|
|
|
|
||
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
|
|
|||||
 |
 |
|
Best in Show by Stephen Farber Fans of Waiting for Guffman will be happy to know that Christopher Guest, the director and star of that choice satire, has topped himself with Best in Show, which brings together many of the same actors in an even more uproarious lampoon of American madness. This time Guest and co-writer (and co-star Eugene Levy) skewer the crazed contestants in a dog show competition in Philadelphia. The movie starts in the mockumentary format that Guest used in Guffman (and that was also used in a classic movie that Guest appeared in, This Is Spinal Tap). This technique has begun to grow shopworn, but luckily, Guest pretty much abandons it once he gets past the setup. After introducing all the characters in TV-style interviews, he intercuts their personal stories with the preparations for the canine festivities. Most of the characters are sharply rendered and played to perfection by the expert cast. They include the anal yuppies, a Southern good ole boy, a flamboyant gay couple and a trailer trash couple. PAGE 1 | 2 |
|
|
|
|
O'Hara portrays an aging tart who seems to have had sexual relations with most of the men in America; when she meets one of her former beaux, whom she hasn't seen in years, he recognizes her instantly and exclaims, "I banged a lot of waitresses, but you were the best," as her nerdy husband fumes in frustration. But my favorite character is the dog show commentator, hilariously played by Fred Willard, who expresses all of the befuddlement and cynicism of those members of the audience who are not dog fanatics. His cracks at the expense of the manicured pooches and their proud parents are absolutely priceless. The film is clever enough not to dish the dogs themselves; they emerge as cuddly enough even when atrociously groomed, but their owners are presented as seriously deranged. Guest's movies never wear out their welcome. This one is short and sweet and pretty consistently riotous. I dare you not to have a good time. What did you think of this movie? Sound off in the Movie Forum. PAGE 1 | 2 |
|
|
| home | forum | this month | reviews archive | features archive | back issues | |
|
|
|
|
|
|
 © 2003 Movieline.com |
 |