Why It Ranks
A Mighty Wind proved that mockumentary could produce real emotion. The songs are genuinely beautiful. Eugene Levy and Catherine O'Hara's chemistry is one of cinema's great love stories. 'A Kiss at the End of the Rainbow' was nominated for an Oscar and deserved to win. Guest's most mature film.
The Film
A Mighty Wind is Christopher Guest's most emotionally resonant mockumentary — a reunion concert film about three folk music acts from the 1960s, featuring songs so perfectly crafted they could pass for real folk standards. Eugene Levy and Catherine O'Hara's Mitch and Mickey — former lovers whose signature song requires an onstage kiss — deliver a love story so genuine it transcends the mockumentary format. The kiss at the concert is played completely straight, and it is devastating.
Fun Facts
'A Kiss at the End of the Rainbow' was nominated for the Best Original Song Oscar — it lost to 'Into the West' from Return of the King.
Eugene Levy wrote most of the songs performed by his characters — he is a genuinely skilled musician.
The actors performed all their own music live at the concert — there was no lip-syncing.
Guest assembled the same ensemble from his previous mockumentaries, creating a comedy repertory company unmatched in American film.
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