Best in Show

Starring: Parkery Posey, Michael Hitchcock, Catherine O'Hara, Eugene Levy, Christopher Guest, Jennifer Coolidge, Jane Lynch, Larry Miller, Ed Begley, Jr., Fred Willard
Directed by: Christopher Guest
Rating: PG-13
Genre: Comedy
2000

Times Seen:
Tim: 1

Summary:A variety of dog owners all prepare their prized pooches to win a national dog competition and be named "best in show."

Review:

Tim: I may be one of those people that just doesn't get the Christopher Guest thing. I am unsure of why I wasn't as much of a fan of this film as many people seem to be. I have heard this called one of the best comedies of the decade, but I found it to be nothing more than a quirky little film. I certainly didn't hate it, but I wasn't laughing much, either. I did smile frequently throughout the film, and the dialogue was humorous, but I didn't find this movie as funny as many people do.

I wonder if some people are just wowed by the whole improvisation thing. It is certainly the most fascinating aspect of this movie- that nearly all of the scenes were created by improvisation by the actors- instead of them following a script. There are certainly some benefits to doing it this way- you get more real, honest moments out of the actors, rather than simply watching some rehearsed lines. There is something to be said for this technique. However, it also makes it difficult to create a compelling, entertaining story. I am all for turning on the cameras and letting funny people be funny- but I am not sure that is the best way to make a movie. I felt like this technique created some real human moments, but failed to create a great movie. I also know that I am in the minority here.

I thought the cast was good. They obviously deserve credit for creating this funny scenes on the spot. I know I don't have the imagination or the idea productivity to pull this off. I thought Parker Posey and Michael Hitchcock were the most annoying pair of the film. I don't understand why they were supposed to be funny, because they were just too over-the-top. I know that dog show people are a very odd group of people, but I would have appreciated just a bit of restraint from these two. Catherine O'Hara and Eugene Levy worked well together, and I have to admit they were the heart of this movie. They were also responsible for may of the film's funniest moments. Christopher Guest was also memorably funny as Harlan Pepper. His "nut" scene was perhaps the highlight of the whole film, although I'm still not sure why I found it so enjoyable. I always like seeing Jennifer Coolidge, although I was disappointed she spent most of the movie paired with the incredibly unfunny Jane Lynch. I loved seeing Larry Miller, although I think he was criminally underused here. Fred Willard was also a welcome presence, although I thought his lines were really hit-or-miss. I also loved seeing Ed Begley, Jr., who in a quiet way, has some of the film's best moments. As a whole, the cast is good, but no one really blew me away.

I am all for mockumentary movies, and Christopher Guest certainly has his own unique approach to filmmaking. I appreciate that originality, although I can't claim to be a bit Guest fan. I thought that Best in Show was an interesting, unique little movie that had a few humorous moments. However, it didn't do nearly enough to win me over. As I mentioned, I appreciate the improv technique to capture real moments, but I am not convinced it allows you to make a great movie.

Rating 1-10
Tim's Rating: 6.5



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