WATERLOO - Norwegian biscuits, bad jokes and the story about a man hanging from a kite with his pants around his ankles.

The big screen version of "A Prairie Home Companion" stays faithful to the radio original, capturing the folksy, irreverent spirit of the long-running National Public Radio show.

Most film critics give it a thumbs up - it boasts a 77 percent approval rating on rottentomatoes.com, a movie review search engine. Those who caught a sneak preview of the film at Crossroads 12 Theatre last week concurred, appreciating that the film sticks to its roots.

The story, by Garrison Keillor and Ken LaZebnik, revolves around the last show of a small-town radio program based in St. Paul's Fitzgerald Theater, which is being bought by a Texas company.

While a largely faithful adaptation, the script deviates from the radio show by excluding Keillor's Lake Wobegon and Guy Noir monologues. In the movie, Guy Noir is realized as a real person. The Lake Wobegon monologue, however, is left out in the Minnesota cold and doesn't appear.

"It wasn't quite gospel, but it was good entertainment," said Carl Thurman, who started listening to Keillor as a University of Minnesota student in the 1970s.

While the script and the radio show is Keillor's, director Robert Altman injects his unique style into the film. Throughout the movie the camera bounces from actor to actor while dialogue overlaps in an improvisational manner - two hallmarks of Altman movies.

Scott Vezdos, marketing manager for public radio station KUNI, finds Altman's directing style and Keillor's approach to his radio show complementary. He said both men are flexible in their respective professions and aren't afraid to deviate from script, an attitude that translated well into the movie.

"Altman in a lot of ways tends to be a seat-of-the-pants director, and I think it worked well with Garrison (because) his show is like that," he said.

Vezdos, however, wasn't sold on the "Angel of Death" character, a new addition important to the story. The angel, there to take someone or something to the great beyond, arrives for the last show and floats around the theater, seen by only certain people. Indeed, most criticisms of the movie arise from the show's thin plot line. Those unfamiliar with the radio version of "A Prairie Home Companion" may find the sparse plot line bothersome. However, fans of the variety show will likely latch on to the movie's quirky, folksy personality and enjoy the ride.

"If you've never really listened to the show, you're like, 'What the hell is that?'" said Vezdos, predicting the reaction of some "A Prairie Home Companion" newbies.

Most fans at the sneak preview, presumably fans of the radio show, gushed over the movie. Ann Franzenburg said she looked past Keillor's radio face and sense of style (he wears a red tie, red suspenders and red socks and shoes in the movie) and appreciated "A Prairie Home Companion" for what it is: Good old-fashioned family fun.

"I like the old-fashioned music, and I enjoy Garrison's dry, corny sense of humor," Franzenburg said.

Contact Jens Manuel Krogstad at (319) 291-1580 or jens.krogstad@wcfcourier.com.

{M3Lake Wobegon trivia

1. The Whippets, a Lake Wobegon sports team, play which sport?

a) High school girls' basketball

b) Junior high school golf

c) Men's amateur baseball

d) Senior citizens' hockey

2. Who owns the Pretty Good Grocery Store?

a) Ralph

b) Wally

c) Dorothy

d) Cliff

3. Who owns the Chatterbox Cafe?

a) Dorothy

b) Darlene

c) Art

d) Uncle Charlie Crisp

4. What nationality are the frequently discussed bachelor farmers of Lake Wobegon, distinguished for not washing and mischievous behavior?

a) Swedish

b) Danish

c) Norwegian

d) Finnish

5. What's the name of the town's newspaper?

a) Above Average Press

b) The Bright Wobegon Sun

c) Lake Wobegon Herald Star

d) The Lake Wobegon Times

correct answers: 1. c, 2. a, 3. a, 4. c, 5. c