I just saw this film last night at the Fort Lauderdale International Film Festival (FLIFF) This is one of the best, if not best, rock docs I have seen.

The three year journey that these three talented ladies have gone through is amazing. A stand up for yourself and your country movie if there ever was one. The production quality is A and I bought their new album today..the first one I ever did buy, just to say thank you to the chicks for standing their ground. The archival news footage and commentary from right wingers is too funny given what we all know now about the lies about Iraq and the dishonesty of the Bush administration. The theater was packed by the way and the audience erupted in applause several times during the film... I will be telling everyone about this film and I hope it gets into wide release. It needs to be seen.

I saw this movie tonight not knowing very much about the Dixie Chicks or their music. However, I walked away loving these girls and their music AND for what they stand for. This is a wonderfully entertaining documentary and it really gives great insight into the real life of talented showbiz types who do it their way regardless of what you or I think, or their record company for that matter. By now, everyone has heard of the comments made and the fallout from it. I think this movie can be enjoyed by anyone who is open-minded enough to listen to an opposing viewpoint, and still enjoy the movie for what it is. The movie totally opened my mind to the MUSIC of these terrifically talented women and made me an instant fan. It was just gravy that I agreed with the singers comments, but then again, even though I knew nothing about them previous to this film, I agreed with her comments as reported in the media a few years ago. A must-see and totally entertaining look at this history-making trio!!

When I went to this movie, I wondered whether it would be as funny as SPINAL TAP or as insightful as FAHRENHEIT 9/11. What really shocked me was that it was more exciting than both movies. The Dixie Chicks come across as smarter than Michael Moore, funnier, kinder, and sexier too!

Unlike Michael Moore, the Dixie Chicks are not angry or driven by rage. They don't need wacko conspiracy theories to bolster their position. This incredible true story mixes glamor, humor, great music and current events in a way that lets the facts speak for themselves. All you have to do is listen to George Bush talk and you understand Natalie's whole point of view without a word being said. But then you get to meet the Dixie Chicks themselves, and it's like love at first sight.

Watching the movie, you see three very beautiful women who love their families, their music, and each other. And you get the sense that Natalie Maines, for all her wholesome Sandra Dee looks (and her considerable sex appeal), is exactly the kind of strong-willed, independent minded hero that young people should be taught to admire. It's so refreshing to see that courage doesn't always mean fighting or shooting a gun! At times you really have to stop yourself and go -- hey, did she just say that?!? But in a good way. You see this dangerous radical snuggling into the cushions like a ten year old or lounging around like a trailer park diva, but then you listen to what she's saying and her courage is just overwhelming. And her wit is razor sharp! Watch the scene where she's teasing her manager and her band mates and she uses George Bush's "with us or against us" line to make them laugh and at the same time get her point across. No wonder she's the leader of this remarkable band!

But this isn't just Natalie's movie. If you watch Emily Robison, (she's the dark-eyed, quiet one, looks like Julia Roberts but more earthy and full of strength) it's impossible not to sense that while Natalie acts, Emily thinks. She's the introspective one, and the way the movie catches her thinking and analyzing makes for fascinating viewing. Even when she's in the midst of childbirth, you sense the way she steps back mentally to gain perspective and take stock of what it all means. She's also the one, I think, who is most willing to compromise and listen to other points of view. She's like Mr. Spock to Natalie's Captain Kirk, except both of them are wives and mothers, glamorous and nurturing, strong and feminine and they never for one moment let you forget it.

If I haven't said much about Martie McGuire in this review, it's only because she comes across as very shy and less inclined to put herself out there for the film process. But her playing and singing is really beautiful, and there's one scene at the very end of the movie that will just break your heart.

In the end, I have to say that this movie exceeded my expectations as entertainment, as art and journalism and as political commentary. I'm not a big country music fan, but I would definitely buy an album by the incredibly courageous and talented people who made this film.