Dixie Chicks anti-Bush Movie Premiere in Toronto TODAY

Toronto Film Festival Website ^ | September 12, 2006 | Hating Toronto

[HatingToronto]

Film Title: Dixie Chicks - Shut Up and Sing

Programme: GALA PRESENTATIONS Director: Barbara Kopple, Cecilia Peck Country: USA Year: 2006 Language: English Time: 99 minutes Film Types: Colour/HDCAM Rating: PG

SCREENING TIMES: Tuesday, September 12 6:30 PM ROY THOMSON HALL Buy tickets now Wednesday, September 13 9:30 AM RYERSON Buy tickets now

Production Company : Cabin Creek Films US Distribution : The Weinstein Company

Producer: Barbara Kopple, Cecilia Peck, David Cassidy, Claude Davies Cinematographer: Chris Burrill, Joan Churchill, Gary Griffin, Luis Lopez, Seth Gordon Editor: Bob Eisenhardt, Jean Tsien, Emma Morris, Aaron Kuhn Sound: Giovanni DiSimone, Alan Barker Music: The Dixie Chicks Principal Cast: Natalie Maines, Martie Maguire, Emily Robison, Simon Renshaw

The Dixie Chicks are the best-selling female group of all time. Dixie Chicks: Shut Up and Sing takes us behind the scenes during a dramatic period of their career; the result is one of the most intimate portraits of artists ever put on screen. The group made headlines all over the world in March 2003 when, as bombs were falling on Iraq, lead singer Natalie Maines told a London audience, "We're embarrassed that the President is from Texas." Not since John Lennon quipped that the Beatles were more popular than Jesus has a backlash been so fierce. Right-wing groups responded with radio boycotts, CD burnings - even a death threat.

This film will send fans into ecstasy and turn you into a convert if you've never heard the music before. Behind the scenes, we see the band endure persecution and plot their comeback. With millions of dollars at stake in music sales and corporate sponsorships, band members Maines, Emily Robison and Martie Maguire uphold their artistry and politics against pressures to just "shut up and sing."

Throughout the ordeal the women, along with their wise-cracking band manager Simon Renshaw, maintain a delightful humour and independence. The film also follows them balancing career and motherhood, and we see sisters Robison and Maguire both go through in-vitro pregnancies.

Several narrative threads interweave as the band goes into the studio. The story gets the filmmakers it deserves in Barbara Kopple and Cecilia Peck, who follow the story right up to this summer when "Taking the Long Way" debuts at number one on the Billboard charts and the band takes to the road again.

At a time when celebrities are carefully controlled to not rock the boat - and media access is even more controlled - The Dixie Chicks exhibit openness and the courage of their convictions. Like the title of their hit single, they're not ready to make nice quite yet.

Barbara Kopple was born in New York City and studied at Northeastern University. She has won the Academy Award® for best documentary feature twice, for Harlan County USA (76) and American Dream (91). Her other feature-length documentaries include Wild Man Blues (97), My Generation (co-director), Bearing Witness (05) and Dixie Chicks: Shut Up and Sing (co-director, 06).

Cecilia Peck was born in Los Angeles and graduated from Princeton University. She produced Barbara Kopple's documentary series "The Hamptons" (02) and her feature documentary A Conversation with Gregory Peck (99). Her most recent collaboration with Kopple is Dixie Chicks: Shut Up and Sing (co-director, 06).

[LIConFem]

Why take a stand against the movie? There's an old saying, that seems to apply here, about giving someone enough rope.

[Ichneumon]

Anything bashing Bush is considered "art" these days.

Here's a thread on a superb essay pointing out the vacuousness of Bush-bashing in an attempt to be "clever" or "with it": Satire has forgotten its function. Excerpt:

A really good attack on George Bush has not yet been done, mainly because resentment is being asked to do the task of imagination, and contempt the work of inspiration. The people who work him over are far too pleased with themselves to bypass self-congratulations over how superior they are to their target, to bring either wit or cogency to what they fondly conceive of as their mighty indictments.

[polymuser]

Well, hello! Don't the Chicks violate Kyoto protocal in Canada for gas emissions?

[Corporate Law]

Plus, the music is better.

[Jodi]

lmao!

[PBRSTREETGANG]

This film will send fans into ecstasy and turn you into a convert if you've never heard the music before.

Why? Did the Dixie Chicks hire somebody GOOD to do the soundtrack?

[RedMonqey]

A really good attack on George Bush has not yet been done, mainly because resentment is being asked to do the task of imagination, and contempt the work of inspiration. The people who work him over are far too pleased with themselves to bypass self-congratulations over how superior they are to their target, to bring either wit or cogency to what they fondly conceive of as their mighty indictments.


Fit's Sean Penn and his "Bush is Beelzebub and is dumb" remarks to a "T".

[Covenantor]

Recommended Code of Practice
For The Care And Handling of Farm Animals

---

Pigs

Pigs are raised in many ways including outdoor pasture systems, mixed indoor-outdoor systems, and the indoor systems, which, mainly for climatic reasons, predominate in Canada. Within any system, animal well-being is largely determined by the amount and quality of care and the operator's understanding of the animals.

Providing competent handling and an environment that allows pigs to fulfill their basic needs are crucial elements in putting this code into practice. The basic elements of responsible animal care described in this publication include:

• Comfort and shelter
• Readily accessible fresh water and a diet to maintain the animals in full health and vigor
• Opportunity for reasonable movement
• Company of other animals, particularly of the same kind
• Opportunity to exercise most normal patterns of behaviour
• Light of appropriate duration and intensity
• Flooring and equipment that neither harm the animals nor cause undue strain
• Prevention, or rapid diagnosis and treatment, of abnormal behaviour, injury, and disease
• Avoidance of unnecessary surgical alteration
• Emergency arrangements to cover outbreaks of fire, the breakdown of essential mechanical services, and the disruption of supplies.

To obtain a copy of this publication, you may contact the Canadian Pork Council or the hog marketing organization in your province.

For a more detailed summary of this code online, check out the Canadian Agri-Food Research Council web site.

[NRA1995]

This film will send fans into ecstasy and turn you into a convert if you've never heard the music before.

Well, I never really liked country music to start with, and THEY damn well aren't going to convert me.

[Todd_Gray]

From Entertainment Weekly.

In one memorable scene, Maines watches news footage of the president being interviewed about the furor that followed the singer's on-stage comment that she was ''ashamed the President of the United States is from Texas,'' which resulted in the group being dropped from most radio stations, as well as protests and plummeting sales. ''The Dixie Chicks are free to speak their mind,'' Bush told Tom Brokaw at the time, adding, ''They shouldn't have their feelings hurt just because some people don't want to buy their records when they speak out. You know, freedom is a two-way street.''

After watching this footage, Maines repeats the president's comment about how the group shouldn't have their ''feelings hurt,'' incredulous, and then says, ''What a dumb f---.'' She then looks into the camera, as if addressing Bush, and reiterates, ''You're a dumb f---.''

What a bunch of losers.

[pollyannaish]

First, welcome to Free Republic. Interesting first post and if you are sincere, thanks for standing with us.

However, the Dixie Chicks are all but over, not because of their politics, because frankly no one holds a grudge about that eventually...but because they went and insulted their fans who also happen to be devoted to Reba and Toby. And then whined about it when they got needled in return. Being mean, then yelling victim is NEVER a winning strategy.

They could have recovered, but instead dug the hole deeper and more personal. Their careers are over as superstars. No need to boycott or yell and scream about this movie as it just creates free publicity and extends the pain.

Continuing to ignore them works and the marketplace will take care of business. I wish them the best...as well as a better grasp on how to treat "customers."

[pollyannaish]

'What a dumb f---.'' She then looks into the camera, as if addressing Bush, and reiterates, ''You're a dumb f---.''

And yet, she completely misses the irony of her statement. LOL.

[Gen-X-Dad]

Their anti-American trash isn't playing well at home, despite the push that left wing MTV and VH1 gave them.

---

So, the wife and me are watching a tribute to the outspoken country music female singers of the past (Patsy Kline, Loretta Lynn, etc.) on VH1. My wife is really enjoying it when I make the offhand comment that it is probably just a lame attempt to justify the Dixie Chicks spouting off about Bush. Sure enough, out come these country women singers I have never heard of complaining full bore about how sad it was that the Dixie Chicks were stepped on for just speaking their mind. Then out trots the Chicks playing the freedom of speech and it's just so unfair card. My wife was stunned that I predicted it exactly like it played out. I told her the propaganda ministers of the old media need to learn some new tricks as this subversive manipulation stuff doesn't fly anymore.

[I'm ALL Right!]

They called their fans idiots and said "they don't need fans like that." Their fans went away. They got what they deserved. That's the story.

The victim mode they are in says ***Whine*** We're being punished for voicing our opinion... ***Sniff***.

It doesn't take a genius to figure out that if their opinion is that I am an idiot, I will not buy their CD's, go to their concerts, or listen to any station that chooses to broadcast Dixie Chicks music. REAL idiots would support artists who publicly insult them.

[pollyannaish]

Exactly.

It's over for them. Treating customers badly will do that to a business.

[reagan_fanatic]

After watching this footage, Maines repeats the president's comment about how the group shouldn't have their ''feelings hurt,'' incredulous, and then says, ''What a dumb f---.'' She then looks into the camera, as if addressing Bush, and reiterates, ''You're a dumb f---.''

And you, my dear, are a classless little fatass who exposed her lack of intellect by pissing off a substantial fanbase and losing millions of dollars in CD and concert sales because she couldn't keep her slobbering yap shut.

Now who's the dumb f---, Natalie?

[Republican Red]

What a lady!

[I Drive Too Fast]

ping

[beansox]

Dear hens, stay in canada with the rest of the dereters you cowards!

[chiefqc]

Just the type of an arrogant,fat,foul mouthed pig you would bring home to meet your mother.