Living Vicariously Through the Canine: "Best in Show"

This is part of a recurring series in which I review some of my all-time favorite movies.




Let me commence this review with a personal admission: I am not a dog lover. I like the idea of dogs in theory, but when I am in their presence, I dissolve into a nervous wreck. There is just something about their relentlessly upbeat energy that I mistake for threatening aggression. My irrational fear of dogs is one of my many eccentricities, and that is why I relate so closely to the wacky cast of characters in Christopher Guest's Best in Show. Unlike me, the group of neurotic charmers in Best in Show have an unabashed love for all things canine-related. They live, breathe, and bleed dog. To say that these people treat their dogs like their children is an understatement. But you see, I understand their neurosis. We are all in one way or another eccentric, and that is why the movies of Christopher Guest are always so hysterically funny and endearing, all at the same time. Sure, Christopher Guest has a blast poking fun at the dog show extravaganzas and all of the people who partake in the spectacle of dog shows, but his comic aim is never mean-spirited. We laugh at the weirdness of the characters in Best in Show, but only because that weirdness is so jarringly human and sweet. The filmmakers behind the cruelly unfunny Scary Movie franchise should take note: It is possible to make a hilarious spoof without tearing people down in the process.

Guest is the King of Mockumentary, and he is responsible for some of the greatest comedies ever made. Every one of his films (A Mighty Wind and Waiting for Guffman to name a couple) are brilliant delights. Best in Show, though, is his best. The laughs come faster than a Usain Bolt sprint. The aforementioned cast of characters are portrayed by an all-star cavalcade of Chris Guest regulars. Catherine O'Hara is a promiscuous owner of a Norwich terrier named Winky. O'Hara's husband is played by Eugene Levy (who co-wrote the flawless screenplay with Guest). Levy's performance as a socially awkward, loyal husband who literally has two left feet is simply priceless. O'Hara and Levy have a tremendous rapport that produces enormous laughs. The same can be said of Parker Posey and Michael Hitchcock, who gleefully portray a pompous rich couple worried that their dog has been emotionally scarred after the dog witnessed them having sex. Michael McKean and John Michael Higgins are also magnificent as the gay couple who are proud owners of their Shih Tzu. Jennifer Coolidge, Bob Balaban, Jane Lynch, and Jim Piddock all bring the funny in supporting roles. The biggest laughs of the movie, however, come courtesy of the great Fred Willard. Willard, who improvised all of his dialogue, is a comedic genius who should have received an Oscar nomination for his uproarious performance as a clueless Best in Show television commentator who knows absolutely nothing about dogs.

My review does not do the movie justice. Best in Show is so funny that it has the capability to eradicate international conflict and initiate world peace. You should go see it right now. In fact, what are you doing reading this review? Best in Show is the type of comedy that demands to be seen. It is also the type of comedy with a winning heart. There is not a mean-spirited second in the 90-minutes that constitute Best in Show. At its core, this movie, like all of Mr. Guest's mockumentaries, is a celebration of eccentricity. Thus, watching Best in Show is a cathartic experience, a soothing exercise that makes us learn to appreciate our own oddities. And did I mention that it's funny?