Main Cast: Eugene Levy, Catherine O'Hara, Christopher Guest, John Michael Higgins, Michael McKean, Michael Hitchcock, Parker Posey, Jennifer Coolidge, Jane Lynch, Fred Willard
Release Year: 2000
Country: US
Run Time: 90 minutes
Plot
After parodying the idiosyncrasies of community theater devotees in the mock documentary Waiting for Guffman, actor/director Christopher Guest returns with another semi-improvised comedy that casts a satirical gaze on the world of championship dog breeding and training. A television crew is on hand to document the prestigious Mayflower Kennel Club Dog Show, and competition is fierce among the canine devotees vying for top honors. Salesman Gerry Fleck (Eugene Levy), who is cursed with two left feet (literally), and his wife Cookie (Catherine O'Hara) have entered their Norwich terrier "Winky" in competition. Wealthy and neurotic Meg Swan (Parker Posey) and her husband Hamilton (Michael Hitchcock) are on hand with their Weimaraner "Beatrice," who they fear may have been traumatized by watching them have sex. Scott Donlan (John Michael Higgins) and his life partner Stefan Vanderhoof (Michael McKean) have brought their beloved Shih Tzu, "Miss Agnes." Trophy wife Sherri Ann Cabot (Jennifer Coolidge) and her close friend and trainer Christy Cummings (Jane Lynch) are hoping for a repeat victory for Sheri's poodle, "Rhapsody In White." And Harlan Pepper (Guest), who operates a store specializing in fly-fishing gear, has decided to stack his bloodhound "Hubert" up against the competition. In addition to Guest, Levy, O'Hara, and Posey, several other veterans of the Waiting for Guffman cast also appear in Best in Show, including Fred Willard, Bob Balaban, and Lewis Arquette. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
Review
One-time star and co-writer of the greatest mockumentary of all, This Is Spinal Tap (1983), actor and director Christopher Guest creates this wickedly funny and intelligent character comedy with a cast of sublimely talented improvisational performers. Following up his well-received Waiting for Guffman (1996), Guest returns to the well of the little-used faux-documentary genre with splendid results, creating a comedy that is, if anything, even tighter, more focused, and funnier than his previous effort. It's interesting to note that, while many directors attempt to make improvisational-style films, those who succeed are almost always former writers such as Guest and James Toback. An improvised film is typically one wherein plot is sacrificed at the altar of character, and so rises and falls on the success of its performances. Best in Show is no exception to this rule, and the film's quality is a testament to actors typically cast in character parts finally getting a chance to shine at center stage, such as Michael McKean, co-writer Eugene Levy, and the seemingly ubiquitous independent film star Parker Posey. Best in Show was a sizable box-office hit in limited release and earned a Golden Globe nomination for Best Comedy. ~ Karl Williams, All Movie Guide
Bob Balaban - Dr. Theodore W. Milbank III; Patrick Cranshaw - Sherri's Husband; Don Lake - Pageant manager; Ed Begley, Jr. - Hotel manager; Larry Miller - Cookie's former boyfriend; Lewis Arquette - Fern City Show Spectator; Will Sasso - Fishin' Hole Guy; Carrie Aizley - Fern City Show Spectator
Credit
Gary Myers - Art Director, Stuart Aikins - Casting, Monique Prudhomme - Costume Designer, Jack Hardy - First Assistant Director, Christopher Guest - Director, Robert Leighton - Editor, Gordon Mark - Executive Producer, Jeffery Vanston - Composer (Music Score), Joseph T. Garrity - Production Designer, Roberto Schaefer - Cinematographer, Karen Murphy - Producer, Mark Weingarten - Sound/Sound Designer, Jim Behnke - Unit Production Manager, Christopher Guest - Screenwriter, Eugene Levy - Screenwriter
Best in Show is a 2000mockumentary that follows five entrants in a prestigious dog show. The film focuses on the slightly surreal interactions among the various owners and handlers as they travel to the show and compete. Much of the dialogue was improvised.
Best in Show is presented as a documentary of five dogs and their owners destined to show in the Mayflower Kennel Club Dog Show, held in Philadelphia. The documentary jumps between the owners as they prepare to leave for the show, arriving at the hotel, and preparing backstage before their dog takes the show. The owners and their dogs include:
Gerry and Cookie Fleck (Eugene Levy, Catherine O'Hara), with their Norwich Terrier Winky. They are a middle-class couple from Florida who run into monetary problems and are forced to sleep in the hotel's storage room when they finally arrive. Throughout the film, they encounter men that Cookie had slept with during her youth.
Meg and Hamilton Swan (Parker Posey, Michael Hitchcock), with their Weimaraner Beatrice. An upper-class, stereotypical yuppie couple, they think they are taking great care of Beatrice (although really they are just confusing and aggravating her with their neurotic behavior), going as far as taking her to a therapist after she saw Meg and Hamilton have sex. At the show, the Swans believe that Beatrice will become unnerved without her favorite toy, the "Busy Bee", and frantically search for a replacement for it before the show.
Harlan Pepper (Christopher Guest) and his Bloodhound Hubert. The Peppers have raised bloodhounds for generations, and Harlen continues the tradition, though he has aspirations of becoming a ventriloquist.
Sherri Ann (Jennifer Coolidge) and Leslie Ward (Patrick Cranshaw) Cabot with their standard poodle Rhapsody in White (a.k.a. Butch), a two-time winner of the show in the past. Sherri Ann is a luscious big-breasted blonde, having the elderly Leslie as her sugar daddy (a parody of the marriage between Anna Nicole Smith and J. Howard Marshall II). She is primarily worried about giving Rhapsody a makeover; however, trainer Christy Cummings (Jane Lynch) makes sure the dog is ready for the show, while Leslie stays utterly oblivious and apathetic. Over the course of the film, the fake couplehood between Sherri Ann and Leslie crumples while Sherri Ann's romantic involvement with Christy becomes apparent.
Scott Donlan (John Michael Higgins) and Stefan Vanderhoof (Michael McKean) and their Shih Tzu. The gay couple takes great pride in their dog, and are confident that she will win the competition. They gossip about the other participants throughout the film.
The owners and their dogs all arrive in time for the show, which is hosted by Trevor Beckwith (Jim Piddock), and "color" commentator Buck Laughlin (Fred Willard). During the first round, Beatrice is disqualified when Hamilton cannot control her, but the other four dogs advance to the final round. Just before the finals, Cookie stumbles and insists that Gerry take over for her. Though the audience is initially awed by seeing Gerry's "two left feet" (the result of a birth defect), ultimately Winky takes Best in Show.
Afterwards, the film explores what each character is doing after the competition. Gerry and Cookie returned home to Florida and were overcome with attention after the victory. They go on to record, in amusingly bad style, songs about dogs. Sherri Ann and Christy have entered into a partnership and publish a magazine for lesbian purebred dog owners called American Bitch. Harlan fulfills his dreams and becomes a ventriloquist, entertaining sparse crowds with a honky tonk song and dance number. Hamilton and Meg Swan have found a new dog, one that enjoys watching them make love, and are sure it will be a winner. Stefan and Scott are in the process of designing a calendar featuring Shih Tzu dogs appearing in scenes, with appropriate costume, from famous classic films, such as Gone with the Wind and Casablanca.
"Am. Ch. Quiet Creek's Stand By Me" - Hubert the Bloodhound
"Can. Ch. Rapture's Classic" - Miss Agnes the Shih Tzu
"Can. Ch. Symarun's Red Hot Kisses" - Tyrone the Shih Tzu
"Can. Ch. Exxel Dezi Duz It With Pizaz" and "Brocade Exclamation" - Rhapsody in White the Standard Poodle
Reception
The film received extremely positive critical reception. As of February 2009[update], it had a rating of 94% fresh on the on the review aggregator Rotten Tomatoes (based on 103 reviews).[1] It won American, British, and Canadian Comedy Awards. The film is number 38 on Bravo's "100 Funniest Movies".
