Dorathen
Better Late Then Never
TrueHello
Fun premise, good actors, bad writing. This film seemed to have potential at the beginning but it quickly devolves into a trite action film. Ultimately it's very boring.
Sameer Callahan
It really made me laugh, but for some moments I was tearing up because I could relate so much.
Ethan Straffin
I guess I'm the Dixie Chicks' new audience, their having been deserted by a certain breed of fan who interprets seventeen words as a good reason to renounce his or her loyalty and stomp a few CDs into oblivion. Why would any artist want such a fan in the first place? Where are the country-music fans who will stand up for them? Are we really this easily distracted, so many years after Lennon's infamous "more popular than Jesus" stompfest? Yeah, I suppose we are.This is a truly heartbreaking film. It's also really funny, and ultimately joyous. These three simply do not give in, and while there's a certain "Spinal Tap" quality about their efforts to redefine their careers in light of their abandonment by extremely fair-weather friends, the fact is that it worked. They're still the world's best-selling all-female band, and until we can round up three or more seriously fascist chicks who can work together long enough to deliver a significant challenge, I suspect that they'll remain that way.
Brandice
I rented this last night because I absolutely love "Not Ready to Make Nice," their recent single, and I was intrigued by how they dealt with all the flack that arose from Natalie Maines' statement about being ashamed that the President is from Texas, and the documentary is really, really good. I've always liked the Dixie Chicks in spite of their ties to modern country music (something I absolutely despise), and I have to say that I totally love them now. The documentary doesn't make them seem perfect or righteous, and it's very clear that they didn't always know what to say or how best to express themselves with the whole media fiasco, but they really took things head on and they've come out completely on top, especially after their sweep at the Grammys, which happened after the documentary was made.I also had no idea until watching the Grammys that Dan Wilson (of Semisonic) co-wrote the album with them, and he's shown quite a bit in the documentary, which I was really excited about. I think the pairing was an awesome idea and I've always loved Semisonic (I think I had 'Closing Time' on repeat through most of 1999), so that was a really cool aspect of the film for me. :) I've also decided, after seeing how they've departed a bit from the country genre with this album, that I'd like to have the entire album to listen to, so that's my next plan for this afternoon.
AVeryAptPupil
I'm not going to say that it's one of the most excellent movies ever made or that it's a total disaster either, because it's neither of those things. If there is one thing that this film stands out for the most, it is the right of the individual. Natalie really shouldn't have apologized for what she said, but she probably did it because of the anticipated backlash. This doesn't make her a bad person though, nobody likes to have horrible things thrown their way.Although, the funny thing is, Natalie said something just about Bush and not about any of his compatriots. If Bush wanted to say something badly about Natalie himself, he could've. Instead, all of his little supporters jumped on Natalie's case for him. And he just stood back and said that they shouldn't be upset if people don't support them anymore. It's such a shame that people at the time that Natalie said what she said thought and acted like an insult of the president was an insult of the whole country. I think that idea is one of those things that this film is trying to put to rest.One part of the film that really caught my attention was when that guy sent the ladies that letter which stated that Natalie was going to die at the Dallas, TX concert. Natalie, when she was shown a picture of the guy, said "He's cute," and both I and a family member could tell that the wheels were turning in her head. As if she were trying to figure him out, or something. Anyway the documentary itself offered an interesting look into the world of the sisters, and how the experiences affected them personally. It is worth a viewing or two.
driscmaj
The old first amendment doesn't mean much to a lot of Americans, it seems. Hard to believe that a country that has seen thousands of its young people needlessly killed by war, suddenly turn on a band because of a few misplaced words. I think the greatest thing about this movie is that it has negatively immortalized the "Proud Americans" who had such unkind words for the Dixie Chicks. In a world that is marred by terror, isn't it rewarding that we have such a talented group of women who offer us hope? This movie makes a statement. I hope the American people hear it. I live in Canada, which offered the Dixie Chicks our biggest welcome, from coast to coast. I saw the band in my city and have never witnessed the level of appreciation by a concert audience that I experienced that night. America should be very proud to be the home of the Dixie Chicks!
