Dixie Chicks

02.21.2007 -- Review by: Don Henry Ford Jr

Prior to the Dixie Chicks fall from grace I was not a huge fan of their music. The reason: I rarely listened to mainstream country radio. My wife Leah on the other hand loved their songs and their music. So it was through her I discovered how talented this trio is. Then came the infamous day Natalie Maines told a group of British fans at a concert that she was ashamed George Bush is from Texas.

The backlash was huge. Country radio stations quit playing their songs, groups boycotted their concerts, sponsors abandoned them, other groups staged events to destroy their CD�s in public displays. Right wing pundits lined up to criticize the Chicks. Who are these three young performers, women performers no less, to criticize our commander in chief during a time of war? The Chicks fan base was largely in the South and rural America, for the biggest part it died overnight.

Shut up and Sing follows the Chicks through this time with actual footage of the events as they happened, interspersed with songs off of their latest CD.

Natalie Maines may have been ashamed of Dubya. I�ll tell you what I am ashamed of. I am ashamed of the people in my own state and my own country for bullying and vilifying these women for having the courage to speak their mind. Especially now that it turns out they were right to question Mr. Bush and his cohorts. Perhaps the words she used could have been chosen a little more wisely. I support the people�s right not to buy their music or attend their concerts, but to threaten harm to them or to pressure them into silence in order to protect frat boy�

It�s not politics that makes the movie work though. It�s the incredible talent of these three women. There has never been a trio of women from the country music scene anywhere near as good as these women. This talent is on full display throughout the movie.

Another thing that makes the movie work is the wonderful portrayal of the Chicks in their everyday lives as wives, mothers, and dear loyal friends to each other. Each one is an exceptional person, as a group they are unparalleled.

Please go watch this film if you can. You�ll be doing yourself a big favor. And you�ll be supporting a talented group of courageous Americans while you�re at it.