Garrison Keillor The Man on the Radio in the Red Shoes

Product Description America's foremost humorist and commentator, Garrison Keillor takes his skits and jokes, music and monologues across the country in his traveling radio show, spinning his stories into American gold. This freeform, intimate look at the private man in the public spotlight goes behind the scenes of America's most popular radio show, A Prairie Home Companion, and inside the imagination of the man who created it. Over one year of filming has resulted in an unusual portrait that cannot be defined by the standard terms of chronological biography: the subject himself is an enigma, and the fictional world he has created has become a real place in America: Lake Wobegon. A man compelled to speak for his people with humor and nostalgia, Keillor singlehandedly revived the art of live radio for generations of fans by creating an onstage world that deeply resonates with his audiences. His take on America is both pungent and poignant. In the best tradition of Will Rogers and Mark Twain, Keillor mixes storytelling and humor to give us a lighthearted but deeply felt reflection of ourselves. Amazon.com As modest, folksy, and amiable as Garrison Keillor's Prairie Home Companion stage persona, this documentary is, like the children of his fabled creation Lake Wobegon, "above average." Broadcast on American Masters, the essential PBS biography series, this profile examines "the fortunate life" of the radio host, author, columnist, and humorist, whose iconic old-time radio show ("a museum of broadcasting," he describes it) has captivated millions of listeners for more than 35 years. Short on revelation ("He's a tough nut to crack," one staffer offers), this program instead allows Keillor to expound on why he does what he does and watches him interact with his adoring core constituency, small-town Americans whose work ethic and sense of community are virtues Keillor celebrates on the air and in his writings. The Man on the Radio meanders a bit, but the leisurely pace suits Keillor. Prairie Home Companion fans will enjoy seeing how the show is put together and putting faces to the voices in Keillor's crack ensemble (a special shout-out to the sound effects virtuosos). Keillor is a performer whose appeal crosses urban and rural as well as blue and red state lines. He offers a weekly respite from contentious (and contemptuous) commentary and political polarization, reaffirming and restoring faith in America's best instincts. "It's a great country and it wasn't made so by angry people," he states in his best "FM radio voice." The DVD extras offer some additional quality time with Keillor, including an expanded joint interview with Robert Altman, director of the fanciful star-studded Prairie Home Companion feature film; a near-40-minute master class Keillor conducted with students of the Savannah College of Art & Design in 2007; and interview outtakes. -- Donald Liebenson About the Director Peter Rosen has produced and directed over 100 full-length films and television programs which have been distributed worldwide and have won awards at the major film festivals. He has worked directly with some of the most important figures in the arts such as Leonard Bernstein, Yo Yo Ma, Beverly Sills, Sherrill Milnes, Stephen Sondheim, Alexander Godunov, Midori, Martha Graham, Placido Domingo, Luciano Pavarotti, Van Cliburn, Claudio Arrau, I. M. Pei, and Garrison Keillor. He won the prestigious Directors Guild of America Award for his production Here to Make Music: The Eighth Van Cliburn International Piano Competition. The show also won a primetime national Emmy Award. He was again nominated for the DGA Award for his film First Person Singular: I. M. Pei. He won the Peabody Award for Playing on the Edge: The Eleventh Van Cliburn International Piano Competition.