Best in Show (2000)

Director:

Christopher Guest

Writers (WGA):

Christopher Guest (written by) &
Eugene Levy (written by)

Release Date:

1 March 2001 (Germany)

Genre:

Comedy

Tagline:

Some pets deserve a little more respect than others.

Plot:

A colorful array of characters competes at a national dog show.

Plot Keywords:

Dog | Dog Show | Florida | Hotel | Ventriloquist

Awards:

Nominated for Golden Globe. Another 10 wins & 10 nominations

Cast

Jay Brazeau	...	Dr. Chuck Nelken
Parker Posey	...	Meg Swan
Michael Hitchcock	...	Hamilton Swan
Catherine O'Hara	...	Cookie Fleck
Eugene Levy	...	Gerry Fleck
Carrie Aizley	...	Fern City Show Spectator
Lewis Arquette	...	Fern City Show Spectator
Dany Canino	...	Fern City Show Judge
Bob Balaban	...	Dr. Theodore W. Millbank, III
Will Sasso	...	Fishin' Hole Guy
Stephen E. Miller	...	Fishin' Hole Guy
Christopher Guest	...	Harlan Pepper
Michael McKean	...	Stefan Vanderhoof
John Michael Higgins	...	Scott Donlan
Colin Cunningham	...	New York Butcher

Also Known As:

Dog Show (USA) (working title)
Dogumentary (USA) (working title)

MPAA:

Rated PG-13 for language and sex-related material.

Runtime:

90 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

DTS | Dolby Digital | SDDS

Certification:

Singapore:NC-16 | Finland:K-11 | South Korea:15 | Canada:PG (Canadian Home Video rating) | USA:PG-13 (No. 37689) | Greece:K | Argentina:13 | Australia:PG | France:U | Germany:12 (bw) | New Zealand:PG | Spain:T | UK:12 | Iceland:L

Filming Locations:

Aldergrove, British Columbia, Canada

Company:

Castle Rock Entertainment

Trivia:

Fred Willard's character Buck Laughlin was based on baseball legend Joe Garagiola, who had co-hosted the Westminster Kennel Club dog show in years past, to similar effect.

Goofs:

Revealing mistakes: As the judge nears Hamilton's dog for a closer inspection, "Beatrice" suddenly barks and lunges at her. If you look closely you can see the judges hand closed tightly as she hold the treats used as incentive for the dog to pursue her.

Quotes:

Harlan Pepper: I used to be able to name every nut that there was. And it used to drive my mother crazy, because she used to say, "Harlan Pepper, if you don't stop naming nuts," and the joke was that we lived in Pine Nut, and I think that's what put it in my mind at that point...

Movie Connections:

Referenced in Film Geek (2005)

Soundtrack:

March Of The Mayflower

Sit, Stay, and Enjoy!

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!