Shut Up & Sing.

Shut Up & Sing

Documentary; Directed by Barbara Kopple and Cecilia Peck; Major U.S. Release: Nov. 10, 2006; DVD: Feb. 20, 2007; 93 minutes; MPAA Rating: R (for language)

ACADEMY AWARD-WINNING documentary filmmaker Barbara Kopple, alongside codirector Cecilia Peck, has added another passionate commentary on the state of American affairs to her acclaimed repertoire, which includes the highly celebrated Harlan County, USA and American Dreams. Kopple invites old fans and the uninitiated alike to experience a turbulent journey through the last three years with the top-selling female recording artists of all time: the Dixie Chicks.

Shut Up & Sing opens in a vibrant recording studio where we find the band sardonically rehashing right-wing blog commentary. The intimacy established with the band is immediately recognized as crucial to understanding its struggle as the number-one target of conservative citizenry, country radio stations, and even fellow country recording artist Toby Keith.

The film's nonchronological narrative proceeds in flashback to the peak of the band's popularity--a performance of the national anthem at the 2003 Superbowl, accompanied by the announcement of an endorsement deal with Lipton Tea. Shortly thereafter we are brought backstage at their London concert where front woman Natalie Maines and siblings Emily Robison and Martie Maguire stare crossly at the television screen as President Bush formally announces his decision to invade Iraq. Approaching the microphone at the beginning of their set, Maines offhandedly comments on American military involvement with the now infamous, "Just so you know, we do not want this war, and we are ashamed that the president is from Texas."

What follows the flippant remark is a conservative backlash targeting the Dixie Chicks as harbingers of anti-American sentiment and the mouthpiece of "unpatriotic" liberal extremism. From anti-Chicks protests at the foot of its subsequent North American tour to the immediate downward spiral of their number-one single, "Travelin' Soldier," the film chronicles the band's struggle to keep its footing through a boycott of radio play, sluggish ticket sales, and the low point of conservative radicalism--a death threat against Maines herself.

Having unwittingly started upon a career-defining path, the band falls on the front lines of free speech issues in the United States and discovers what it means to be the voice of the political minority against a wartime president. The fly-on-the-wall perspective of the documentary allows for an extremely candid portrayal of the band members' personal and professional lives, while seamless editing moves the story back and forth across time to uncover further layers of the highly emotional struggle. As Robison approaches the birth of her twins, Maines and Maguire attempt to reconcile the distance with their families created by the tour, all while wrestling with bad press and detachment from their musical inspiration. Through the strength they find in their family, friends, and each other, the Dixie Chicks form a bond stronger than ever before and courageously hold their ground as recognized political figures.

This charming and often cunningly amusing portrait follows the band at a crossroads in its music that mirrors the nation's own growing dissatisfaction with White House policy. The evolution of public opinion regarding the Bush administration by the film's close can be considered an appropriate range of social commentary; the stand taken by the Dixie Chicks, now reflected by opinion polls nationwide, is widely embraced by a redefined fanbase that now openly protests the war. The impact of the band's influence was palpable in the energy of its audience by the film's close--a testament to the power of entertainers who take a stand on significant policy issues.

Kopple's documentary deftly reveals the band members' sincerity to their cause, as well as the steadfast resolve to redefine both their music and their status as a group, which ultimately broke the mold of country conservatism that had previously labeled their careers. Shut Up & Sing is a refreshing and truthful look at perseverance in the face of opposition and to the preservation of Constitutional rights. While the film's title refers to a self-deprecating remark made by the Dixie Chicks themselves, Shut Up & Sing is the call of voices holding fast to that in which they unwaveringly believe.

Mike Valente has a degree in philosophy and criminal justice from the University of Delaware and is the field and fulfillment coordinator for the American Humanist Association.