The Worst Film Ever

Brilliant and touching

The performances transcend the film's tropes, grounding it in characters that feel more complete than this subgenre often produces.

I enjoyed watching this film and would recommend other to give it a try , (as I am) but this movie, although enjoyable to watch due to the better than average acting fails to add anything new to its storyline that is all too familiar to these types of movies.

More than 18 years after its theatrical release, Best in Show remains one of the top 20 classic "Mockumentary films" of our age. The current IMDB user rating of 7.5 clearly contradicts how passionately film fans love and adore this movie. Christopher Guest is a remarkable film maker, not only as a gifted writer (former SNL) and director (Best In Show, This Is Spinal Tap, Waiting For Guffman, Mighty Wind, Mascots, etc.), but also for his spectacular ability to select and retain the kind of acting talent necessary to pull off fast paced films like this. With only a mere 16 pages of actual script, the bulk of the film is hilariously improvised by some of the best comedic talent in the industry. That's saying quite a lot, given the plethora of versatile actors in the theatrical selection pool. Guest is no slouch himself in the acting and improv departments. His entire appearance and accent changes with each film, from "Heavy Metal Rock God" to "Red Neck Camper." Sometimes Guest is almost unrecognizable in his own films. Best In Show was edited down from more than 60 hours of filming. The end result is a worthy and extremely funny look at people who breed and competitively "show" some of the most pampered and well groomed dogs in the world. The magnificent cast runs wild with line after line of beautifully executed improvisation, and it's difficult to say who makes us laugh (or cringe in some wonderfully awkward scenes) the most often. In any case, the camera rolls on. My only complaint with Mr Guest is that he does not produce more of these. Note to Ms. Jaime Lee Curtis (AKA Mrs.Guest) if you are reading this please ask Chris if he's up for another Mockumentary saga, any subject. I'm certain that no matter what he ultimately decides to write and direct will always be well received by fans and newbies alike.

This is Spinal Tap (1984) is in my humble opinion perhaps the greatest comedy film ever made. By making it so good, its creators simply set the bar so high, no one else – themselves included – have subsequently ever been capable of reaching its heights ever again. So it's not really much of a criticism in pointing out that Best in Show is not as good as Spinal Tap. It is a satire on the kind of people who participate in championship dog breeding. The events revolve around a gathering called the Mayflower Kennel Club Dog Show. There isn't really too much of a plot-line here, it's very much a character-driven comedy. It works because the actors in the ensemble cast are all adept at improvised comedy, so it's a film full of little moments rather than a major story arc.Spinal Tap's Christopher Guest directs as well as acts in this one. He certainly has a feel for the mockumentary genre and has contributed to many of the best ones out there. I would probably describe Best in Show as amusing rather than hilarious though. There are a few laugh-out-loud funny moments though, such as the scene revealing the man with two left feet; while virtually every line uttered by the TV commentator played by the excellent Fred Willard is comedy gold. Truthfully, mixed in with the best material are some more strained jokes. However, as a whole, it works pretty well and the talented cast elevate the material when it falters on occasion. All-in-all, a solidly enjoyable movie.

There are plenty of laugh-out-loud moments, but it's the finely observed character studies that make this gentle mockumentary by Christopher Guest so enjoyable. Guest, along with co-writer Eugene Levy, populates the world of dog shows with identifiable people and while they often draw caricatures (particularly a married couple, played by Michael Hitchcock and Parker Posey, who project their fears, hostilities and parenting efforts upon their Weimariner; and Michael McKean and John Michael Higgins as an over-the-top gay couple), the ensemble has such affection for the characters you're happy to accept them for who they are. This is because the improvisational aspect of the dialog makes everyone seem real; you feel as if you know and sympathize with them as they struggle to succeed, as in the case of Levy and the sublime Catherine O'Hara, playing a couple who find they can't afford a hotel room and are put up in a utility closet by the well-meaning hotel manager (wonderfully played by Ed Begley, Jr.). Even those meant to be identified as "villians" (dog handler Jane Lynch and owner Jennifer Coolidge) understand their characters so well it's impossible not to like them. The film is immensely entertaining and seems to fly by, so much so that it belies its reasonable ninety minute run time.

Contestants bring their pets to compete in a national dog show in Philadelphia. This mock documentary gets off to a slow start, as the early scenes are not particularly funny and it feels like a real documentary rather than a spoof. However, the establishment of a documentary tone is actually a setup for laughs that come later in the film. Guest shows that he learned a few things about making mocumentaries from his starring role in "This is Spinal Tap." While this is not as funny as that Rob Reiner film, it is a lot of fun. The cast is composed of a host of familiar faces and they all deliver deadpan performances. Willard is especially funny.