This documentary follows the Dixie Chicks from 2003, when lead singer Natalie Maines said they were ashamed that President Bush is from Texas, until 2006 when their most recent album was released (same one that just took home five Grammy's). The Chicks were in Britain when Maines made that comment and they were immediately criticized by the American media, with an ultra-conservative right wing political organization leading the way. Country radio stopped playing their music and many of their fans trashed their album. Before their Dallas, TX concert, Maines received a "credible" death threat.The Chicks took a break and in 2005 they moved to Los Angeles to begin writing and recording their new album (Taking The Long Way) and the documentary chronicles how the songwriting process opened up old wounds again, but also helped them to begin healing.
My favorite moment in the film is when a protestor (yes, people actually protested outside their concerts) says directly into the camera, "I'm all for freedom of speech, but for God's sake don't do it on foreign soil and don't do it in public." It's so ironic that the people who send our boys and girls to war in the name of freedom and liberty are the exact same people who do not believe in true freedom of speech - they only support speech that is in line with their own beliefs. They don't seem to realize that it is the kind of speech that no one wants to hear that is most strongly protected and what we're fighting for. Until we can acheive true freedom in America we probably shouldn't be shoving our "democracy" down other peoples' throats.
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