Blue Catablog

Back in 2003 Natalie Maines, the lead singer for the Dixie Chicks made an off the cuff remark during a London concert on the eve of the Iraq War -- “Just so you know, we’re ashamed that the President of the United States is from Texas.” That remark was then picked up by web sites and then the news media and led to a national press frenzy, boycotts of their music on country radio stations, protests, and in one instance a death threat.

Now Barbara Kopple, famed documentary film maker, has used behind the scenes footage from the Chicks tour in 2003 and from film she took while the chicks were working on their latest album in 2005 and 2006. The Center for American Progress held a screening of the film, Shut Up and Sing, Wednesday night in Washington and the film is more powerful as you see these musicians grow from thinking the issue at hand is merely a PR problem, to defiant patriots uncompromising in their views.

The film goes back and forth between the events of 2003 and the 2005 recording sessions for their recent release. When you first see the Chicks learning about the outrage by certain right-wing groups and country stations, they react as though they just need to put out the proper publicity statement, but as the outcry continues and country radio stations stop playing their songs, the Chicks become more strident and defiant, determining that they would rather stand by their principles than compromise just to sell more CDs and concert tickets.

The star of the film is obviously Maines, who is the one who made the controversial remarks. The other two Chicks, sisters Emily Robison and Martie Maguire, are supportive of Natalie and believe in her rights, but it is Maines who, at every turn, wants to make sure that they do what they believe in, and not sell-out in any way. As the film moves along you see her develop into a real patriot – believing her rights to say and believe what she wants is part of being an American.

There are many parts of the film that are amusing, but the rivalry with Toby Keith (Some uber-Republican country singer that I don’t know since it isn’t my genre of music) is extremely amusing. Keith wrote some song attacking the Chicks and had a video during his concerts that compared Natalie with Saddam. Natalie laughs it off, using his own tactics against him. At one point she dons a T-Shirt with “F.U.T.K” on it, and while fans start mimicking her shirt, protesters wear “F.U.D.C” shirts – to which Natalie remarks, “I wanna tell em nice shirts, but what do you have against Dick Cheney?”

Maines’ principled intelligence and determination to stick to her beliefs is what shines through most in the film. By the end you see how the three musicians feel more free than they did before, deciding that now they can write what they want and say what they want as nothing worse can happen to them. By viewing their recent recording sessions we see how they are using what they have learned in their music and in their attitudes. As one panelist, “Mudcat” Saunders said after the film, we see real patriots being formed in this movie.
I am not a country music fan, but the music in the film, both in performance and on the soundtrack is moving and wonderful to listen to. I am definitely going to pick up their latest album.

Release dates according to the Director are: Oct 27th for NY and LA, Nov. 17th for major cities, and a roll out for smaller cities after that. Not only do I recommend the film, but it is one of those rare films that when you leave the theater, you feel proud to be an American for the right reasons.