A Mighty Wind surprised me. I came into a movie associated with the creative team for Spinal Tap with certain satiric expectations, most of which were met.

A Mighty Wind tells the story of three long past their prime folk groups who have gotten together for a PBS special on the ocassion of the death of their old label president. The action centers on the many membered Main Street Singers, the less than popular Folksmen (the Spinal Tap reunion), and an ex-husband and wife duo Mitch and Mickey.

They in particular put out considerably more than I would have expected. Eugene Levy (especially) and Catherine O'Hara [an underappreciated actress] inject a real dramatic poignancy as the ex-husband and wife folk singing team. They're sort of Sonny and Cher, except with a tragic Brian Wilson character instead of level-headed Sonny.

Their big hit was a hokey love song with an autoharp solo called "A Kiss at the End of the Rainbow". Their big career moment was performing this song on television long decades ago, complete with a little theatrical kiss written into the climax of the song. "There's a kiss at the end of the rainbow... worth more than any pot of gold."

"A Kiss at the End of the Rainbow" was nominated for an Oscar for best original song. It should have won, except that voters were determined to vote for absolutely anything connected to the Lord of the Frickin' Rings. The Mitch and Mickey performance on the Oscars February 29, 2004, however, cemented my judgment that not only was it the best song in a movie, but in fact the record of the year. Levy did good with suggesting the character's problems in just a few seconds of spaciness on the big show that framed the song quite nicely. Unlike the Grammys though, at least the Oscars had the sense to NOMINATE the right song.

Yes, this is as cheesy as you might think, yet totally real and meaningful to them. This moment was the peak of their lives. Then their relationship and career come apart, and Mitch does time in a mental institution. The couple hasn't spoken for decades.

Yet here they are pushed back together for a public performance. Mickey is still vulnerable, much less the basket case that is Mitch. He's trying to hold on enough to just get through the performance, and keep it together.