Shut Up and Sing

Shut Up and Sing is a documentary about the Dixie Chicks and how things began to unravel for them after lead singer Natalie Maines told an audience in London that she was ashamed that George Bush came from Texas (this was right before the start of his war in Iraq).

Up to that point the Chicks (Maines, Emily Robison and Marty Maguire) were riding high. They were the most popular female singing group in the history of music. They were considered country music stars and many (perhaps most) of their fans were located in the south, which is Bush country. After that comment many fans got rid of their Dixie Chicks CDs and country music stations stopped playing their songs. It was a tough time for the Chicks and there was even a death threat made against Maines. Added to the mix were ridiculous comments from right wing television hosts such as Bill O'Reilly who said that someone should slap them.

But they weathered the storm and earlier this year they came out with a new album of music which was a big hit. There are several scenes in which we see the Chicks recording their new music. They had to reinvent themselves a bit and I don't think that they now consider themselves just country music artists. Many of their new fans are from more liberal areas of the country.

Besides the musical aspects of their lives we also get to see a bit of their private lives. All of the Chicks are wives and mothers and we get to meet their spouses and see their children. We also meet their manager Simon Renshaw who was always behind them one hundred percent.

The film is produced and directed by Cecilia Peck (daughter of Gregory) and Barbara Kopple (who likes to make films about controversial subject matter). They do a great job of bringing this story to the screen. There is a nice mixture of music and interviews. It is very tightly edited and the film is never boring.

In the end, this is not just a film about The Dixie Chicks - it is a story about each and every one of us. The United States is supposed to be a democracy and we are supposed to be able to say anything that we want even if many others disagree with it. So what happened in this case? I guess some people don't want others to criticize the government but they don't understand that dissent is the highest form of patriotism. This is an important film for everyone to see, especially in these times when our right to free speech is eroding everyday. I do not believe in censorship and I feel that Ms. Maines should be allowed to say whatever the fuck she wants. And so should the rest of us.