‘Now tell me, which one of these dogs would you want to have as your wide receiver on your football team?’
Best In Show is one of those films that is critically adored but you don’t meet that many people that have actually seen it. Christopher Guest directs this sweet, faux documentary about a national dog show and the strange array of people that it attracts.
Guest starred in This Is Spinal Tap of course, still the definitive mockumentary, but it is his seasoned comedic cast that makes Best In Show a success. Catherine O’ Hara is vastly underrated as a comic actress and she is wonderful here as the slutty Cookie Fleck. Eugene Levy is understated but funny as her husband and Parker Posey gives a surprisingly restrained performance (for her). Elsewhere, Fred Willard has a lot of fun as an ignorant commentator.
I’m not sure if Best In Show deserves all the praise lavished on it over the years but it is bright and colourful and well made and the whole cast clearly have a lot of fun.
There have been a lot better comedies than Best In Show but few have as much heart and genuine affection for their characters. It embraces the weirdo’s and eccentrics in society and I must admit I was actually pretty sad when **SPOILERS** the bloodhound didn’t win.