Best in Show (2000) User Reviews (383)

"Best In Show" indeed

[Fincher-3 · 8/10 · 12 June 2001]

I'll admit that I've never seen "Waiting for Guffman", 1997's critically acclaimed comedy mockumentary about a small town thats that stages a pageant. When the advertising for Best in Show had the tagline "From the Team That Brought You Waiting for Guffman", a fair number of critics out there implied in their reviews that only people that are familiar with the film or its filmmakers and cast would have a good time seeing this film. For shame, critics, for shame times two! Any critic that implies something like that with any film probably doesn't want to share the film's wealth with the rest of the world, but this is one film that I hope people will experience, now that its video/dvd. "Best in Show" is, without a doubt, the best comedy of 2000.

The film begins with a mockumentary style, introducing the main competitors (not to mention screwballs) of the annual Mayflower "Best In Show" competition, where dogs of all breeds come to compete to see who is the top dog. We have the loveable and gullable Harry Pepper (Guest) with his bloodhound, the simple Gerry & Cookie Fleck (Levy & O'Hara) with their terriors, nut-case yuppies Hamilton & Meg Swan (Hitchcock & Posey), the gay dog groomers Scott Dolan & Stefan Vanderhoof (Higgins & McKean), and the airheaded millionare Sheri Ann Ward Cabot (Coolidge) along with her trainer Christy Cummings (Lynch). They all have their minds on one simple object: The Blue Ribbon, which will be awarded to the best dog. And...do I have to tell you the rest?

Director/writer/star Guest's idea of humor is one that assures me that there are comedies out there that are worth laughing at, and that the idiocy of films like "American Pie" or other pointless "teenage" flicks won't take over the world after all. His idea is simple: make your comedy not just funny, but SMART funny. But instead of following in the brilliant footsteps of films like "Zero Effect" and "High Fidelity", he used a rather unusual approach (and as I understand, he also used this approach for "Guffman"). Whether you notice or not, a very large part of the film is improvisation. In other words, what the actors say and do were probably not written in the script, maybe even not even dreamed of by Guest and co-writer/star Levy. But with a gentle hand from Guest, he and the actors pulled off a hilarious theatrical feat that probably would have flopped if handled by other, less adept actors. Now that's smart!

The cast is, of course, what makes improv work the most. All of them are a (comedic) marvel to behold, especially Guest as Pepper. But the real standout has to be Fred Williard as Buck Laughlin, the clueless announcer at the competition who can spin out the most outrageously funny stories and comments that no announcer would even dream of...that is, if the announcer was trying to be funny. Williard can go from talking about the dog to suddenly going on and on about how much he can bench press. There's even a part were he gives out an idea for a new marketing strategy: have sexy women pose in tight shirts and shorts with the dogs and imply something like "have a doggie-style of a time". Its priceless, as is his performance.

I hope that people engage in this 90-minute "dogumentary". The film deserves so much recognition. It did get nominated for Best Picture-Comedy at the Golden Globes, but didn't win. I can't see why. I mean, in the comedy department, it is best in show.

GRADE: A

Smiled--a lot; laughed--not as much

[Jonny_Numb · 6/10 · 21 October 2006]

As with the "Waiting for Guffman" DVD, there are a good many deleted scenes to sift through on "Best in Show" (clocking in at nearly 30 minutes), most of which are pretty damn funny. After watching the film itself, I was left wondering why some weren't spliced into the finished product, since "Best" isn't nearly as good as "Guffman" or Christopher Guest's previous foray into 'mockumentaries,' "This is Spinal Tap." What we're left with is a fitfully funny, faux behind-the-scenes look at dog competitions with characters that lack the authenticity of the small-town performers in "Guffman" and the washed-up metalheads of "Tap"--these people (down to Eugene Levy's 2 left feet and Parker Posey's braces) smack of artificiality. While the film is funny and ultimately satisfying for fans of Guest's observational brand of humor, I found myself smiling more than laughing at "Best in Show."

Liked it the first time, loved it the second

[Mr-Fusion · 8/10 · 11 November 2021]

Christopher Guest is a comedic treasure. Not only does he know just how to "mockument" the truly mundane (in this case, the show-dogs and their weirdo owners) but his characters are always so run-of-the-mill yet bizarre; they're either out of touch or wacky Midwesterner; people you can't help but laugh at. With Best In Show, it feels like he's playing that to the hilt and I think it's my favorite movie of his as a result

This is an ensemble cast in the best sense, a group of people perfectly at home with the material -- clumsy, ordinary and awkward -- yet they utter some of the most ridiculous things. I don't think I could stand to be around any of these people, but they kept me in stitches the entire time. The only person I can really single out is Fred Willard, and it's because (I have no doubt) he was let loose as the competition's sportscaster and improv'd the whole thing. The guy doesn't let up!

Sit, Stay, and Enjoy!

[budmassey · 23 June 2001]

You would almost have to have seen the dog show world first hand to understand all the delicious inside jokes, but even if the extent of your dog show experience is an occasional glimpse of the Westminster Dog Show telecast, you'll howl with laughter.

Conformation dog showing is a world of illusion in which everyone tries to make perfect dogs out of something less. Best in Show strips the illusion away in a brutal satire that undoubtedly had every dog person on the planet cringing in horror and delight. "Isn't that just like so-and-so?" and "I'm nothing like that!"

Christopher Guest may have topped his supreme masterpiece "Spinal Tap" with this signature mockumentary in which he skewers all of dogdom. You will recognize Fred Willard's vapid and obnoxious television host as none other than Joe what's his name from Westminster, and the tension between him and Trevor Beckwith (Jim Piddock) is a thinly veiled roman a clef of David and Joe at the Big Show.

There are a few gaffs, like the fact at all the dogs at the Show are supposed to be champions before entry, but that doesn't detract from the fun. John Michael Higgins, who steals the show as the uninhibited handler, and Michael McKean are hilarious as the gay couple going out of their way to be outre. Co-writer Eugene Levy (American Pie) is perfect as the husband finding out that his wife Catherine O'Hara might be Miss Congeniality of all time. I also loved Parker Posey and Michael Hitchcock as the overwrought yuppie couple who project all their angst on their poor dog. Larry Miller turns in a great cameo as one of the countless men in O'Hara's past.

A lot of people didn't get this gem. To them I can only say Bad Dog, Bad Dog! For the rest of us, it's Sit, Stay, and Enjoy!

It gets better and better with repeated viewings

[planktonrules · 10/10 · 10 November 2008]

This is the best of the films (so far) that Christopher Guest has created using his very talented ensemble cast. Previously, they'd made the excellent WAITING FOR GUFFMAN and following BEST IN SHOW, they made the very enjoyable A MIGHTY WIND. As for their latest, FOR YOUR CONSIDERATION, the less said the better.

The film appears to be a documentary about dog shows and several contestants in particular. You follow these few chosen dogs from pre-show preparations all the way to the big night where one of them is chosen best in show at the fictitious "Mayflower Kennel Club". However, none of these people are real dog show enthusiasts but talent improvisational actors that parody many of the common types of people you meet in the dog show world. Amazingly, even though the characters are rather outlandish, there is a lot of truth to the personalities they are parodying--as decades ago I had some experience with dog shows and this is a VERY cutthroat group of people! My favorites of the dog owners were the incredibly high-pressure and tense yuppie couple who just exuded anger and volatility. I also loved the openly gay couple, as they were terribly funny and clever. However, the best performance probably wasn't from any of the couples but from Fred Willard who played the world's stupidest and least talented announcer in human history. His comments were uniformly inane and often betrayed him as an incredibly stupid person--how he got to be the announcer for such a prestigious show is anyone's guess. The other contestants featured were also quite funny--the high-priced professional poodle handler and its rich owner, the country boy and his hound as well as Winkie's "parents" who could barely scrape together enough to make it to the show.

Despite the improvised style of film making, the pieces all fit together wonderfully and told a very funny and compelling story--one that is NOT for dog owners only. Exceptional acting made this one of the best comedies of the last decade. Clever and consistently funny.

By the way, try to find this on DVD as the extras were actually worth seeing. While a bit painful to watch, I loved seeing Harlan Pepper and his beach ball collection in particular!

ONe of the funniest movies ever

[sideburnmikeguitar · 10/10 · 22 December 2006]

This is the only Christopher Guest movie that rivals Spinal Tap and Princess Bride for sheer entertainment value, but somehow never gets near the recognition. The plot surrounds the contestants--dogs--and their owners as they venture into the world of competitive dog...OK, it's about a dog show. The owners truly are characters, as one would have to be to be so attached to their dogs. That's really all there is to it, but that makes it funny enough.

You'd never be able to convince me that a mock-u-mentary about dog shows would be funny prior to catching the hilarious scene where Levy and O'hara visit Larry Miller's house on TV...but that's really all it takes to convert any doubters. Spinal Tap was non-stop hilarity, joke after joke whereas Best in Show was had a few more lulls (and by that I mean say 3 minute at MOST where something riotously funny doesn't happen), but the big laughs are even bigger.

The casting in this one is great and even the typically out of place in, uh movies in general Parker Posey does a fine job. In fact, her tirade directed at Ed Begley Jr. and a pet store owner over a lost dog toy is probably the funniest running gag of the film.

What's amazing about this movie to me is how the writers somehow managed to weave a plot, simple as it was, around these great jokes so that it actually felt like it had direction. I guess there's a freedom in having such a minimal plot. Everyone's role is pretty well crafted here and the characters are rarely over-the-top. The realism of how pathetic they seem to the outsider is what makes it funnier than Mighty Wind or the uneven Guffman. I actually encounter wierdos like this now and then. If you like Guest's stuff at all, you should definitely own this one.

It's funny...but it's not for everyone

[yettygutschow · 7/10 · 18 February 2021]

This is a star-studded mockumentary that has a very particular sense of humor. It resonated with me but I'm sure it's not for everyone. I found the movie light-hearted and entertaining but it's definitely not a knee-slapping funny movie. I've always liked Eugene Levy's weird sense of humor so I enjoyed this little comedic relief of dog show people.

Intelligent, Hilarious, Restrained, Balanced Humor

[robbotnik2000 · 10/10 · 27 December 2004]

In the era of the Farrelly Brothers and the Jackass series, to have a movie made and performed by Americans come out that is well paced and full of charm as well as hilarity is well-nigh miraculous. This ensemble has been behind some other efforts, most recently "A Mighty Wind" which was so subtle it seemed to be an actual documentary without the overlay of entertainment, but "Best In Show" hits on all cylinders. It is superbly cast with some of the best of current US actors, Parker Posey, who exudes energy even when she stands still, Eugene Levy as tolerant everyman who is nobody's doormat, even when he appears to be (or maybe, 'indomitable doormat'). The brilliant stylings of Fred Willard, the understated performances of so many others, which is a characteristic not normally associated with Americans or American actors. One of the few humorous movies I can watch again and again.

Best in Show? Not Quite.

[evanston_dad · 6/10 · 23 July 2010]

"Waiting for Guffman" may just be my favorite comedy of all time; hardly a scene goes by without a dozen hilarious little lines and moments. It would, therefore, have given me nothing but pleasure to report that "Best in Show," the first of Christopher Guest and ensemble's attempts to recapture the blissfully goofy chemistry of that earlier effort, was a rousing success. Unfortunately it's not. There are quite a few amusing moments, but the film never inspired in me much beyond a modest chuckle.

Mostly to blame, I think, is the fact that Guest enlarges his ensemble too much, with the result that no one really has enough screen time to create full characters with personalities of their own. The film feels much more episodic, and the actors even more than in "Guffman" play caricatures rather than people.

Still, these complaints will probably only pose a problem -- or at least problems to the same extent -- if you are as much a fan of "Guffman" as I am to begin with.

Grade: B

As good as Spinal Tap

[honkus · 10/10 · 2 December 2003]

This is the funniest movie I have ever seen. However, I have laughed harder at plenty of movies. This is because Best In Show's brilliance lies not in slapstick or one-liners, but in sophisticated and layered verbal wit. The improvised dialogue is is so quick that you end up laughing not at each individual joke, but only until after several jokes build on one another, each disarming your senses until the jokes climax and you can't help letting loose.

It's a well-shot film, but what makes it extraordinary is the acting. I was impressed on my first viewing, but when I watched it after having learned that virtually every scene is improvised, I was amazed. It was thoroughly enjoyable to see the comedians work off each other, build jokes out of nothing, and completely immerse themselves in their characters.

I imagine the golden days of Second City were like this.

This is hilarious!!

[moviegal6082 · 7/10 · 12 June 2004]

I love the mockumentary format that Chris Guest and crew have developed over the years. I actually like this and "Waiting for Guffman" better than "Spinal Tap", which was the first of the group (and made by Rob Reiner but starred Guest and several other of his mockumentary regulars). This humor is not for everyone. IT's rather subtle and not too physical, so some people may not relate. However, as a dog lover (and a dog show fan), I loved this movie. There are so many funny lines in it! My daughter and I quote them to each other often. I find it amazing that these people can ad lib so much funny material for each movie! What a fun bunch they must be. I highly recommend this to people who prefer their humor on the cerebral side.

Always makes me laugh

[Q-Man · 10/10 · 22 March 2020]

I spent a lot of time at dog shows and I have to say this movie and quirky characters get it right. The writers knew ther subject. There is a lot of back biting at dog shows, and not from the dogs. I am not one to rewatch movies, but I've seen this several times and still laugh when watching. Fred Willard is hilarious. He relly makes the film.

Grrrr! Woof!

[=G= · 7/10 · 15 May 2001]

"Best in Show" is a mockumentary spoof of one of those things which people do but which most outsiders can only view with raised eyebrows and quizzical looks askance: The championship dog show. This cute lampooning of the complete dog lover looks at a handful of stereotypes (gays, yuppies, a good old boy, etc.) and their pooches as they prep for, converge on, and participate in a dog show spectacle. A lively, clever exercise in over-the-top understatement.

Dullest in Show

[mdugmore · 4/10 · 18 July 2001]

Seeing such a high rating for a comedy on the IMDB, i put this down as one of my movies to watch.

I wish i hadn't.

The whole style, every scene and line of dialogue is deadpan to the extreme. The story basically follows several different owners as they enter a dog show, through to it being won, and then briefly what happens to them after.

The problem is, every character is supremely annoying or dull and that was pretty much the only joke in the film. To me that isn't enough, and in fact the movie regularly annoyed me. I think it got about one laugh, and a couple of smiles throughout, and the rest of the time i was in pain.

If you think the idea of someone reciting a line, sometimes saying something ever so slightly odd, in a matter of fact and totally deadpan way is enough for a supposed comedy, well, you may like it, but i wouldn't class it as humorous in the slightest when done repeatedly for an entire movie. Some scenes don't even have this slight blessing, and consist of the characters just doing something intensly stupid and annoying, with that trait presumably something to find humour in.

You have been warned.

Dog people, amusing enough in real life, are much more so in Christoher Guest's master mockumentary.

[javaman-7 · 2 March 2001]

Best in Show (2000) Directed by Christopher Guest. Written by Guest and Eugene Levy. Starring Parker Posey, Michael Hitchcock, Levy, Catherine O'Hara, John Michael Higgins, Michael McKean, Guest and Fred Willard. Running Time: 90 minutes Rated PG-13

Dog people, and the dogs that own them, are often amusing in real life. But in the hands of master mock documentarist Christopher Guest, the amusement is marvelously magnified. (Guest practically invented the "mockumentary" with his 1984 rock band send-up, "This is Spinal Tap.")

In the days leading up to the Mayfair Kennel Club Dog Show, several sets of contestants make their way to Philadelphia to realize a dream of being "Best in Show." There's a pair of New York yuppies (Posey and Hitchcock) who are even higher strung than their willful weimaraner. A gay couple (Higgins and McKean) shows up to show off their shih tzu. A Florida husband and wife (Levy and O'Hara) make the trip with their terrier, discovering along the way that every man they meet is one of her former lovers. And finally, springing fully-grown from a country music song, lonely guy Harlan Pepper (Guest) arrives from North Carolina in a pickup truck with his droop-faced bloodhound. Once at the show, the odd assortment of owners conduct their canines toward a "best in show" showdown, where brilliantly inept color commentary is provided by Buck Laughlin (Willard).

Even though fairly well known actors play the primary roles, Guest achieves a documentary feel, mainly because much of the dialogue seems improvised. As writer-director, he deserves credit, either for writing sharp dialogue, or for directing in a way that inspires creativity in his actors.

Some of the best lines come from Posey and Hitchcock, the yuppie couple who met when their eyes locked as they sipped coffee at separate but close-by Starbucks, and whose pooch becomes paranoid whenever they get intimate in its presence. The other cast members ably deliver lines that define their quirky characters. Especially good is O'Hara as a woman with a past who is nonetheless devoted to spouse Levy, who literally has two left feet. Even the background extras, probably real-life dog handlers, are fascinating to watch, and seem to inhabit their own documentaries, waiting for their own close-ups.

The last third of the film brings the entire cast together for the "Best in Show" competition. This is where Willard, who seems to have wandered in from a slow day at the XFL, delivers his wildly comic commentary, which amazes and befuddles his more serious partner. (For a while, there was actually some Oscar buzz for Willard's performance here.) Though the film pokes fun at the dog show circuit, it also reveals a fondness for the people involved. It may not inspire you to become a dog show person, but it just may have you looking in the classifieds to see when the next real-life show is coming to your town.

Rating: 3.5 stars out of 4

###

Watched it once and would like to watch it 100 more times

[Stay_away_from_the_Metropol · 10/10 · 18 August 2023]

I don't know how it took me this long to see this movie, but I finally did, and it fully lived up to its extraordinary praise. Though I've only seen it once thus far, I feel that it is truly one of those rare movies you could watch over and over again and never grow tired of it.

The movie really shouldn't even work. Who would have thought that a movie about a bunch of random weirdos putting their dogs in a dog show could be entertaining at all? When you think about how this probably sounds on paper, it's a wonder it got the production green light at all. Then again, cinema was still pretty fantastic in the year 2000. 2001 was the year everything started getting really "off"...

The entire cast and every single character in this movie are legendary. There's not much else to say. The writing and/or ad-libbing is all brilliant. The chemistry between this people cannot be matched. And I love the entirely simple 1-2 structure of the movie. First half: preparing for the show. Second half: the show. It needs nothing else! Simple & sweet!

This isn't the kind of movie that much else needs to be said about other than it is a perfect comedy. Nuanced, simple and versatile at the same time, and packed to the brim with quotable dialogue.

I will close by saying that for a while Emma Roberts was the #1 celebrity I wanted to get beat up by. But, I have changed my mind this year. After seeing Beau Is Afraid and Best In Show, and being reminded of the brute force of Parker Posey...she is absolutely the one. If a celebrity was going to beat me up, it would have to done be by Parker Posey. Please.

Comic genius. One of the funniest movies ever

[douglasdidier · 10/10 · 3 January 2005]

This movie should go down as one of the funniest movies in history. Its cousins A mighty wind, Spinal Tap and Waiting for Guffman are terrific in their own right but Best in Show takes the cake.

A movie about the idiosyncrasies of dog owners that show their dogs competitively, it's the intricacies of the characters that make it so good. After watching the movie about 75 times I have come to the conclusion that there is no weak character or actor in this film. There is very little interaction between any of the "groups" of characters but that only seems to add to the beauty of the film.

If you watch this movie and don't find it as funny as I am billing it as, watch it again. The first time I saw it I thought it was serviceable but not overly hilarious. It is a film that grows on you. Defininatly a movie that you will find yourself quoting frequently.

Characters: Hamilton and Meg Swan: A+ if you get the DVD check out how these characters were "born" amazing that these two could hit it so on the head. And to find out that they really didn't go by a script and sort of made it up as they went.

Gerry and Cookie Guggleman: A Cookie is especially funny and she does a fantastic job of selling the Cookie character. Gerry (Eugene Levy) delivers his standard stellar performance of the hilarious discombobulated type weaker half.

Stefan Vanderhoof and Scott Donalan- A+ Find me a funnier character than Scott Donalan, I DARE YOU! He will forever be typecast as this character to me as he was so natural and didn't seem forced at any point. Stefan (Micheal McKean) was very good as well and they interplay here (and a brief appearance with the Gugglemans) goes to show why he is always in these films. A great actor with razor like wit.

Harlan Pepper- B+, I don't want it to seem like he isn't funny, he sure is but being the only "Solo" act he can't be quite as funny as the others above. He does use the dog more than others and has some other idiosyncrasies going for him.

The rest are all great as well, there is no weak character. See this film at least twice. Buy it, you will not regret it.

not Guest's funniest movie, but good

[funkyfry · 6/10 · 10 July 2007]

I saw this one in the theater, and it was kind of strange because it was one of the first films I'd seen that I really thought would actually play better on television than in the theater. Well I saw it last weekend on TNT... very amusing as they were doing this "home makeover" type thing where they were putting all kinds of stuff in someone's backyard for their dogs, and the people on the program were basically just as fake and lame as anyone in the movie. Anyway, fake and lame describes almost every character in this movie with the exception of Guest's startling performance as Harlan Pepper. I feel like in a lot of ways the people being lampooned were played too heavily, especially the yuppie couple with Parker Posey. Their act was very funny at first but it wore thin much too fast for me. Likewise all the jokes about Catherine O'Hara's character being promiscuous. The first was hilarious but they kept pounding it into the ground.

All in all I feel the love for this film is somewhat displaced. I didn't enjoy it as much as "Waiting for Guffman" or even the later "Mighty Wind". But I've never owned a dog so maybe I'm missing some of the humor.

A good fakeumentary

[Quinoa1984 · 9/10 · 6 October 2000]

Christopher Guest's Best of Show follows his great tradition of fake-documentaries which includes This is Spinal Tap and Waiting for Guffman. This time, he takes a poke at dog shows, which is something no one has done before (I think). Here, he shows 5 different contenders (including himself which is one of the great parts of this film). Other contenders include Michael McKean, Michael Hitchcock, Catherine O'Hara, Jennifer Coolidge, John Michael Higgins, Parker Posey and in a exceptional effort as a man with 2 left feet, Eugene Levy (he also co-wrote the script with Guest). Often very funny, sometimes poignant, and like all of Guest's projects, never dissapointing, only liability might be that it isn't for all tastes (but hey, not everyone found 11 on a sound stsyem great either which seems odd). A-

Very Original And Very Funny

[atlasmb · 7/10 · 9 September 2022]

This ensemble troupe is back with another mockumentary, and it is expectedly funny. Using a style that Robert Altman might enjoy, director Christopher Guest gives us a look into the world of pure-bred dogs and their owners.

We get a glimpse into the lives of the cynophiles even as they prepare to travel to Philadelphia for the big annual dog show competition. They are an odd collection of personalities and they are very entertaining. Though it is difficult to single out any one performance, Catherine O'Hara gets a meaty role as a woman whose adventurous past keeps coming back to haunt her husband, played by Eugene Levy.

What makes the film so fun to watch is how absorbed the characters are in their avocation. Also, they treat their dogs like humans.

Just great!

[Smells_Like_Cheese · 8/10 · 17 December 2005]

You know, this movie reminded me so much of so many people I know, I think that's the reason why I loved this movie so much. I was just on the floor laughing because this had such a serious and document feel to it, but the dialog is so hilarious, that you can't help but have a good time. Basically the movie is about these crazed dog owners who are competing in a big dog show to see who is the best of the best. Whlie it seems like it should be the dogs who take this competition seriously, it turns out the owners are just as insane. Megan, one of the dog owners, goes almost serial psycho killer on the hotel manager because she cannot find the special bee squeaky toy for her dog.

There is another couple that is just great, Gerry and Cookie, this complete nerd and attractive woman that are just so lovable. In the beginning of the movie, Gerry describes how many boyfriends Cookie had. Throughout the movie, her "lovers" see her and hit on her even in front of Gerry! It was just great and fun to watch Gerry's looks. This whole movie is just a hoot, and you can't stop with the recognizable faces that keep popping up. It's a great movie is just fun to watch, I'd highly recommend it! Now, I have to find a nice way of showing this to my friends who are like these couples to see the mirror image of themselves. :D

8/10

The more movies there are about dogs, the better

[Spleen · 7/10 · 12 February 2002]

A hard movie not to like. I liked it in large part because of the dogs. And I've finally analysed my vague feeling of dissatisfaction: there aren't enough dogs.

The camera focuses only on the dogs whose owners we follow; even during the competition itself, we have to strain our eyes to catch a glimpse of any others. And the central dogs (shih tsu, bloodhound, Weimeraner, Norwich terrier, and one of those enormous white poodles that have somehow been transformed into toys) scarcely have any personality at all. Bad mistake: the less personality the dogs have, the less their owners have. It's lucky that at least some of the owners have so much anyway. (The best of them is Eugene Levy's Fleck - a gauche yet humane man who isn't so much jealous of his wife's former lovers, as sick to death of running into them.)

I suppose the jokes could have been zinged up a bit, too - making a film out of improvised humour is probably a mistake, even when the improvisations are this good.

It's still funny. Maybe my "vague feeling of dissatisfaction" only became worthy of notice when I'd seen it for the third time.

So awkwardly funny!!

[dgonzalez-40797 · 9/10 · 1 April 2020]

Parker posey and Jennifer Coolidge are absolutely hysterical in this movie. I love situational awkwardness- and this movie fills my eyes and ears with it. You have to watch the acting just as much as listening to what they say. Otherwise you might not enjoy it as much

Quick reviews!!

[malkane316 · 7/10 · 28 February 2005]

This movie brought together some of the old Spinal crew for another mockumentary film, this time revolving around the world of the Dog Show, how their owners prepare and train for the show before moving on to the show itself.

We meet several teams as they hope to win the top prize- The Fleck's, Cookie who seems to have slept with every man ever, and Gerry who tries to cope with his wife's old escapades and the fact that he literally has two left feet. Harlan, whose dog talks to him, and enjoys ventriloquism. The Swan's who have taken far too much coffee and scream at each other. Donalan and Vanderhoof the gay couple, and Cabot and Cummings who have won the last two years. Fred Willard commentates on the show, and is very funny as always. Funny scenes include the 'Look at me!' scene, and any with Levy. Unfortunately some of the best scenes were deleted or filmed later- Willard interviewing Leslie Cabot, and the alternative epilogue with Gerry is one of the funniest things i have ever seen. If these had been included, i would give the film an extra mark. But...

7 out of 10

Cruel humor

[aromatic-2 · 3/10 · 2 August 2001]

Most of my friends raved about this one but it left me feeling miserable. The humor is uniformly cruel and juvenile -- like one long Seinfeld episode. Some well-travelled comedians (Michael McKean, Eugene Levy, Parker Posey, Catherine O'Hara, etc.) who have made careers of playing stupid people and have no love for the characters they essay at all.

What the viewer is left with are obnoxious and aggressive vulgarians acting like the cheapest stereotype of pet people you'd ever want to see. Offbeat for offbeat's sake is not greatness. And snide derision is not humor.

Admittedly, there were three or four clever bits, but the whole thing was so mean-spirited, it was not enjoyable to me.