BEST IN SHOW

US, 2000, 90 minutes, Colour.
Parker Posey, Michael Hitchcock, Catherine O'Hara, Eugene Levy, Bob Balaban, Christopher Guest, Michael Mc Kean, John Michael Higgins, Jennifer Coolidge, Jane Lynch, Fred Willard, Jim Piddock.
Directed by Christopher Guest.

Best in Show was written by the co-stars Christopher Guest and Eugene Levy. It was directed by Guest. Guest made a great impact in the 1980s with his mockumentary, This is Spinal Tap, written with Michael Mc Kean who also appears here. Guest went on to direct a satire of Hollywood, The Big Picture, and a satire of community theatre, Waiting for Guffman. After Best in Show he went on to make The Mighty Wind, an affectionate mockumentary about the country and western groups of the 1960s.

Guest has an ensemble cast who create the characters envisioned by the writers and are skilful at improvising. The focus is on a married couple, the Swans played by Parker Posey and Michael Hitchcock, who are upwardly mobile and have a dog who mirrors this, although it goes neurotic after witnessing their sexual encounter. There is also the couple from Florida, Cookie and Gerry who own a small hound, who love their dog, with Katherine O'Hara as the wife who had plenty of men friends in the past and Eugene Levy himself, creating an eccentric character (only to be outdone by his character created with Catherine O'Hara for The Mighty Wind). There is Sherri- Ann who is married to a ninety-year-old, finding many things to not talk about with him, who employs a lesbian trainer and moves in with her to start a magazine. There is also the gay couple, Stefan and Scott (Michael Mc Kean and John Michael Higgins) who have a pet poodle. Another dog owner is played by Christopher Guest himself, Harlan Pepper, from the south, who sells fishing gear and aims to be a ventriloquist. There are also very funny performances by Fred Willard and Jim Piddock as the two commentators, Willard as the crass and ignorant American commentator making outlandish statements and having to be corrected as well as informed by Jim Piddock as the British commentator. Bob Balaban appears as the chairman of the show.

Christopher Guest's films are very funny, offering very humorous caricatures of people that you might know. However, he is able to create characters who are also generally sympathetic and so the film is not just simply a laughing at people and institutions as the pomposity of the dog shows in Philadelphia and the people who take them terribly seriously.

1. The skill of Christopher Guest in writing, directing, performance? Satire, irony, affection? A balance between laughing with and laughing at?

2. The world of dog-lovers, the Mayflower Shows in Philadelphia, the huge hall, the rooms for preparation? The variety of contestants? The portrait of humans and their dogs - and the mirroring effect? The officials, the judges, the announcers, crises, joys and woes?

3. The introduction to each of the characters, each of the dogs? Idiosyncrasies, the dogs mirroring the humans? Getting to the show, the details of preparation, the display and performance, the response of the audience, the build-up to the grand final for Best in Show, joy, disappointment - and the postscript aftermath for the central characters?

4. The humour of the film, subtle American humour, with and at people, the audience sharing the foibles of the characters and getting insight into them?

5. The Swans, their discussion their situation with their psychiatrist, Beatrice and her sitting on the sofa? The sex issue, the anguish of the dog in witnessing their performance? Their arguing? At the hotel, being rude to the staff, the sulking dog? Their going to the show, forgetting to bring the bumblebee toy, the search at the show, their harshness to each other? The wife returning to the hotel, searching the room, her insults to the maid, to the receptionist? Going to the shop, insulting the man at the shop, his offering the wide variety of toys? Her buying one, the return? Beatrice misbehaving and being ousted from the competition? The postscript with the new dog and their reassuring the psychiatrist about how good things are?

6. Harlan Pepper, seeing him in the south, with his family, his pride in his bloodhound, selling fishing tackle? Preparing for the trip, taking the dog? His talking, the interviews, his theories about nuts? His music? His preparation, performance, success? His ventriloquism and performance?

7. Stefan and Scott, the gay relationship, their explanation of meeting, their life together, work together, hairdressing? The parody of the married couple? The toy dogs? Camp behaviour and discussions, their life stories, flirting? Clothes, the discussions with Cookie and Gerry - and Gerry being broadminded? Decorating the hotel room in their taste? Scott and the display of the dog, succeeding, going back to the hotel, changing clothes? Stefan and his support and applause? The sadness of not winning? The aftermath and their being together?

8. Sherri-Ann?, Lewis, the age difference, the parody of the gold-digger? His having nothing to say, not seeming to know what was going on? Her declaration of love, about talking and not talking, sharing food interests? Her saying that he pushed all her buttons? Her relationship with the trainer, their being caught on television kissing, her doing the hair for the trainer, no makeup? The displaying of the dog, the expectations of winning, the anger at losing? Sherri-Ann? and her continued eating? The final interview, the declaration of love, their editing the magazine, American Bitch?

9. Cookie and Gerry, coming from Florida, the travel, her reputation, meeting men that she encountered, his trying to say that he was a catch? The story of their meeting, falling in love and marrying? Gerry and his eccentric look and manner, the two left feet? The visit to the friend - and, once again, Cookie and her past? At the show, nice to each other, talking with Stefan and Scott? The display, the joy at winning, Cookie and her falling, having to ask Gerry to display? Gerry winning? Joy? The aftermath and their making the album, the records - and the terrible singing?

10. The hotel receptionist, his story, trying to cope with Mrs Swan? The manager of the venue and his explanation of the atmosphere, the preparations? The president of the Mayflower Show, his speeches, the ethos of the show?

11. The commentators, Fred Willard and his excellent improvising as Buck, his crass statements? The poor Englishman having to cope, give information for him and for the audience, his reaction to the jokes and having heard them last year?

12. The personalities of the judges, their skills in judging, the documentary look of how the dog show worked?

13. An enjoyable piece of Americana, the ability to see foibles as well as to be sympathetic?