Z At The Movies 11.22.02: Waiting For Guffman Posted by Jacob Ziegler on 11.22.2002
One of the masterminds behind This is Spinal Tap comes to the forefront with his own “mockumentary.” Come inside my emporium and find this week’s rental suggestion.
Z At the Movies: Waiting for Guffman
I apologize for the absence of a column for the last few weeks, but it is starting to be that time of year for us college students, and papers and tests have been kicking my ass for the last while. I’ll try to keep up, I promise.
Made in a documentary style, but not actually chronicling real events (called a “mockumentary”) Waiting for Guffman is undoubtedly one of the funniest movies ever made. Christopher Guest previously proved his acting and writing chops in the 1984 “rockumentary” This is Spinal Tap, but that was a group effort. Waiting for Guffman is truly Christopher Guest’s film (although he shares the writing credits with co-star Levy). A perfect example of what a “mockumentary” should be, Waiting for Guffman stands as the crowning achievement of Christopher Guest’s career.
Blaine is a small town is Missouri approaching its sesquicentennial (150-year anniversary). Corky St. Clair (Guest), the theater pro from New York, is hired to write a new play commemorating the event. Corky is obviously homosexual, although he claims he has a wife named Bonnie, although no one has ever seen her. The school music teacher, who will help with the musical portions of the play, joins Corky. They begin the hilarious casting process, featuring Libby Mae Brown (Parker Posey) singing her rendition of “teacher’s pet,” an older man enacting a scene from Raging Bullin a totally monotone voice, and the delightfully obnoxious Ron and Sheila Albertson performing “Midnight at the Oasis.” Co-writer Eugene Levy, playing the dentist Allan Pearl, also sings a short number, and delivers the hysterical monologue about why he is so funny. “I was not the class clown … but I sat next to him, and I studied him.” The cast is set, and the show is ready to begin rehearsal.
A few bumps occur in the rehearsal practice, the most serious being Corky’s absence for a few days. In the film’s best scene, Corky gets so upset with the mayor and the city council over the fact they will not give him money for the play, he says he cannot deal with them anymore because they are all “bastard people.” But the crisis is averted, and the rest goes smoothly. It goes so well that Mort Guffman, a theater representative from New York is going to come and view the show. The play goes perfectly, and the crowd loves it. One of the best decisions of the cinematographer and Guest’s part was to show the reaction shots of people in the audience, they were positively delightful.
However, anyone familiar with theater will recognize the film’s title as a take-off of the play “Waiting for Gedot,” in which two people sit around waiting for someone who never shows up. What happens in Guest’s version I will not reveal.
Christopher Guest is the funniest man in the movie, and one of the funniest men on the planet. His supporting cast is also extremely funny, able to act so seriously in situations that are so comical. Libby Mae Brown telling us that “I’ll always have a place at the Dairy Queen” as if its something to be proud of, and Allan Pearl explaining his lazy eye are the two best examples, and there are many more.
Despite the outright pathetic nature of all the characters, I could not help but love every one of them. Christopher Guest and Eugene Levy prove their brilliance as writers, and Guest proves how funny and talented he is. The cast also shows their worth, and I wonder why no big director has realized their funniness. For sheer enjoyment, Waiting for Guffman should not be missed.
Look for Waiting for Guffman in the comedy section of your local video store. Happy viewing, and good journey!
