Only a Dog Lover Could Really Love "Best in Show" - A Mockumentary

By Ed Bagley

Best in Show – 2 Stars (Average)

Director Christopher Guest teamed with Eugene Levy as writers for "Best in Show" that looks at the funnier side of the legendary Westminster Kennel Club's annual competition, otherwise known as a prestigious dog show.

Premiere voted the result as one of "The 50 Greatest Comedies of All Time" in 2006. Premiere, an American and New York City-based film magazine, was published from 1987 to 2007 before becoming an online-only publication.

Best in Show uses a camera crew to follow the foibles and fortunes of the owners (and handlers) of five show dogs headed for the annual Mayflower Kennel Club Dog Show in Philadelphia.

Traveling from Florida is Cookie Fleck (Catherine O'Hara) and Gerry Fleck (played by film writer Eugene Levy). Gerry literally has two left feet and Cookie apparently bedded hundreds of men on her way to marrying Gerry.

She meets many of her former lovers in the film, aggravating her bumpkin husband to no end. Cookie was "hot" and apparently very available.

Coming from North Carolina is Harlan Pepper (played by director and writer Christopher Guest, the real-life husband of Jamie Lee Curtis, a marriage that has lasted since 1984). Pepper owns a fly-fishing shop and is enamored with his Bloodhound "Hubert".

Shari Cabot (Jennifer Coolidge) is a voluptuous, wealthy blond bimbo and gold-digger married to Leslie Cabot (Patrick Cranshaw). Shari owns Rhapsody in White, a perfectly manicured poodle who is the two-time defending Best in Show champion.

Her husband Leslie says not a word in the film, appears dead, embalmed and strapped to a wheelchair. Shari is not only enamored with her poodle but also with her handler Christy Cummings (Jane Lynch). Christy and Shari are in more heat than any masculine, healthy dog could muster.

Coming from who knows where with their entry are Stefan Vanderhoof (Michael McKean) and Scott Donlan (John Michael Higgins), an outgoing, outrageous, stereotypical gay couple.

These four entrants are joined by Meg Swan (Parker Posey) and Hamilton Swan (Michael Hitchcock). The Swans are anything but graceful, quiet and beautiful to be around.

They are DINKs (double income, no kids) who constantly scream at each other throughout the film, raising their invective to an art form. Meg and Hamilton are so up tight it is a wonder they can even relieve themselves at appropriate times.

Despite being a comedy, the behavior of the Swans in Best of Show is so well done and lifelike that their tirade ceases to be funny and becomes disturbing. Neither Posey or Hitchcock received an acting award for their performances, but I could not fault them for their effort.

Two more notable performances in this film come from Buck Laughlin (Fred Willard) as the "color commentator" at the prestigious competition, and from Mark Schaefer (Ed Begley, Jr., almost my namesake) as manager of the Taft Hotel that put up with the dog show owners in Philly.

Fred Willard's commentary in this film lives on; it is used occasionally by sports talk radio hosts Groz and Gas as a humor segment on the most popular sports talk station in the country, KJR 950 in Seattle.

Despite its rating as one of The 50 Greatest Comedies of All Time by Premiere magazine, Best in Show comes up short on the awards end. It earned a Golden Globe nomination as Best Comedy and a few lesser awards.

Best in Show earned only $16 million at the box office, perhaps because of its slow start. It opened the 1st week at only 13 theaters nationally, moved to 53 theaters its 2nd week, 291 its 3rd week and finally broke though with 497 theaters its 4th week, topping $2 million before dying off after 12 weeks.

Best in Show is referred to as a "mockumentary", a word that does not appear in The New Oxford American Dictionary (my personal word bible). One might call Best in Show a parody of a documentary with humor as the centerpiece. It is good for some laughs.

Ed Bagley is the Author of Ed Bagley's Blog which he Publishes with Original Articles on Current and Past Events with Analysis and Commentary on Movie Reviews, Sports, Lessons in Life, News and Comment, Jobs and Careers, and Internet Marketing that are intended to Delight, Inform, Educate and Motivate You the Reader. Visit Ed at . . .
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