A Prairie Home Companion Trivias

Altman was parodied on the radio program a few weeks before filming started in a Guy Noir skit on the June 4, 2005 edition of the show, recorded in Los Angeles. In it, he was portrayed as directing a film entitled People Standing Around Talking and Using Hand Gestures.

On July 23, 2005, The New York Times reported that to receive insurance for the shoot, 80-year-old Altman had to hire Paul Thomas Anderson as a "backup" director to observe filming at all times and be prepared to take over for Altman in case of his incapacitation.

APHC is the second major picture to be filmed in Minnesota in 2005. Northern parts of the state were abuzz a few months earlier when North Country starring Charlize Theron and Woody Harrelson was filmed there. Few movies had been made in Minnesota in recent years, leading many to believe that the Minnesota Film and TV Board — intended to promote the state as a filming destination — had disbanded. It still exists, though the board is "restructuring" as of July 2005.

On November 1, 2005, the Star Tribune reported that a heavy bidding war was the result of an early screening in New York for film distributors. Picturehouse bought the rights, and company President Bob Berney, "aiming to capitalize on the name recognition of the 31-year-old radio program, recommended that the title revert to A Prairie Home Companion. 'At the screening, Garrison (Keillor, the radio show's host and writer) said that to broaden the film's appeal, they were thinking about changing the name to Savage Love, so we may have an argument there,' Berney said."

APHC was the opening movie for the 2006 South by Southwest film festival on March 10.

The film premiered in St. Paul on a briskly cold May 3, 2006 at the Fitzgerald Theater, which had movie projection and sound equipment brought in for the purpose. The film's stars arrived in ten horse-drawn carriages. Brian Williams of the NBC Nightly News anchored the program from neighboring Minneapolis that night so that he would be able to attend.

Meryl Streep's mother-in-law helped her practice the Midwestern accent necessary for this role.Cast members did their own performing including singing and playing instruments. They performed live in the theater, not a prerecorded studio session as is typical of music performed in movies.

Shot largely on-site at the Fitzgerald Theater in St. Paul Minnesota. The Home of the actual radio show, A Prairie Home Companion.Originally, Robert Altman didn't like the character of the Dangerous Woman and reduced her role significantly. Virginia Madsen was able to convince him otherwise.

For insurance purposes, and in the event that 80-year-old director 'Robert Altman' was unable to finish shooting the film, Paul Thomas Anderson was employed as a standby director.Tom Waits and Lyle Lovett were originally slated to play singing cowboys Lefty and Dusty.

George Clooney was offered the role of detective Guy Noir, but was forced to turn it down due to scheduling conflicts.Michelle Pfeiffer was originally slated to play the Dangerous Woman, but then backed out of the project.