A Mighty Wind (2003)

Old harmonies have a way of calling us back, even after the spotlight has long since faded. Christopher Guest's "A Mighty Wind," his third gem of a mock documentary, will leave you in gales of laughter. After skewering small-town theater in "Waiting for Guffman" and obsessive dog-show competitors in "Best in Show," Guest and his trusty troupe of improvisers, including Fred Willard, Parker Posey and Bob Balaban, turn their talents to a reunion of fictional 1960s folk acts, gathered for a memorial concert at New York's Town Hall honoring a late folk music promoter. The lineup includes the Folksmen, a clean-cut trio played by Guest, Michael McKean and Harry Shearer of "This Is Spinal Tap"; the relentlessly perky New Main Street Singers; and the once-beloved duo Mitch and Mickey. Working with co-writer and co-star Eugene Levy, who gives the film's funniest performance as the fragile, shell-shocked Mitch, Guest takes such a delicate approach that the laughs aren't always obvious, and the subtlety can be as wistful, as in Catherine O'Hara's touching turn as Mickey, as it is hilarious. Some may wish for broader comedy, but that would undercut the genuine affection Guest and company clearly feel for the music they're spoofing. The duo's sweet ballad "A Kiss at the End of the Rainbow" earned an Oscar nomination.