Christopher Guest's latest mockumentary about the later lives of 60's folk musicians reminded me of my Dad. Every year we'd watch the Peter Paul and Mary Holiday Special on PBS, and every year my Dad would comment, "Mary's really let herself go, but at least she can still sing." It was the exact same special re-run every year, and every year Dad made the same comment, "She really looks like hell, but she sings just like the old days." It is this same mix of criticism and love that made "A Mighty Wind" so wonderful to watch.

I've enjoyed all of Christopher Guest's films, but "A Mighty Wind" struck me as something special, an evolution perhaps for Guest. Part of it is the music, which is written by Guest et al and it's pretty good. Guest clearly had a choice to make the songs satirical or legitimate, and by and large the songs are respectful of the folk genre. This choice between satire and sincerity holds true for significant parts of the film itself, especially in the second half. With his previous films, Guest held his characters at arms-length. They were out there, often two-dimensional, and easy to poke fun at. But the people of "A Mighty Wind" are much more human. When the Folksmen argue, it is as though you are watching your dad fight with your uncles. When Mickey talks about her divorce from Mitch and his subsequent breakdown, it's as funny as it is poignant. The film is by no means a downer, but it does set aside some laughs to pull at your heartstrings. Is Guest going to evolve into deep and meaningful filmmaking? I don't think so. But a "Mighty Wind" is a clear move up the ladder of maturity.

There is a little of Guest's previous films in, "A Mighty Wind," and it's not just the mockumentary style or the recurring cast. First we have the aging musicians (ala "Spinal Tap"). Then there's the strange groupings of people brought together by a shared interest (ala "Best in Show"). Lastly, there is a performance for someone who never arrives ("Guffman"), a tribute concert to the late and great folk music promotor Irving Steinbloom. It is this concert, assembled by Steinbloom's high-strung son (Bob Balaban), that brings together three of the great second-tier folk acts of the sixties.

The Folksmen (Guest, McKean and Shearer) represent the traditional three-part-harmony folk group ala Peter Paul and Mary. Eugene Levy and Catherine O'Hara are Mitch and Mickey, an intense duo with a kind of Dylan-Baez dynamic. Guest regulars Jane Lynch and Parker Posey can be found in the New Main Street Singers, the largest and strangest of the groups. How strange? New members are required to wear the group's uniform "Until you're truly ready to take it off." Finally, Fred "Wha'happened" Willard is hilarious as the New Main Street Singers'manager with a bad catch phrase.

In these times of hasty let's-get-to-the-action exposition, it's wonderful to watch a film which takes time to develop its own world with a deep history and memorable characters. Some Guest fans may dislike by the dab of humanity added to the mix, but overall will not be let down. I really enjoyed this movie, and I have no doubt that any one who fell asleep every night listening to "Puff the Magic Dragon" will like it too.