The Saddest Music in the World (2003)

In the bitter winter of 1933, the city of Winnipeg has been crowned the 'sorrow capital of the world' for the fourth consecutive year by the London Times. To commemorate this melancholy honor, the city's enigmatic beer baroness, Lady Helen Port-Huntley, who has mastered life despite her missing legs, orchestrates a unique competition. She invites musicians from around the globe to perform in a contest to determine which nation can produce the most heart-wrenching music, with a grand prize of $25,000. Lady Port-Huntley, however, is not merely a passive observer in this symphony of sorrows. She harbors ulterior motives, fueled by the ongoing American Prohibition and a complex past intertwining her fate with the Kent family. This eccentric family comprises Fyodor Kent, a World War I veteran, former doctor, and local streetcar conductor who has crafted an unusual pair of prosthetic legs for the beer baroness, his New York-based musical producer son Chester Kent, and his other son, Roderick Kent, a melancholic soul longing to represent Serbia due to his lost Serbian wife. Each member of the Kent family, including Chester's amnesiac girlfriend, Narcissa, seeks to represent a different nation in this contest of melancholy melodies. Despite her lingering resentment for the Kents, Lady Port-Huntley permits their participation, viewing their involvement as a means to further her own clandestine agenda. As the contest unfolds, the Kents must navigate their shared grief, familial discord, and the complexities of their pasts, all set against the backdrop of the world's saddest music.

The Saddest Music in the World is a comedy movie featuring Isabella Rossellini.

The Saddest Music in the World is currently streaming on AMC+, AMC+ Amazon Channel and DIRECTV.

It is also possible to buy The Saddest Music in the World on Apple TV and Vudu.