characters to be hilarious (such as Fred Willard's, Christopher Guest's and Parker Posey's) and thought it was a huge step made towards making the same sort of genius accomplished in Spinal Tap. So, perhaps A Mighty Wind was built up a bit too much in my mind.

So here's my probably oversimplified review of the movie:

The good: The six or seven funny parts in the movie (I won't elaborate, don't want to spoil it for others).

The Bad: Pretty much everything else.

Why: Well, most of the movie just wasn't comedy. A lot of it was actually quite serious and dramatic, seeming out of place for a movie advertised as a comedy. Either that, or A Mighty Wind is actually a drama with-out-of-place over-the-top comedic bits. Of course, there are some comedic bits which fall flat, basically being much too silly (for lack of a better word). What Christopher Guest needs to realize is that the improvised format which he has made, really (in my opinion, of course) lends itself to more subtle humor than for completely over the top comedy. That is what makes Spinal Tap and, to a lesser extent, Best in Show great. The best scenes in Spinal Tap were just the explanations of the band's past, songs, quirks and messages. The best parts of Waiting for Guffman were invariably Christopher Guest and the Parker Posey/Michael Hitchcook duo just talking about their dogs, and showing us, comparatively subtly, how they over-dramatize the importance of dogs.

Going on to a more practical complaint: I thought that there just were too many characters. Not that you can't keep track of them all, it's just that with all those characters, you can only devote so many scenes to each one. This means that some of the more interesting and funny characters (the Folksmen) don't get quite as many scenes as you would want or expect. If Christopher Guest makes another movie, I sincerely hope that he reduces the size of the cast, so we can focus on a small group of colorful characters, rather than a very large group of mostly dull ones, sprinkled here and there with funny ones.

Another complaint: Very unbalanced, as I mentioned before. Some characters are very comedic (The leaders of the Main Street Singers) and others are really quite dramatic (Mitch and Mickey), making it an unhealthy mend, with uneasy contrasts from scene to scene. It's almost as if Guest told Levy (yes, I know he wrote half of it) and O'Hara that it was a drama while he told John Michael Higgins and Jane Lynch that it was an absurd comedy.

Well, I hope that you, if you actually read this far (congratulations, if you actually read all of it!) gained something from reading this review. Good evening.