Best in Show (film)

· Introduction

Best in Show could be a 2000 yank mockumentary comedy film co-written by St. Christopher Guest and Eugene Levy and directed by Guest. The film follows five entrants in a prestigious dog show, and focuses on the slightly surreal interactions among the various owners and handlers, as they travel to the show and then compete during the show. There are short depictions of the characters six months when the show is over. Among the comedic aspects of the film are similarities between the personalities and characteristics of the owners and those of their dogs. Much of the dialogue was improvised. Many of the comic actors were also involved in Guest's other films, including Waiting for Guffman, A Mighty Wind, For Your Consideration, and Mascots. The film's score was composed by C. J. Vanston.

· Plot

Best in Show is given as a documentary of 5 dogs and their homeowners destined to indicate within the Mayflower Kennel Club show, control in metropolis. Segments of the documentary continuously cycle among owners and handlers as each prepares to leave for the show, arrives at the hotel, prepares backstage, handles their dog's performance, and appears in a post-show follow-up. The owners and their dogs include:

Gerry and Cookie Fleck (Eugene Levy, Catherine O'Hara), with their Norwich Terrier Winky -

A lower-middle-class couple from Florida, World Health Organization run into financial issues and ar forced to sleep within the hotel's room once they finally arrive. Throughout the film, they encounter men Cookie has slept with during her youth.

Meg and Hamilton Swan (Parker Posey, archangel Hitchcock), with their Weimaraner Beatrice -

An upper-class, stereotypical yuppie couple from Chicago, they think they are taking great care of Beatrice (although really they are just confusing and upsetting her with their neurotic behavior), going as so much as taking her to a expert when she sees large integer and Hamilton make love. At the show, the Swans believe that character can become afraid while not her favorite toy, the "Busy Bee", and frantically search for a replacement for it before the show.

Harlan Pepper (Christopher Guest) and his hound Hubert -

The owner of a fishing goods store and an aspiring ventriloquist. An affable man who prides himself on being able to name nuts, Pepper's family has raised a variety of hounds for generations, and Harlan continues the tradition by raising bloodhounds.

Sherri Ann and Leslie Ward Cabot (Jennifer Coolidge, St. Patrick Cranshaw) with their poodle dog heroic poem in White (a.k.a. Butch) -

A two-time past winner of the show. Sherri Ann is a trophy wife to the elderly Leslie, her sugar daddy. They are assisted by trainer Christy Cummings (Jane Lynch) who makes sure the dog is truly ready for the show, while Sherri Ann fixates on giving Christy a makeover and Leslie remains utterly oblivious. Over the course of the film, Sherri Ann and Leslie's sham marriage and Sherri Ann and Christy's romantic involvement becomes apparent.

Scott Donlan and Stefan Vanderhoof (John archangel Higgins, Michael McKean) and their Shih Tzu Miss Agnes -

A tasteless gay couple, they take great pride in their dog, and are confident that she will win the competition. They have a love of old movies, and enjoy making fun of Christy Cummings, but are friendly to the other competitors, especially the Flecks.

The homeowners and their dogs all arrive in time for the show, which is hosted by dog expert Trevor Beckwith (Jim Piddock), and oblivious "color" commentator Buck Laughlin (Fred Willard). During the primary spherical, Beatrice is disqualified when Hamilton cannot control her, but the other four dogs advance to the final round. Just before the finals, Cookie dislocates her knee and insists that Gerry take over for her. Though the audience is initially awed by seeing Gerry's "two left feet" (the result of a birth defect), ultimately Winky takes Best in Show.

· Cast

· Actors

Eugene Levy as Gerry Fleck

Catherine O'Hara as Cookie Fleck

John Michael Higgins as Scott Donlan

Michael McKean as Stefan Vanderhoof

Michael Hitchcock as Hamilton Swan

Parker Posey as Meg Swan

Jennifer Coolidge as Sherri Ann Cabot

Jane Lynch as Christy Cummings

Christopher Guest as Harlan Pepper

Larry Miller as Max Berman

Jim Piddock as Trevor Beckwith

Fred Willard as Buck Laughlin

Ed Begley Jr. as Hotel Manager

Lynda Boyd as Cabot Party Guest

Teryl Rothery as Philly AM Host

Patrick Cranshaw as Leslie Ward Cabot

Will Sasso as Dale the Fishin' Hole Guy

Bob Balaban as Dr. Theodore W. Millbank III

Don Lake as Graham Chissolm

· Reception

Best in Show received critical acclaim. The film has a 94% approval rating on Rotten Tomatoes, based on 112 reviews, with an average rating of 7.5/10. The website's important accord reads, "A fine example of writer/director/star Christopher Guest's gift for improv comedy, Best in Show boasts an appealingly quirky premise and a brilliantly talented cast".The film additionally incorporates a score of seventy eight out of a hundred on Metacritic, based on 33 critics, indicating "generally favorable revi It won American, British, and Canadian Comedy Awards. The film is range thirty eight on Bravo's "100 Funniest Movies". In 2012 Best in Show won a spot on Yahoo's list of the "100 Funniest Movies to See Before You Die".

The film opened to a weekend gross of $413,436 to 13 theatres with a median of $31,802 per theater. After opening to a total of 497 theaters, the film ended its run with a domestic total $18,715,392. With a foreign gross of $2,074,164 it brought the total gross revenue to $20,789,556.