# Best in Show (2000)

### reviewed by
Chad Polenz

    Best In Show

"Mockumentaries" are an under-appreciated genre of film. I'd imagine making one would be more difficult than making a regular comedy because you have to convey an atmosphere of reality while being satirical and sometimes all-out hysterical. That said I'd like to go on record as saying "Best In Show" will be the most over-looked film this year. It's one of the smartest comedies I've seen in years.

Last year a mockumentary called "Drop Dead Gorgeous" did a good job in zinging the beauty pageant industry. That film had some pretty big names to it but didn't do as well as expected at the box office. That film took a biting look at how serious some people get over such a relatively superficial event. With "Best In Show," co-writer and director Christopher Guest realizes human vanity is an easy target to parody and he succeeds by taking human vanity a step further to the point where vanity becomes a lifestyle. No, it's not about rich snobs (although the film does spoof them too), it's about people who are active participants in the dog show circuit. To them their pet is not really a companion but a ticket to fame and fortune and the lengths they'll go through for that is unbelievably funny.

The film is an ensemble of about 20 main characters who are all realistic people but have their own quirkiness. I hesitate to list the "stars" since most of the characters are given equal screen time and contribute to the comedy in their own way.

We start by meeting many different people from around the country who are about to travel to Philadelphia for the supposedly world-renowned Mayflower Dog Show. They all have different breeds of dogs and treat them in a different way. Some practically worship their canine, others order them around like a parent would to a small child. Some pamper their pooches like babies and some treat them like equals. What they all have in common is a desire to win the Best In Show award because they have truly dedicated a piece of themselves to their dogs and would like to think it's something more then just an owner-master relationship.

Of course the humans' personalities play an integral role in making the film the delight it is. To really do the movie justice I should go over ALL of them individually, but instead I'll just give a few good examples.

Eugene Levy and Catherine O'Hara play a Florida couple who seem to be experienced in the dog show industry. Levy's character Gerry is a dorky wuss married to a buxom blonde named Cookie who, shall we say, "has a reputation." Levy is excellent in this role because you don't know if he's clueless or too shrewd to do anything every time his wife meets another man who seems to know her from somewhere. There's one particular scene where the two stop at a couple's house and the husband (played perfectly by Larry Miller) is all over Cookie in front of both his wife and Gerry.

Another strange couple is Meg and Hamilton Swan (Parker Posey and Michael Hitchcock) who are so obsessed with their dog and perfection from it they actually visit a pet psychologist and discuss how their sex life effects their dog and their chances of winning at the show. Posey has some outstanding scenes where she flies off the handle when the slightest problem crops up. What she does to anyone who gets in her is what exemplifies smart black comedy.

Two other couples to mention are a stereotypical gay couple who are genuinely funny and not offensive, and a gold-digging bimbo and her ambiguous female friend who handles her award-winning poodle. There's also a southern man whose best friend is a purebred bloodhood.

In writing these character descriptions just now I noticed I either used or wanted to used a term to describe how excellent the performances were. I have never seen such commitment to character in a comedy before. Since this is a mockumentary I would imagine many of the lines were ad-libed because they never come across as forced or cliche. If you listen closely you'll hear some fantastic lines and quick comments that add to the detail of the characters and their situations. They're like inside jokes that don't need any explanation.

And that all comes back to the direction and production of the film. Guest's camera work keeps the atmosphere realistic with characters talking over other characters and constant activity in the background (again, listen for those subtle one-liners). There's a few scenes of people talking directly to the camera to voice their thoughts on things but Guest doesn't rely on this technique to fill in characteristics or plot points. In fact I'd criticize him for not using ENOUGH of these sequences.

Special mention MUST be made to the contribution of Fred Willard as a TV commentator covering the dog show as if it were a major sporting event. Willard is the king of Hollywood's working actors in my mind. His presence alone automatically makes any scene or sketch funny because he's so deadpan in his approach. He comes up with comments that are usually silly but catch you off guard and you can't help but laugh. Here he's teamed with an Engl ishman playing the role of the expert on dog shows who has terrific comic timing and chemistry with Willard.

What makes "Best In Show" great is how smoothly it flows between the performances, the screenplay and the direction. Most comedies have funny jokes and average performances, but how many comedies can you name where the direction was one of the reasons it worked as well as it did?

    GRADE: B+

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Chad'z Movie Page is back! In-depth reviews of nearly all mainstream films playing at your local cineplex. There's also reviews of a few classic films and some of your personal favorites.

***** Chad'z Movie Page is back! In-depth reviews of nearly all mainstream films playing at your local cineplex. There's also reviews of a few classic films and some of your personal favorites.

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