Best in Show
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Movie Reviews of Best in Show
Movie Review: "We could talk or not talk for hours..."
Summary: 5 Stars
I was not privy to the world of Christopher Guest until a friend of mine told me that if I liked `Drop Dead Gorgeous' then I would flip over any of Guest's films. The video store only had one in, and that was `Best in Show' and I'm SOOOOO glad they had it. This film has to be one of the funniest films I've ever seen, a complete riot from beginning to end. As a true `mockumentary' every scene is shot pretty much adlib and you can sense the intended on the spot dialog as everyone is being interviewed and or followed around to `document' the Mayflower Dog Show. The film follows a group of dog owners as they get ready to show their little bundles of joy. There's Jennifer Coolidge and Patrick Crenshaw play Leslie and Sherri Ann Ward Cabot (total spoof on the whole Anna Nicole Smith scandal), owners of a prize winning poodle who's won `Best in Show' 2 years straight, and with the help of lesbian handler Christy Cummings (Jane Lynch) hopefully she'll win for a third. Then there's Harlan Pepper (Christopher Guest himself), a southern bloodhound owner who dreams of being a ventriloquist. And there's power comic couple Eugene Levy and Catherine O'Hara who play the Flecks, owners of a terrier, who struggle with Mrs. Flecks long line of previous lovers. There are lovers Stefan & Scott (Michael McKean & John Michael Higgins) who spoil their Shih Tzu's and each other. But finally we have the star couple of the show, the neurotic Meg and Hamilton Swan (Parker Posey & Michael Hitchcock), owners of Beatrice, and beautiful yet disturbed and `negative' Weimaraner who's been traumatized by the sight of this young couple having sex. Their antics, arguments and strange affection to their dog is some of the funniest scenes in the whole film, and their chemistry is pure brilliance. The film brilliantly pokes fun at a sport taken WAY TO SERIOUS, and with Fred Willard as the commentator of the show the film is filled with barrel rolls from start to finish!Movie Review: Simply Excellent!!!!!!
Summary: 5 Stars
Since seeing "Waiting for Guffman" and missing a major portion of the Second City Comedy Troupe, i.e., Catherine O'Hara, Eugene Levy, I have enjoyed Christorpher Guest and his troupe of actors attack certain American institutions via the "mockumentary" format. 'Best In Show: is hands down the very best of Mr. Guests's mockumentaries to date. When you consider that the majority of the film is improvisational, with the characters given a basic structure from which to work and then allowed to "go where their creativity takes them" you get a real appreciation of just what a good ensemble cast can capture/create.
This particular outing takes on the world of dog shows and follows the exploits of various dog owners to the Best In Show finals. It is a stitch! There is something here for everybody. Of course the standout is Fred Willard as an obnoxious commentator who really deserved winning the Oscar for supporting actor for which he was nominated. The character study of each dog owner of course sheds infinite light into why they are so obsessed with their dog receiving the top award.
The improvisation is top-notch but I would expect nothing less. Catherine O'Hara is generally flawless and here she does not disappoint. She is in RARE form! She and Eugene Levy play off each other quite well. Other cast members that I have seen in "Waiting for Guffman" as well as "A Mighty Wind" continue to be consistently creative and funny and I welcome their efforts. While "Waiting for Guffman" and "A Mighty Wind" pale in comparison, they too reveal flashes of the genius of Mr. Guest and company.
A must for your DVD collection and it gets funnier each time you watch. Just don't watch with serious dog owners or they may be somehwat insulted becasue Best In Show while empathizing with its subject matter, does not take it as seriously as some obviously do!
Movie Review: The Genius of Christopher Guest
Summary: 5 Stars
Although this isn't as cultish as "This Is Spinal Tap" or as laugh-out-loud-funny as "Waiting for Guffman," "Best In Show" once again showcases Christopher Guest's brilliance as a writer/director of "mock-umentaries," as well as his impeccable taste in assembling the perfect cast. Guest takes the least-showy role of soft spoken Southerner, Harlan Pepper (a far cry from Guffman's flamboyant Corky St. Clair), and surrounds himself with the likes of Catherine O'Hara and Eugene Levy as a woman with a dubious sexual past and her hapless husband; Parker Posey and Michael Hitchcock as a strident yuppie couple who tear into one another mercilessly over what's best for their beloved dog; Michael McKean and John Michael Higgins as a middle class gay couple who sing their dog lullabyes over the phone; and the hilarious Jennifer Coolidge (in a send-up of Anna Nicole Smith) as a vapid fortune hunter married to an ancient millionaire while maintaining a curiously close relationship with their dog trainer played by Jane Lynch. The movie has a gentle, lilting feel, humorous but not screamingly funny, and takes time to develop these characters fully while exploring the tense and cut-throat world of dog shows. Fred Willard nearly steals the show as a pompous, ignorant commentator. There are so many wonderful moments in this film, you have to check it out for yourself. Not for everyone, I'm sure. The story is fairly basic and, like Guest's other films, this is more a character study than anything else. If you're a fan of his earlier work, this is a must-see.Movie Review: I'm STILL howling with laughter a week later
Summary: 5 Stars
If you're a dog enthusuiast of any sort, or wonder what it is with those dog shows, turn off Animal Planet for an evening and watch Best In Show. Written by Spinal Tap creator Christopher Guest and SCTV's Eugene Levy, Best In Show takes a similarly wry yet loving look at the culture of amateur dog shows.As with This Is Spinal Tap, the dog show world is merely a backdrop against which the cast improvises a wild variety of characters: a pair of neurotic yuppies who met in a Starbuck's, a trophy wife and her trainer "friend," a gay couple comprised of polar opposites - all these people would be funny enough by themselves, but against the surreal seriousness of dog showmanship they are totally hilarious. This is one of those movies where two days later you're boring people at work by repeating lines from the movie.
Best In Show really has benefitted from the experience gained during Spinal Tap and Waiting for Guffman, keeping a real tight comedic pace using editing - in a film where the dialog is mostly improvised, Guest uses cuts to eliminate some of the lags in between stellar comedic bits. It therefore watches as if the whole thing were carefully orchestrated and scripted, not slowing down a bit.
I'm tempted to say that some people won't "get" Best In Show, but I really don't see how - it's paced well, it's performed well, the comedy is not mean-spirited or nasty, it's just plain funny, funny, funny. Everyone who's seen Spinal Tap needs to see this, and even if you didn't quite like Spinal Tap, you will like Best In Show.
Movie Review: Jennifer Coolidge steals the show!
Summary: 5 Stars
Many prefer "Waiting for Guffman," but this is the one I could watch over and over again. The story focuses on the Mayflower Kennel Club in Philadelphia and the dog owners/trainers involved in the competition who are going after the "Best in Show" title for their pooch. Gerry & Cookie Fleck (Eugene Levy and Catherine O'Hara) are a couple from Florida; he's a nerd with two left feet (literally) and she is a former "reformed" tramp who seems to have old trick pop up at the most inopportune times. Meg & Hamilton Swan (Parker Posey & Michael Hitchcock) are a couple who put their dog in therapy because the dog saw them having sex and appears to be traumatized. Harlan Pepper (Christopher Guest) is a hick from North Carolina with a bloodhound. Christy Cummings (Jane Lynch) is the trainer for the favored dob, owned by Sherri Ann Ward Cabot (Jennifer Coolidge), a kind-hearted bimbo who is married to a rich old geezer. A Shih Tzu owned by a flamboyant gay couple, Scott Donlan (John Michael Higgins) & Stefan Vanderhoof (Michael McKean), is also part of the competition. Although much of this movie was supposedly improvised, the editing on this particular Guest movie makes it fantastic. No slow-moving moments (other than Guest's sequences) and Coolidge steals the show. So many memorable one-liners here. Deleted scenes are included, and again, we can be thankful that even more painful moments from Guest were removed. Commentary by Guest & Levy is fun and informative. Theatrical Trailer also included.