Posted on 10/27/2006 4:35:46 PM PDT by PJ-Comix
Shut Up & Sing wants to give us a backstage pass to a publicity crisis, but the more interesting story that shines through is about the enormous power that even a travel-sized lead singer can wield over a band. The story begins in 2003 when Natalie Maines, the frosted blonde frontwoman of the Western swing-pop threesome The Dixie Chicks, makes an off-the-cuff to a London crowd about being embarrassed by Bush. The insult bounces around the globe, lands on redneck radio and results in a sturdy boycott that sinks plans for a tour. Maines is urged to back-peddle. Instead, she tries to spin the 'traitor' label into a new, quasi-edgy image for the hitherto-wholesome group. For fickle fans, it's a bridge too far. "You're giving the American public too much credit," her publicist warns. Meanwhile, the other Chicks fume. Fiddle player Martie Maguire wants to chick-scratch Maines' eyes out for gambling with their careers. At one point, in a moment that's almost off-camera, she mumbles: "I'm not gonna try to dig you out."
But Maines knows she is irreplaceable -- the Chicks opened supermarkets before her -- and she doesn't sweat vague threats of ouster. Everything she does, from the way she interrupts meetings with daydreamy musings to her snap decision to cut ties with a wavering sponsor, exposes her as the group's 800-pound gorilla. The film's best moments occur when she pipes up with an opinion, and the other Chicks bite their tongues. As the pressure increases, Maines begins to flirt with severing the group's connection to country music, which she's not culturally wedded to. This leads to a hilarious scene where she drags the other Chicks to the Maharishi-like pad of music impresario Rick Rubin for a musical powwow. Maguire, who was baptized in bluegrass, not Beastie Boys, is lost at sea. She eventually blurts out "What is our role?," prompting Rubin to make a cryptic statement about finding the best sound, 'whatever it may be'. He probably said that to several Chili Peppers drummers before they were axed.
The standoff with country music eventually leads to the old bulldoze-the-records routine. Is there a company that rents bulldozers just for the purpose of idiotic protests? Once again, the older Chicks go into a panic while Maines remains cool-headed under pressure. Hearing about the boycott against them, Maguire lets out another great mumble: "It would be too bad if our careers end." Somewhere around this time, Maines also ends up embroiled in a surreal, Hee Haw-ready feud with a ten-gallon retard called Toby Keith, who uses the controversy to shave off publicity for his own singing career, and whose defiantly ignorant snarl seems a true face of the audience that abandons the Chicks. There's one clip of Keith giving his opinion on the controversy, and it's a keeper. The film also kills a lot of time by flipping through other media blurbs and soundbites, with commentators sounding off that Maines should be "slapped around" among other things. She's eventually served with a written death threat, intercepted by her security guards, which she reads to the camera following her around.
If there's one area where the film trips up, it's the decision to give short-shrift to the mechanics that go into managing a group in the middle of a publicity storm. We see the Chicks and their manager watching from an office when tickets go on sale for a tour. Within minutes, they can see on the computers that they are not selling like they should be. Decisions are made to cut this place and add that place. Meetings are held to discuss how to brand the tour for Canadians, who are seen as being more receptive to the new, liberal-friendly incarnation of the Chicks. There are strategy sessions about which talk show to go on, which magazines will be receptive, and so on. I could have sat for another half hour of these kind of details, which don't typically make the cut of tour documentaries. The film is a little eager to get back to the personal drama. Also, some direct interviews might have added something to the film's fly-on-the-wall format.
Even if you don't find the trials and tribulations of this band interesting, you'd still have to tip your hat to a film that so eagerly marries honky-tonk music with the R-rated language that it usually sings about, without actually singing. Modern country music -- the mainstream, radio-playable kind, anyway -- arrives in stores only after having been put through a strainer to rid it of anything that might be vaguely offensive to Bible Belt sensibilities. Maines is a generation removed from those conventions, however, and seems eager to buck them. At one point in the film, while jokingly playing to the idea that her career as a singer might be over, she tests her mettle as a songwriter: "I gave a lot of blowjobs, but didn't kiss any ass." She also comes up with the film's most salient line, one that sums up her position on the whole controversy: "Now that we've f*cked ourselves, we have a responsibility to keep f*cking ourselves." That should be good enough for the longneck-and-jukebox crowd, don't you think?
Meanwhile, the other Chicks fume. Fiddle player Martie Maguire wants to chick-scratch Maines' eyes out for gambling with their careers.
LOL!!! I KNEW the two other Dixie Chicks were pissed off that Gnatalie flushed their singing careers down the toilet.
Everything she does, from the way she interrupts meetings with daydreamy musings to her snap decision to cut ties with a wavering sponsor, exposes her as the group's 800-pound gorilla. The film's best moments occur when she pipes up with an opinion, and the other Chicks bite their tongues.
When the two other dopey Dixie Chicks finally wake up to the fact that Gnatalie DESTROYED their careers, they are going to end up slapping her around as the pent-up rage emerges.
We see the Chicks and their manager watching from an office when tickets go on sale for a tour. Within minutes, they can see on the computers that they are not selling like they should be. Decisions are made to cut this place and add that place.
Make that mostly CUT. I don't think there were any adds involved here.
She also comes up with the film's most salient line, one that sums up her position on the whole controversy: "Now that we've f*cked ourselves, we have a responsibility to keep f*cking ourselves."
LOL!!! You sure are keeping up with that "responsibility," Gnatalie!
Really now, that's almost mean. She can't be a pound over 320-330
Everyone knows that FR brought down the DC's.
Period.
He's being kind.
She's the fat chick, right?!
Drudge has a headline that says both NBC & the CW have refused ads for their movie. Said they don't have a place for it!!!!
"I gave a lot of blowjobs, but didn't kiss any ass."
To the fat girl- your parents must be proud.
What a pig! Inside and out.
Have you noticed? Gnatalie looks like the (fake) blonde version of Monica.
Which should happen right about the time that the bottom line on this tour. When the chix left Sony(?) to get the maximum piece of the pie they also assumed the burden of the booking, pr, roadies, travel expenses. Costs which had been fronted and absorbed by the big label. Now with this losing concert tour, which interestingly Chris Matthews called the "demise" of the Dixie Chicks without protest from any of the three, their net maybe in negative numbers. Looking forward to the nasty breakup of this group, with lawsuits galore.
I don't know about comparing their looks, but they certainly have the same mentality.
Didn't Madonna do this once, too. Fly-on-the-wall movie? I didn't see Madonna's movie either.
And by continued dumping on this group (and they deserve every dump), FR could be instrumental in revising this bunch. Even though they make for great yuks and laughs, if we would just ignore them … perhaps, they would just fade into the cesspool of has-beens as would be their just reward.
But then again, they are so much fun to kick around
His career has never been bigger.He is at the top of country music.He hasn't had to cancel any shows.He started his own label.
This reviewer is an idiot.
We call them the Yankee Hens 'round here.
I hope this film clip is uploaded to YouTube. I would LOVE to see the looks on their faces as they watch their careers sink before their very eyes.
Hey, I said UPFRONT that the reviewer is a Leftie type.
Due to the support of the left and the boycotts on the right, it looks like it isn't the Dixie Chicks anymore. It's Natalie Maines and two unknown females in the background. Backup singers almost get more attention than those two.
Hey I'm not mad at you.Thanks for posting.
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