Shut Up and Sing (DVD, 2007)

This is a great dipiction of the ignorance and the power of a small group of hate mongers. I cannot believe the lengths at which some ingorant people will go to. This is a remarkable documentary of a courageous group of people who stood up against stupidity and stood up for their beliefs. It cost them dearly because of a small group of idiots that called radio stations to try to ban them from the air ways. The Grammy's just proved that the righteous people will not be shunned or discriminated against. Everyone should watch this movie to show you what kind of idiots live next to you and we all must stand up against them.

THIS IS WHAT FREEDOM OF SPEACH IS ALL ABOUT. THE COUNTRY RED NECKS WITH LIMITED EDUCATION MAY NOT GET THE FULL PICTURE............

I think that the title states it best-Shut up and sing. Dixie Chicks, Pick one, Music or Politics. If you pick politics then quit singing and make sure you spend your time educating your selves on the subjects, so you can speak intelegently. If you pick music then shut up and sing, and be quick because you are loosing you fans rapidly. As for me I will never be a fan of the Dixie Chicks again no matter how good a song or album they release, I am totally sick of all their politicing, I only wanted to listen to good country music, not their libral leftist ideas.

What other group other than maybe U2 has done so much? These gals just said how they felt and stuck by it. The whirlwind surrounding the comments and Bush/Iraq War was propelled by the real, exisiting controversy over Bush being right or wrong. Great film, even if you disagree or feel you dislike country music.

Why glorify a group who shuns and ridicules their fan base? The country music fans brought you to a place where your voices could be heard and you spit on them. This is a waste of time. I don't want my politics from entertainers, and I don't want my entertainment from politicians (that includes Bill CLinton sax lessons). Find what you are good at and stick with it. Your political opinions are of no interest to me. This includes the Hollywood elite movie stars and producers. So change the title of this movie to Shut Up and Act, Shut Up and Direct, etc. We, the American People, are educatred and intelligent enough to form opinions without the help of the "elites" who are so much smarter and more "cultured" than we are. Sip your frickin Cappucino in Starbucks and talk to each other about it then. Leave the rest of us alone.

*WARNING: MAY CONTAIN SPOILERS*

This is a great music documentary, which provides an excellent insight into the Dixie Chicks' lives, both personally and professionally, as well as the current state of affairs of the country music industry business and the United States more in general.

For those of you that may not be quite so familiar with the Dixie Chicks: they are a contemporary country / pop band, made up of three galls from Texas (Natalie Maines (lead singer and guitar), Emily Robison (harmony vocals, dobro, banjo, lap steel, acoustic guitar) and Martie Maguire (harmony vocals, fiddle, viola, mandolin) plus their accompanying band. After signing up with Sony in the mid / late '90s, they made it big time. All of their CDs released (Wide Open Spaces, Fly, Home, Top of the World) are platinum best sellers. To date, they are the best selling female band in history.

In 2003, they were at the top of their game -- they sang the National Anthem at the Super Bowl, their single "Travelling Soldier" was #1 at the charts. And then, all of a sudden, something very strange happened. Some background: early 2003, President Bush was getting ready for war against Iraq. At the time, most Americans were supportive of President Bush. Not all Americans though: there was a growing anti-war movement, especially in Europe, but also inside America and elsewhere around the planet. The Dixie Chicks were very much against the war - strangely so, when you consider their background as a traditional homegrown American country band - and had been discussing this for some time. Then, at a London venue (Sherpard's Bush), at the eve of the war, Natalie blurted out the following twelve words: "Just so you know, we are ashamed that President Bush is from the United States." This is commonly referred to as "The Incident".

That quote was picked up the UK based newspaper The Standard, and subsequently reported in the US media. In short succession, the Dixie Chicks were widely dissed by conservative America: they were traitors since they were disrespectful of the American President, at the eve of a war of all things, they were unpatriotic, and moreoever they did all of this from a foreign country instead of on US soil.

And then more happened: country music radio, mostly controlled by big corporations, widely boycotted the Dixie Chicks. Concerts of the Dixie Chicks were no longer fully sold out at every venue. In the end, they even received death threats.

In spite of all that, the Dixie Chicks remained defiant, and this movie is about how they dealt with the aftermath of The Incident: they wrote the songs for their new album (Taking the Long Way), but on a more personal level also had children and raised families. They lost many fans, but they also gained many: especially people who admire the Dixie Chicks for their outspokenness and courage.

It is a wonderful movie, and like I said, warmly recommended, both to music and non-music lovers. The Dixie Chicks are beautiful, wonderful, talented, admirable, and a force to reckoned with.

*Disclaimer: this review is based on my review of the movie which I saw on the world premiere, last October, in Toronto, Canada - at the eve of their Toronto concert.

WHAT AN INCREDIBLE LOOK INTO THE LIVES OF THESE THREE STRONG AND TALENTED MUSCIANS. THIS IS A VERY TOUCHING AND INITIMATE LOOK INTO THEIR LIVES. THANKS FOR SHARING CHICKS! DIXIE CHICKS ROCK!!!!

This is a great movie about a great group that made a great album! The movie shows the whole story of what happened when a person spoke out. We as Americans, have that right. Get over it people. You don't have to like them, but at least be opened minded enough to stop and watch the movie. Then if you want to turn away, do so. It is your right.
The movie made me laugh out loud and also made me cry. I took my dad to see it when it came out. I bought a copy for my mom, and another for my children. It is a story of friendship that should be shared with all.
Chicks rule.

D-Chicks have the right to talk... I reserve the right to not buy their CD, go to their concerts, and complain to the local radio station when they play their songs...

All of a sudden the Dixie Chicks are popular again when most of the country realizes that the Chicks also have a right to speak out for their beliefs.I have been a fan for years and will contuine to be so. Since when do they not have FREEDOM OF SPEECH rights???? Or do only rap artists have that right? Great movie,lots of singing and backstage material.

It showed how so many pathetic people are living in the US. Patriotism is fantastic; ignorance is dispicable.
I salute the Dixie Chicks for having guts and for standing up for their right as an American.

No, the movie wasn't funny, the reviews are, especially the one from someone who spelled intelligently wrong. The Dixie Chicks are what they are - outspoken, liberal, talented, etc. I am sure that all of the bashers sit around and smear liberals (Bill Clinton, Al Franken, Jon Stewart, etc.) all of the time. Why bash the Chicks for doing what you do - express their opinions. Just because they have a bigger stage than you do is no reason to piss on them. And, let's face it, you probably have no more knowledge of politics than they do.

Oh, and the movie was great.

Directed by veteran filmmaker Barbara Kopple, this documentary will prove to be quite a rough ride for the dwindling number of supporters of the embattled current administration. There is no way to sugarcoat the underlying premise that free speech is what was on trial here, and that there were far too many in power in 2003 who could not grasp the fact that dissent is not disloyalty.

On the eve of the Iraq invasion, Dixie Chicks lead singer Natalie Maines ad-libbed a comment at a concert in England that she was ashamed the president was from Texas. In those supercharged patriotic times, with the government's misleading and ill-conceived rush to war, this was an unthinkable statement, thoroughly unpatriotic and bordering on outright treason.

What follows is the group's immediate fall from grace in the world of country music, from being the #1 group to becoming total outcasts, and how they managed to regain some semblance of popularity, albeit in new markets, during the ensuing three years. Restraint of trade on the part of country radio stations was so blatant that it generated a Senate Sub-Committee Hearing in Washington.

And the insanity continues last winter when NBC refuses to carry ads for the DVD because they found them "disparaging to the President."

It is also difficult to escape the anger - no, make that rage - of "Not Ready to Make Nice" from their 2006 comeback CD (try requesting that song from your local country music station and count the milliseconds before the phone is slammed in your ear) or not to hear the ache in "Take the Long Way."

On these levels, the documentary succeeds wonderfully and without question. However, it does lose some steam and focus when it meanders a bit too long on personal issues in the lives of the trio.

My only negative swipe of "Shut Up and Sing" is at the DVD film company itself for not releasing this in a widescreen format.

If you lean anywhere from moderate to liberal in the political arena, you will warm to and appreciate this documentary. On the other hand, if far right wing politics describes a neocon point-of-view, then don't be "Bush-whacked" and avoid this DVD if only to keep your blood pressure in the acceptably safe range.

This is one fantastic documentary. What the right wing bullies and the country music industry tried to do to these heroic women is sickening. I was a life-long country music fan, but no longer. Everyone needs to see this DVD.

This DVD by the Dixie Chicks came in its original wrapper. I bought this DVD as a protest of the Bush Administration. I believe in a democracy we have free speech and these ladies were just expressing their opinion. I would encourage anyone to buy from this particular seller.

I LOVE the Dixie Chicks therefore I really enjoyed the "Behind the Scenes" look at the past three years and how they have handled all the ups and downs. They really live in real sisterhood. They are true to each other and their bond as one. I would recommend it. It is more of a chick movie if you know what I mean!

They are so arrogant and in love with themselves. Thought it would be good but I was wrong. I really don't care about there political statement or why they felt so persecuted. In fact, I don't think many people care. They were a band and nothing more.

In a word, dissapointing. Blady blady blah, more of the same old crap. Besides, when are these entertainers going to give us a break with all the unsolicited, self-serving political rhetoric. I really resist the notion of supporting anything that makes it on the back of insults and unnecessary and innapropriate comments about things they have no depth of perception for. Save your money.

In 2003, Country music supergroup The Dixie Chicks were in the midst of a whirlwind life of million-selling albums, sold-out concert tours, and a string of hit songs that perfectly showcased their remarkable talents. However, it all seemed to come crashing down around them, when an infamous phrase about then-President George W. Bush was uttered, turning these ladies from the world's number one musical act into public enemy number one. 3 years later in 2006, the girls returned with a vengeance, releasing the album "Taking The Long Way" and its single "Not Ready To Make Nice". Join the Dixie Chicks on a rocking, rousing comeback journey, through three unforgettable years in the life of the #1-selling female band of all time. "Shut Up & Sing" takes you beyond backstage, into the Dixie Chicks' dressing rooms, homes, and recording studio, where they plan and create their latest hit album. Defying their critics, the Dixie Chicks stick up for themselves, stick together, and rock their way back to the top of the charts. This engaging, compelling and fascinating film is directed by two-time Academy Award winner Barbara Kopple ("Harlan County USA", "American Dream") and Cecilia Peck, and features a phenomenal soundtrack. Following the release of this film, the group would go on to dominate the Grammy Awards for the year 2006 with 5 wins - including Album, Song and Record of the Year. What you have here is a documentary that deserves a closer look.
This great American story makes you want to stand up and cheer! Hooray for the Dixie Chicks!

I have always loved these girls, and this documentary just solidifies that.

I don't know how they have all of that footage without even knowing "THAT" was going to happen, but Im glad they do! They handle the media with grace, stand by their opinions, and sail through. Just like their song says, I don't think they would take it back if they could. As hard as that part of their lives must have been, they got through it, and with some great songs of self-reflection. It must be true that wasn't kill you makes you stronger.

Its a must-see movie to see how the masses (and Toby Keith) acted towards innocent Americans speaking their minds.

so far as i have not seen it it has still never arrivedi bought it because i wanted to see it and thought i would also like to own it

Only the THEATRICAL TRAILER, Nothing else.
and is FULL screen = 1.33:1 Ratio. I wonder If they'll release the Canada : 99 min (Toronto International Film Festival) version. I love to see the extra 8 mins. that was deleted. MORE VOTES on this Post will hopefully make them Re-Release with a combo Documentary as one with related to this even old documentary films from different company.