Shut Up & Sing
Shut Up & Sing Review
In 2003, right before the U.S. invaded Iraq, the
Dixie Chicks gave a concert in London. While talking to the audience, lead
singer Natalie Maines made a political comment. Maybe you remember it. The
film follows the onslaught of public vitriol that the three girls faced
with strength and unity, cutting back and forth from the PR spins and death
threats to the recording of their new album in 2005.
In the beginning, Shut Up & Sing is just a fascinating
study of a controversy. From inside the group’s circle, before anyone
knew it was going to blow up, you see how they function, how they hear about
the outcry, how they consider responses and how they deal. Their manager
seems to court it while their publicist decries such boisterous retaliations
as the Entertainment Weekly cover. The girls are so smart in their
analysis of the growing situation and their potential responses, nobody
who speaks ill of them could possibly look good.
Once you start seeing the 2005 footage, it’s almost like the healing
process begins. They’re starting to write again, they’re inspired
by this sh*tstorm and it’s not quite making coherent music yet, but
it’s getting there. They live their lives and plan a new approach
to airplay and touring.
Neither of these sections would really get old, but going back and forth
deepens the impact of moments from each. When you see a moment of elevated
controversy in 2003, it’s more powerful because you’ve seen
how it still resonates with them in 2005. Obviously, scenes in 2005 benefit
from the backstory of 2003 incidents. It’s also fun to see what a
difference Bush’s approval rating makes.
In both sections, the filmmakers have found the
single most idiotic protestors to fail to articulate what kind of a problem
the comment really was. Their montage of pundit clips is classic.
But it’s the girls’ sincerity that makes them heroes. Not once
do they say anyone else is wrong. They don’t even really say they’re
right. They say this is what they think. They stand together as a “we”
when they could have made it an “I.” They turn all the hate
into something positive and artistic, and now I’ll cry whenever I
hear their music
The single most brilliant moment is when Natalie hears a boo in the audience,
and says she’ll give any booers 15 seconds to get it out. She counts
to three, and do you think you could hear any boo over all the applause
she got? The most masterful manipulators could not concoct a scheme so genuine.
Is this documentary biased? Well, it should have a point of view. The filmmakers
were lucky enough to be allowed in the Dixie Chicks’ inner circle.
Nothing’s made up. Nothing’s left out. They lucked out with
the events turning in the Chicks’ favor but they still put everything
together so skillfully to make the perfect movie. There may be another story
in the lives of the Bush supporters but it wouldn’t have the confidence,
the empowerment and the sincerity of Shut Up & Sing.
It would just be a bunch of whiners.
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