Best in Show

If ever there was a world less in need of lampooning, the world of competitive dog shows is it. But that is exactly what this good natured and hilarious “mockumentary” does. With an inspired script by director Christopher Guest (the man behind cult classic “This Is Spinal Tap”) and costar Eugene Levy, the movie at once skewers the pretensions of the dog show world while maintaining a genuine affection for the curious souls (not to mention the dogs) who populate it. Centering on the fictional Mayflower Dog Show (modeled, clearly, on the Westminster Kennel Club Dog Show, which is the granddaddy of them all), “Best in Show” follows a diverse group of people (owners and dog “handlers”) as they prepare their dogs and travel to Philadelphia for the show. The characters are all slightly nuts, of course, as fanatics of any kind tend to be.

But the script sketches them so deftly that, for all their irrationality, they come across as completely believable, and even endearing. It helps immeasurably that Guest elicits pitch-perfect performances from a large cast of outstanding comic actors. Guest himself plays Harlan Pepper, a backwoodsman from Appalachia, who brings his bloodhound to the show. Levy and Catherine O’Hara are the Flecks, who plan to see “the place where they make the cream cheese” when they get to Philadelphia. Parker Posey and Michael Hitchcock are the brand name obsessed Yuppie couple whose Weimeraner is in therapy with them. And Michael McKean and John Michael Higgins are hilarious as a prototypically upscale urban gay couple. Stealing the show, perhaps, is Fred Willard as stumble mouthed dog show announcer Buck Laughlin (widely understood to be based upon real life Westminster announcer Joe Garragiola). Sample line: “It’s hard to believe that in some countries these dogs are eaten.” But it is unfair to single anyone out, since the entire cast is so darn good. Even Ed Begley, Jr. has a nice turn as a helpful hotel manager. The movie is clearly amused by these people, but it is never cruel or malicious.

Guest plays it straight, shooting the whole thing in documentary style, mixing interviews with footage of the people and the dogs in action. It is a sign of the skill with which the picture is made that it does not rely too much on the dogs themselves. In a way, dogs are too easy to have fun with, and it would have been tempting to fall back on them when a cheap laugh was needed. There are some good bits involving the canines, of course, and Guest matches his dogs and owners perfectly, but it is the humans who are absolutely the point here, and “Best in Show” gets its laughs old fashioned way, with good writing. The humor is gentle, almost understated, but sharp nevertheless. A lot of the best jokes are quick throwaways, easy to miss if you’re not paying attention. (Watch for the clocks on the wall of the Taft Hotel.) “Best in Show” rewards the attentive viewer with almost nonstop laughs, and it is nice to see a comedy that doesn’t have to resort to foul language or jokes about bodily functions. It won’t change anyone’s life, of course, but then it’s not meant to. The mockumentary genre has a very narrow focus; it is the niche genre of feature films. But Guest is a master of the style, and when done as well as “Best in Show” is, it is bound to brighten your day. (10/11/2000)