CHRISTOPHER GUEST PROVES ONCE AGAIN THAT HE IS THE MASTER OF SATIRE IN HIS NEW MOCKUMENTARY ABOUT DOGS AND THEIR NEUROTIC OWNERS
He skewered past their prime heavy metal bands in This is Spinal Tap and community theater in Waiting for Guffman, and now Christopher Guest takes a swipe at competitive dog shows in Best in Show, yet another witty, sharply accurate "mockumentary".
We all know someone that treats their dog like a pampered child, constantly catering to the pooch and believing that it really matters if it has the right pillow or chew toy for comfort. Some go so far as to enter their pets in the deadly serious sport of competitive dog showing, a world eerily similar to those child beauty pageants/meat parades, where the poor dogs are primped, trained, and browbeaten into being the best in their category--and they couldn't care less about winning.
Best in Show follows five sets of competing canines and their doting owners/handlers, all of whom are convinced that their dog is most deserving of the top prize.
We meet Harlan Pepper (Christopher Guest), a Southern fly fishing supply salesman who talks like Boomhauer on TV's King of the Hill. Harlan is traveling from the small town of Pine Nut, South Carolina, with his bloodhound Hubert, whom Harlan is convinced will send telepathic messages to the judges. There's also Meg Swan (Parker Posey) and her husband Hamilton (Michael Hitchcock), yuppie lawyers who both wear braces on their teeth and first met when they were in two different Starbucks right across the street from each other. Meg and Hamilton are coming from New York to show their gorgeous Weimarener Beatrice, but spend most of the trip agonizing over Beatrice's emotional condition after watching them have sex, and trying to find a duplicate of Beatrice's favorite squeaky toy, lost in the shuffle of traveling. Meg and Hamilton both fairly vibrate with tension and various neuroses, and they transfer it all into Beatrice, who is later disqualified from the competition after attacking a judge.
Next we meet Scott Donlan (John Michael Higgins), a flamboyant gay hairdresser, and his partner Stefan Vanderhoof (Michael McKean), who are showing their Shih Tzu, Miss Agnes. Scott and Stefan seem by far the most together of the group of dog owners and handlers, even though Scott insists on packing seven silk kimonos for a two day trip. 
Showing her standard poodle Rhapsody in White is Sherri Ann Cabot (Jennifer Coolidge), the trophy wife of an elderly millionaire, who appears to have learned everything she knows about fashion and makeup from Tammy Faye Bakker. Assisting Sherri Ann is professional dog handler Christy Cummings (Jane Lynch), a fierce competitor who may be interested in Sherri Ann for more than her poodle.
Last but not least are Fern City, Florida's own Gerry and Cookie Fleck (Eugene Levy and Catherine O'Hara), a loving couple who are entering their cute terrier Winky in the competition. Unfortunately, Gerry, who literally has two left feet, is a bit taken aback when, no matter where they go, they always run into someone who's had wild sex with Cookie in the past (one fellow reminds her of their fling by saying "I'm not wearing any underwear!"). 
All the competitors eventually meet at the Mayflower Kennel Club Dog Show, held in Philadelphia, PA.
Things start to go bad for some of the folks right away--Meg loses Beatrice's special squeaky bee toy, and the Flecks have to stay in a hotel utility closet when their credit card is declined. Still, they forage ahead to the dog show itself, which is hosted by commentators Buck Laughlin (Fred Willard) and Trevor Beckwith (Jim Piddock). Trevor, a serious British gentleman who has written books on dog obedience, is forced to act as a sounding board for Buck's ridiculous comments, such as how Hubert the bloodhound would look better with a Sherlock Holmes hat and a pipe, and how it's ironic that the Mayflower Kennel Club would be based in Philadelphia, since that's where Christopher Columbus landed.
Naturally, I won't give away who owns the winning dog. Suffice to say, all of the dogs come off far better than their obsessive, neurotic owners (the Flecks make up songs about Winky), even Beatrice, whom eventually Meg and Hamilton get rid of because "she had so many problems", replacing her with a pug that humps their psychiatrist's leg.
Best in Show is dead on in its portrayal of dog owners, right down to the ridiculous pampering (Scott and Stefan place Miss Agnes on a tiny velvet pillow) and their treating the pets like surrogate children (none of the characters appear to have actual human children). Though Guest, who wrote the film with Eugene Levy and directed it, has been accused of mean-spiritedness at times, that isn't the case here. These people really love their dogs, perhaps with a bit more fervor than necessary (the Flecks have a mailbox shaped like a terrier), but it's love all the same. "Even if they travel to another planet, like Venus or Mars, they still won't find a better dog than Hubert.", says Harlan, happily letting his pooch slobber all over him.
The performances in Best of Show are all uniformly great, with standouts including Guest, Levy, and Piddock, who has some priceless reaction shots to Willard's dialogue. Noteworthy scenes in the movie include Harlan Pepper's clumsy ventriloquist act at the film's end, Scott and Stefan's photo shoot with their dogs reenacting scenes from famous old movies, and the entire sequence involving the Flecks having to stay in a hotel utility closet, with Ed 'Stumpy Pepys' Begley Jr. as the beleagured hotel manager. Begley's role is small but memorable, including when he shows the different sizes of cleaning supplies used for the dog messes, and then talks about the time they had to clean up after a raucous rock group who "didn't realize that there was a toilet in the room".
Through it all, the dogs couldn't give a kibble about who wins or loses. Miss Agnes the adorable Shih Tzu is seen chewing on a shirt at one point, while Beatrice squirms as Meg attempts to trim her whiskers. That's probably the most astute observation in Best of Show--it's not the owners showing the dogs, it's the dogs showing the owners.
FOR MORE INFORMATION VISIT THE OFFICIAL 'BEST IN SHOW' WEBSITE!
All photos courtesy of Castle Rock Pictures
He skewered past their prime heavy metal bands in This is Spinal Tap and community theater in Waiting for Guffman, and now Christopher Guest takes a swipe at competitive dog shows in Best in Show, yet another witty, sharply accurate "mockumentary".
We all know someone that treats their dog like a pampered child, constantly catering to the pooch and believing that it really matters if it has the right pillow or chew toy for comfort. Some go so far as to enter their pets in the deadly serious sport of competitive dog showing, a world eerily similar to those child beauty pageants/meat parades, where the poor dogs are primped, trained, and browbeaten into being the best in their category--and they couldn't care less about winning.
Best in Show follows five sets of competing canines and their doting owners/handlers, all of whom are convinced that their dog is most deserving of the top prize. We meet Harlan Pepper (Christopher Guest), a Southern fly fishing supply salesman who talks like Boomhauer on TV's King of the Hill. Harlan is traveling from the small town of Pine Nut, South Carolina, with his bloodhound Hubert, whom Harlan is convinced will send telepathic messages to the judges. There's also Meg Swan (Parker Posey) and her husband Hamilton (Michael Hitchcock), yuppie lawyers who both wear braces on their teeth and first met when they were in two different Starbucks right across the street from each other. Meg and Hamilton are coming from New York to show their gorgeous Weimarener Beatrice, but spend most of the trip agonizing over Beatrice's emotional condition after watching them have sex, and trying to find a duplicate of Beatrice's favorite squeaky toy, lost in the shuffle of traveling. Meg and Hamilton both fairly vibrate with tension and various neuroses, and they transfer it all into Beatrice, who is later disqualified from the competition after attacking a judge.
Next we meet Scott Donlan (John Michael Higgins), a flamboyant gay hairdresser, and his partner Stefan Vanderhoof (Michael McKean), who are showing their Shih Tzu, Miss Agnes. Scott and Stefan seem by far the most together of the group of dog owners and handlers, even though Scott insists on packing seven silk kimonos for a two day trip. Showing her standard poodle Rhapsody in White is Sherri Ann Cabot (Jennifer Coolidge), the trophy wife of an elderly millionaire, who appears to have learned everything she knows about fashion and makeup from Tammy Faye Bakker. Assisting Sherri Ann is professional dog handler Christy Cummings (Jane Lynch), a fierce competitor who may be interested in Sherri Ann for more than her poodle.
Last but not least are Fern City, Florida's own Gerry and Cookie Fleck (Eugene Levy and Catherine O'Hara), a loving couple who are entering their cute terrier Winky in the competition. Unfortunately, Gerry, who literally has two left feet, is a bit taken aback when, no matter where they go, they always run into someone who's had wild sex with Cookie in the past (one fellow reminds her of their fling by saying "I'm not wearing any underwear!"). All the competitors eventually meet at the Mayflower Kennel Club Dog Show, held in Philadelphia, PA.
Things start to go bad for some of the folks right away--Meg loses Beatrice's special squeaky bee toy, and the Flecks have to stay in a hotel utility closet when their credit card is declined. Still, they forage ahead to the dog show itself, which is hosted by commentators Buck Laughlin (Fred Willard) and Trevor Beckwith (Jim Piddock). Trevor, a serious British gentleman who has written books on dog obedience, is forced to act as a sounding board for Buck's ridiculous comments, such as how Hubert the bloodhound would look better with a Sherlock Holmes hat and a pipe, and how it's ironic that the Mayflower Kennel Club would be based in Philadelphia, since that's where Christopher Columbus landed.
Naturally, I won't give away who owns the winning dog. Suffice to say, all of the dogs come off far better than their obsessive, neurotic owners (the Flecks make up songs about Winky), even Beatrice, whom eventually Meg and Hamilton get rid of because "she had so many problems", replacing her with a pug that humps their psychiatrist's leg.
Best in Show is dead on in its portrayal of dog owners, right down to the ridiculous pampering (Scott and Stefan place Miss Agnes on a tiny velvet pillow) and their treating the pets like surrogate children (none of the characters appear to have actual human children). Though Guest, who wrote the film with Eugene Levy and directed it, has been accused of mean-spiritedness at times, that isn't the case here. These people really love their dogs, perhaps with a bit more fervor than necessary (the Flecks have a mailbox shaped like a terrier), but it's love all the same. "Even if they travel to another planet, like Venus or Mars, they still won't find a better dog than Hubert.", says Harlan, happily letting his pooch slobber all over him.
The performances in Best of Show are all uniformly great, with standouts including Guest, Levy, and Piddock, who has some priceless reaction shots to Willard's dialogue. Noteworthy scenes in the movie include Harlan Pepper's clumsy ventriloquist act at the film's end, Scott and Stefan's photo shoot with their dogs reenacting scenes from famous old movies, and the entire sequence involving the Flecks having to stay in a hotel utility closet, with Ed 'Stumpy Pepys' Begley Jr. as the beleagured hotel manager. Begley's role is small but memorable, including when he shows the different sizes of cleaning supplies used for the dog messes, and then talks about the time they had to clean up after a raucous rock group who "didn't realize that there was a toilet in the room".
Through it all, the dogs couldn't give a kibble about who wins or loses. Miss Agnes the adorable Shih Tzu is seen chewing on a shirt at one point, while Beatrice squirms as Meg attempts to trim her whiskers. That's probably the most astute observation in Best of Show--it's not the owners showing the dogs, it's the dogs showing the owners.
FOR MORE INFORMATION VISIT THE OFFICIAL 'BEST IN SHOW' WEBSITE!
All photos courtesy of Castle Rock Pictures
We meet Harlan Pepper (Christopher Guest), a Southern fly fishing supply salesman who talks like Boomhauer on TV's King of the Hill. Harlan is traveling from the small town of Pine Nut, South Carolina, with his bloodhound Hubert, whom Harlan is convinced will send telepathic messages to the judges. There's also Meg Swan (Parker Posey) and her husband Hamilton (Michael Hitchcock), yuppie lawyers who both wear braces on their teeth and first met when they were in two different Starbucks right across the street from each other. Meg and Hamilton are coming from New York to show their gorgeous Weimarener Beatrice, but spend most of the trip agonizing over Beatrice's emotional condition after watching them have sex, and trying to find a duplicate of Beatrice's favorite squeaky toy, lost in the shuffle of traveling. Meg and Hamilton both fairly vibrate with tension and various neuroses, and they transfer it all into Beatrice, who is later disqualified from the competition after attacking a judge.
Next we meet Scott Donlan (John Michael Higgins), a flamboyant gay hairdresser, and his partner Stefan Vanderhoof (Michael McKean), who are showing their Shih Tzu, Miss Agnes. Scott and Stefan seem by far the most together of the group of dog owners and handlers, even though Scott insists on packing seven silk kimonos for a two day trip. Showing her standard poodle Rhapsody in White is Sherri Ann Cabot (Jennifer Coolidge), the trophy wife of an elderly millionaire, who appears to have learned everything she knows about fashion and makeup from Tammy Faye Bakker. Assisting Sherri Ann is professional dog handler Christy Cummings (Jane Lynch), a fierce competitor who may be interested in Sherri Ann for more than her poodle.
Last but not least are Fern City, Florida's own Gerry and Cookie Fleck (Eugene Levy and Catherine O'Hara), a loving couple who are entering their cute terrier Winky in the competition. Unfortunately, Gerry, who literally has two left feet, is a bit taken aback when, no matter where they go, they always run into someone who's had wild sex with Cookie in the past (one fellow reminds her of their fling by saying "I'm not wearing any underwear!"). All the competitors eventually meet at the Mayflower Kennel Club Dog Show, held in Philadelphia, PA.
Things start to go bad for some of the folks right away--Meg loses Beatrice's special squeaky bee toy, and the Flecks have to stay in a hotel utility closet when their credit card is declined. Still, they forage ahead to the dog show itself, which is hosted by commentators Buck Laughlin (Fred Willard) and Trevor Beckwith (Jim Piddock). Trevor, a serious British gentleman who has written books on dog obedience, is forced to act as a sounding board for Buck's ridiculous comments, such as how Hubert the bloodhound would look better with a Sherlock Holmes hat and a pipe, and how it's ironic that the Mayflower Kennel Club would be based in Philadelphia, since that's where Christopher Columbus landed.
Naturally, I won't give away who owns the winning dog. Suffice to say, all of the dogs come off far better than their obsessive, neurotic owners (the Flecks make up songs about Winky), even Beatrice, whom eventually Meg and Hamilton get rid of because "she had so many problems", replacing her with a pug that humps their psychiatrist's leg.
Best in Show is dead on in its portrayal of dog owners, right down to the ridiculous pampering (Scott and Stefan place Miss Agnes on a tiny velvet pillow) and their treating the pets like surrogate children (none of the characters appear to have actual human children). Though Guest, who wrote the film with Eugene Levy and directed it, has been accused of mean-spiritedness at times, that isn't the case here. These people really love their dogs, perhaps with a bit more fervor than necessary (the Flecks have a mailbox shaped like a terrier), but it's love all the same. "Even if they travel to another planet, like Venus or Mars, they still won't find a better dog than Hubert.", says Harlan, happily letting his pooch slobber all over him.
The performances in Best of Show are all uniformly great, with standouts including Guest, Levy, and Piddock, who has some priceless reaction shots to Willard's dialogue. Noteworthy scenes in the movie include Harlan Pepper's clumsy ventriloquist act at the film's end, Scott and Stefan's photo shoot with their dogs reenacting scenes from famous old movies, and the entire sequence involving the Flecks having to stay in a hotel utility closet, with Ed 'Stumpy Pepys' Begley Jr. as the beleagured hotel manager. Begley's role is small but memorable, including when he shows the different sizes of cleaning supplies used for the dog messes, and then talks about the time they had to clean up after a raucous rock group who "didn't realize that there was a toilet in the room".
Through it all, the dogs couldn't give a kibble about who wins or loses. Miss Agnes the adorable Shih Tzu is seen chewing on a shirt at one point, while Beatrice squirms as Meg attempts to trim her whiskers. That's probably the most astute observation in Best of Show--it's not the owners showing the dogs, it's the dogs showing the owners.
FOR MORE INFORMATION VISIT THE OFFICIAL 'BEST IN SHOW' WEBSITE!
All photos courtesy of Castle Rock Pictures
All the competitors eventually meet at the Mayflower Kennel Club Dog Show, held in Philadelphia, PA.