by Frank Wilkins
In order for a parody to work, two characteristics must be present. First, the end product must be funny. Secondly, the viewer must get it. A Mighty Wind is not and I didn't.

Fans of Waiting for Guffman and Best in Show have no doubt been anxiously awaiting the third installment in Christopher Guest & Company's series of so-called mockumentaries. Well, it might be a good idea to tap the brakes a little on those expectations.

The formula seems flawless. Reunite the Best in Show cast – Eugene Levy, Fred Willard, Catherine O'Hara, Parker Posey, et. al. – change the subject matter and voila! Success. One problem: Folk music is already such a funny and defenseless victim, laughing at its jokes is kind of like playing "dogpile on the school nerd". Isn't it already funny every time we hear Tom Dooley?

A Mighty Wind is at its cleverest in its first 15-20 minutes. The movie develops in the same documentary style as Guest's earlier comedies. Through a series of interviews and deadpan diatribes, we learn of the passing of Irving Steinbloom, a folk rock legend who was a record producer in the folk music scene of the '60s. Irving's son, Jonathan is organizing a tribute concert in his father's memory. The concert will reunite three wildly popular folk acts that Irving produced during his heyday: The New Main Street Singers, The Folksmen and Mitch and Mickey. But getting the bands back together proves to be an elusive concept. Petty jealousies, delusional egos and destroyed brain cells threaten to derail the project before it ever gets off the ground.

Other than the tender performance of Catherine O'Hara as the female half of the one-time love struck duo of Mitch & Mickey, most characters are forgettable and never seem to gain inspiration from their roles. I gave up on trying to like anybody about half way through the film and by the time the grand finale rolled around I realized I had no interest in the outcome of the reunion.

Most of A Mighty Wind's humor is derived from inside jokes, whether they revolve around the mannerisms of the characters or about the industry itself. But I quickly understood that I was not "inside" enough to appreciate its humor therefore I actually found the entire experience quite uninteresting and sometimes downright boring. Besides, I was always the kid at school who felt sorry for the nerd taking a pummeling at the hands of the bully. While others laughed, I walked away.

Frank Wilkins