Waiting for Guffman

Debut: 1994
Director: Christopher Guest
Starring: Christopher Guest, Catherine O'Hara, Eugene Levy, Fred Willard

Oh man, do I ever love Christopher Guest movies, and somehow had never seen this one. I'm going to go ahead and say... AMAZING.

I've heard criticisms about the fact that all of his movies are the same basic plot - a bunch of not-so-talented people getting their hopes up for some award or whatever. But if anyone can make the same movie over and over and make it genius every time, well that man deserves an award.

Waiting for Guffman is about a small town in Missouri - Blaine - which has a sesquicentennial coming up (which you small town folks surely know what kind of a big deal that would be). The resident actor / director/ former-off-Broadway "star" decides to write a musical about Blaine's history - which includes being founded by someone who had thought they were in California but refused to tell his camp otherwise.

The story is adorable, and the actors are at their best. I think the best part is the dinner scene where they discussion Fred Willard's character's "penis de-largement".... it's pretty good.

If you like Best in Show or any of the other Christopher Guest movies, you'll love this one too!