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Movie Review: Best in Show
By Chris Roach Assistant A & E Editor
Christopher Guest perfected his craft with the 1997 film “Waiting for Guffman.” He used the mockumentary style that made the film “This is Spinal Tap” funny and applied it to small town people and the absurdness of what they found important. In the case of ‘Guffman,” it was a town play, in Guest’s latest film, “Best in Show,” the absurdity of a dog show is exploited.And despite the fact that this is a very funny film, it did not come across as a mockumentary to me. “Best in Show” shadows “Waiting for Guffman” in many ways. In addition to having primarily the same cast, its humor is based on people who are idiots taking themselves seriously.With ‘Guffman,’ this was a very fresh idea, and all the characters were naive, middle of America folk. ‘Show’ has characters that mirror the mannerisms of these types of people, but are not these people. Also, with ‘Guffman,’ every scene was believable and almost could have been a real documentary. “Best in Show” follows too many people from separate places, and follows more of a narrative film style, disguised as mockumentary. “Best in Show” also has many jokes that are predictable or constantly repeated throughout the film. ‘Guffman’ was a film that was uninfluenced by current comedy formulas, but ‘Show’ does not seem to escape following in the footsteps of the current comedy trend. Despite all this, “Best in Show” is still one of the best comedies this year. There is no denying the genius behind Guest and his ensemble of performers. Parker Posey and Michael Hitchcock play up the stereotype of a yuppie couple with perfection, and Fred Willard is brilliant as the dog shows color commentator. Another hilarious thing about the film, is that every dog mirrors its owner (or is that visa versa?). Guest also brings such satirical reality to the dog show that watching a real dog show will not be without laughs.
Perhaps the most appealing comedy in this film are the jokes that are subtle. When you stop and think about them, you can’t stop laughing. Dogs humping legs and sexual innuendoes might be good for a chuckle, but the dry humor from the actors and the disguised jokes (such as every clock behind the clerk in the hotel being Eastern Time zone cities) are where the magic of this film lies. “Best in Show” is a movie worth seeing, because it is still a very unique piece of comedy. It offers people a chance to laugh at traits they might find in themselves, friends, and society in general. It also is much more sophisticated humor than other recent films in the genre (“Scary Movie” for instance). To Christopher Guest fans, this may seem like the beating of a dead horse. However, Guest’s gift is to find humor in everything, so you may find yourself laughing with every kick to that horse. Back to top | Home Webmaster: Sal J. Barry The Columbia Chronicle is a student produced publication of Columbia College Chicago and does not necessarily represent, in whole or in part, the views of Columbia College administrators, faculty or students. |
October 23, 2000
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