Shut Up & Sing (2006)

I never ever thought I would watch a documentary film about the Dixie Chicks. I don’t really care for country music and I dismissed these women as pretty blondes from Texas with a record contract. Boy, was I ever wrong.

Shut Up & Sing (2006) is an excellent film. It chronicles the fallout from the anti-Bush comment that Natalie Maines (lead singer) made at a concert in 2003. Sean Penn, the Dixie Chicks, many in the entertainment industry didn’t believe that Iraq had weapons of mass destruction. They questioned what Bush was saying and didn’t believe him. It turns out they were right.

FREEDOM OF SPEECH

The problem is that Maines exercised her freedom of speech — opinions that the some right-wing Americans didn’t want to hear. The media saw an opportunity to create a controversy, sell more newspapers, discuss the topic ad nauseam on television, sell more advertising and make money (my opinion).

DEATH TO THE COMMUNISTS

The film shows how the Dixie Chicks endured death threats, people labeling them communists, country radio’s boycott of their music, lost corporate sponsors and so on. Don’t get me wrong. These girls are filthy rich and I don’t think they suffered too much financially. Emotionally? Yes.

What I found truly amazing was how a right-wing group in the Republican party brought them down. They called the Dixie Chicks unpatriotic for making a joke and speaking out against George Bush. They convinced a lot of simple-minded people that the band was evil and deserving of their hate. Yikes! This happened in 2003!

GREAT STORYTELLING AND DIRECTION

Shut Up & Sing does a fabulous job of showcasing the talent of the Dixie Chicks. I had no idea that they were such incredible musicians and songwriters. I guess this is why I really liked the film—it completely changed my opinion of the band through great storytelling and direction.

Films are rated from 1 to 4 stars.

Posted in DVD Reviews at 7:36 PM