I have loved Christopher Guest's work since I was fourteen and watched him as a regular on Saturday Night Live. Taped segments like the male synchronized swimmers sketch rejuvenated the show, which had been spotty since the golden early days of Belushi, Radner, and company. Guest's best-known role is undoubtedly that of Nigel Tufnel in This is Spinal Tap, which generated quotes for a generation of college students and heavy metal musicians. More recently Guest has moved into improvisational writing and directing, giving actors a loose plot and allowing them to find their own way from Point A to Point B. Guest used this device in Waiting for Guffman, and he uses it to even better effect in Best in Show.
Broad-based appeal
Unlike Waiting for Guffman, which appealed to a fairly small segment of the population (small-town theater groups), Best of Show should have a wider audience base (dog owners). The plot is less interesting than the character development: the camera follows several pet owners on their quest for the Best in Show trophy at a dog show, and we become involved in their motivations behind the competition. Who wins the contest is ultimately less important than how the pets and people interact along the way. The dog-show arena is said to be quite authentic, and the actors worked with professional animal trainers to learn to handle their dogs convincingly.
Familiar faces
As he does in his other films, Guest mines his comic past for both lead and cameo roles. Eugene Levy, recently seen in American Pie, co-wrote the film with Guest and plays a terrier owner married to Catherine O'Hara. These two SCTV alums play off each other very well. Michael McKean, Guest's bandmate in Spinal Tap, plays half of a Shih-Tzu-owning gay couple. Fred Willard (Guffman, Kids Are People Too) plays a know-nothing dog-show announcer whose comments grow a little tiring but break up the action in the arena. Parker Posey (Guffman, many indie films) plays half of a neurotic lawyer couple who bought a weimaraner to match their J Crew decor. Jennifer Coolidge, Stifler's mom in American Pie, plays the blonde bombshell wife of a geriatric poodle owner. Ed Begley, Jr. (St. Elsewhere) has a minor role as a hotel desk clerk. Guest himself plays a Southern bloodhound owner with a penchant for ventriloquy.
If I had something negative to say about Best in Show, it would be that it wasn't long enough. I wanted to spend more time with the characters than an hour and a half. The official web site (http://www.bestinshowonline.com)has outtakes that would probably have to wait for DVD otherwise. Many of these actors worked together in Guffman, and Guest would do well to keep them together as a repertory company of sorts since they all seem to enjoy working together. It's been three years since Guffman, and I hope we don't have to wait three more years for another Best in Show.
Christopher Guest brings his unique brand of lunacy to the screen with another mockumentary in the tradition of WAITING FOR GUFFMAN. This one BEST IN ...More at Family Video
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