Browse Movies : 2003 : Musical : A

This homage to the golden era of 1950s Technicolor musicals tells the story of a cabaret singer, Billie Golden (Isabel Rose), living with her mother in Queens who aspires to get out of the "airport circuit" (she sings at a dingy lounge at JFK Airport). Meanwhile, Billie is also trying to choose between two men who represent different paths her life could take next: a corporate attorney (Cameron Bancroft) she knew in high school, who could provide her with money and security; or her piano teacher (Andrew McCarthy) who doesn't have much money but understands her passion for music. In addition to the songs Billie performs on stage, there are also occasional musical numbers that represent Billie's daydream fantasies.

Formed in the 1960's, the Folksmen (Guest, McKean, Shearer) were a key group in the "Great Folk Music Scare", meeting as freshmen at Ohio Wesleyan College, and touring for 26 months as a folk trio, singing a unique type of "eclectified folk" music. It wasn't meant to last, however, and the three musicians went their separate ways. Now, thirty years later, they've reunited for a comeback tour of sorts, as long as the folk festivals they're playing at are within a day's travel of their homes, all of which leads up to a climactic memorial concert at Carnegie Hall following the death of a legendary folk music promoter, where they reunite with two other folk groups. In the tradition of This is Spinal Tap (an aging heavy metal band), Waiting for Guffman (a small town theater group), and Best in Show (the Westminster Dog Show), this is a mocking look at the world of folk music.