User reviews

Upon watching merely a few minutes of this, I realized it reminded me a lot of "Best in Show," and after doing some research, I was rewarded with the fact that I was correct in assuming this, as both films were directed by Christopher Guest (not to mention that almost the entire principal cast was the same as well). In both films, the real-life actors are interviewed as their characters about certain events/occurrences, which makes them feel as if they are documentaries, and not actual films.

Christopher Guest stars as Corky St. Clair, a Broadway musical director who visits the small town of Blaine (Missouri), and makes plans to put together an original musical in the hopes of attracting the attentions of Broadway producers, and landing himself back on the Great White Way. Corky casts some local townspeople in the show (Catherine O'Hara, Fred Willard, Eugene Levy, Parker Posey). O'Hara and Willard play a married couple with years of theater experience under their belts, Levy plays the town dentist, and Posey plays a young Dairy Queen employee (both of them are newcomers to the acting scene).

One of the rather subtle jokes in this film, is the mention of Corky's wife. Throughout the film, some of the other actors mention that they have heard he has a wife, but have never met/seen her. This proves to be a solid joke, as Guest portrays Corky as incredibly flamboyant, and the audience is left to wonder whether Corky really even has a wife, or if she is just a product of his imagination.

I enjoyed this one. I am a fan of basically everyone in the cast; they all are funny in their own ways. I would have to say that I am more familiar with Catherine O'Hara and Eugene Levy than some of the others, simply because I used to watch them on SCTV, and on their newer TV show, "Schitt's Creek." Also, I would like to add that I would pay money to see their original musical; from what I saw, I enjoyed.

This is the first of several films that Christopher Guest and his friends have made using a very unusual style. Instead of a clearly defined script, some very talented actors (such as Eugene Levy, Catherine O'Hara, Fred Willard and others) took a script idea and improvised throughout. The film was then created using the best bits and I can honestly say that there is nothing like this film. While some of the jokes are very, very dry and occasionally fall flat, there is a subtle charm and wit to the film as you follow a group of 3rd rate local actors who have insane visions of Broadway.

The film is ostensibly about a very local stage production about the founding of some small town. While these sort of pageants have been ubiquitous in small town America, this one is unique because supposedly a guy by the name of Guffman is coming to town and plans two see it. Guffman, it seems, is from Broadway and the cast has the temerity to believe that maybe they'll impress him so much that they'll become major stars. Considering the quality of the acting is well below that of an average high school production, this is very absurd. Yet, although ridiculous, there is a certain something in many of these people that is very likable so there is some depth to the film--you aren't just laughing at yokels who have ridiculous aspirations.

I thoroughly enjoyed the film and think that people who like their humor subtle and perhaps a bit painful will enjoy this film. People who prefer broad comedy probably won't enjoy this very much.

The current climate of cinematic comedy is comparable, to an extent, to the trend in horror: everything is geared toward pull-out-all-stops excess that is more disgusting than entertaining. We should thank our lucky stars for Christopher Guest, a consistently surprising filmmaker (he directed "Best in Show" and wrote "This is Spinal Tap") who makes 'mockumentaries' that play like actual documentaries. "Waiting for Guffman" follows Corky St. Clair (Guest), a flamboyant stage director who gathers a group of 'eclectic' locals (a cross-eyed dentist; a husband-and-wife travel agent team; a Dairy Queen employee) for a production about the sleepy town in which they live (its claim to fame being home of the footstool). There is a hilarious authenticity to the behind-the-scenes footage, but the film never laughs at its subjects--as viewers, we share Corky's (admittedly delusional) passion with bittersweet good humor. The supporting cast--consisting of Guest regulars Eugene Levy, Catherine O'Hara, Parker Posey, Fred Willard, Bob Balaban, and Larry Miller--is in top form here. "Waiting for Guffman" is a quiet comedy gem about a dull, quiet town. And it's also ridiculously rated "R" for two quick instances of F-word usage (way to call it, MPAA!).

I'm not sure why I waited to so long to see this film as I've known about it for quite some time now, but it was purely delightful. I spent the weekend catching up on my Christopher Guest films, and watched `A Mighty Wind' then `Best in Show' and saved Guffman for last. While I still thought `A Mighty Wind' was better, (in the same way that Sprite is better than 7-Up… there's really no difference, just maybe an iota of something indescribable that is better) `Waiting for Guffman' is still huddled in there with `Best in Show' as a fantastic film.

One thing that I noticed about `Guffman' over the others is that while all of his films have a little heart to them, this film had just a little bit more. I can also see that Guest, while having more of an acting role in this film, went on to lessen his roles substantially, but he really is a good actor. All of the actors show immense versatility, (especially Catherine O'Hara, whose hair in this film made me laugh constantly) but Guest actually surprised me. The fact that the films are primarily ad-libbed is most impressive in `Guffman' in my opinion, and the direction, while very subtle in all of the films, does not rely on editing to lead (or sometimes, create) a gag as much as his later films do.

All of Guest's films are fairly short (clocking in at 90 minutes or less) so I would suggest that if you haven't seen any or all of his mockumentaries, to just schedule a film festival with some friends and watch them in order. It's fun to compare them, and to watch the same actors take on different personas, and `Waiting for Guffman' is a strong and hilarious piece of work.

--Shelly

Waiting for Guffman is hilarious and it still holds up after several repeat viewings. The characters are all incredibly funny, the actors playing them are perfectly cast and incredible in their (hilarious) roles, and the script is simple but so very entertaining. It also has heart and you feel for the characters, but mostly it's just plain funny. I'd say it's not quite as funny as Spinal Tap but it's a better movie, if that makes sense. More heart and drama. I highly recommend this movie (and Spinal Tap too).

Without exaggeration, I can tell you that I've seen this movie at least 30 times. And I always find something new about it. For instance, in Ron & Sheila's audition with their treatment of "Midnight At The Oasis", it took me about 10 viewings til I noticed that Sheila is mouthing the words to Ron because of his problems remembering his lines.

I really don't know where to begin listing my favorite things about this movie - Ron's "medical reason" for his sole trip outside of Blaine, Dr. Pearl's Carson impressions, Sheila's "less-is-more" acting approach, Corky's tantrums ("I hate you, and I hate your ass face!"), Libba Mae's description of her job at Dairy Queen, councilman Steve Stark admiration for Corky ("GOD, I wish I was in the show"), there is not a wasted moment in this film. It's stupid of me to try to list them here.

The extras on the DVD feature a ton of scenes that weren't in the movie. There's some additional Corky items in his memorabilia collection, including towels from "Hamlet On Ice", alternate epilogues for both Ron & Sheila and also Dr. Pearl, a scene of Corky driving around town telling people they made the cast, a nutty scene of Ron's whiffle-ball reenactment of Bill Mazeroski's famous home-run, dinner at Johnny Savage's house, and extra stuff from the musical - "Nothing Ever Happens In Blaine", "This Bulging River" and also a whacked-out White House scene. But the piece de resistance of the deleted scenes is Libby Mae's other audition piece which is so subtly twisted that you just need to see it yourself.

It's debatable whether this movie is outright cruel in making fun of small townsfolk & community theater types. But the more I watch it and get into it, I think that everybody in the movie has a strong amount of affection for their characters. I don't know; you watch it 30 times and tell me what you think.

Sometimes dry, sometimes bubbling satire of middle America chronicles Corky Corkoran's (Guest) efforts to put on a spectacle commemorating the town of Blaine's 150th anniversary. Told in "mockumentary" style like most of Guest's films. Corky drafts an odd assortment of local talent to bring his historical revue to life, including the local dentist (Levy) and travel agent couple (O'Hara and Willard). Like "Spinal Tap", this film mercilessly spoofs the "artistic" pretentions of Corky and his cast, but the audience ends up feeling genuine affection for the characters, the provincial backwater of Blaine, and even Corky's awful show with laughable music and acting. Guest's performance, as well as several of the others, is very funny and memorable.

A likeable comedy that some audiences may find too slow... much funnier than his later (and more popular) "Best of Show".

"Waiting for Guffman" may just be that rare thing: the perfect comedy.

It's brilliantly (and I don't use that word lightly) written and acted. I think it would be easy to dismiss the talent that went into this film, because it looks so effortless on screen, but you would have to be a wonderful actor to make material this subtle and dead pan work as well as it does here.

"Guffman" is better than any of the follow up films Christopher Guest and his recurrent ensemble have made since because it doesn't stretch itself too thin. Guest focuses on a handful of main characters, and all of his other players get much smaller but no less hysterical roles to play. This is in sharp contrast to his most recent movie, "For Your Consideration," in which he tries to give everyone equal screen time with the results being that everyone gets short changed.

I grew up in a tiny town of 500 people in rural Illinois, and I remember our town celebrating its bicentennial. We even had a little pageant full of skits (I had a part in it myself). And I have to say that it was EXACTLY like this movie. The actors don't even have to exaggerate much to capture that feeling of small-town folks who take themselves and their little village ultra-seriously.

Councilman/Pharmacist: "Corky, our budget for the entire year is $50,000, and that includes swimming." Corky: "Well, I don't have any swimming in my show."

I'm sorry, but if you can't understand why an exchange like that is funny, I can't help you.

Grade: A+

This one came after Spinal Tap.... one of chris guest's homegrown films. Subtle, ironic humor, mostly improv. Guest is Corky St. Clair, director of the Blaine Community theater group. Everyone is so full of themselves, and the group is overly proud as well, putting on a small time show. But they are so full of themselves that they think it's going to be a huge successful show, going to broadway. Gene Levy is the dentist, Parker Posey works at the DQ, Fred Willard and Cathy Ohara are the plain folk, married couple. Bob Balaban is the (bitter) high school music teacher, who had directed the shows before Corky showed up! Lots of fun, low key humor. The towns folk are funny, without trying to be. And above all, the importance of stools.

"Ostensibly posing as a documentary interviewing Blaine's manifold townsfolk, from city councilors, UFO experts, to those involved in the musical production, WAITING FOR GUFFMAN is also a jewel of improvisation, the majority of its hilarious lines, dialogue and personal interactions is ad-libbed (though Guest and Eugene Levy nominally take the credits as the scenarists), and delightfully, each member of Guest's stock company is gung-ho to contribute their own laugh lines into the fold, and the entire film is washed with uncynical ironies, from a pair of travel agents who has never ventured out of the town (save for a sexual organ reduction surgery, no less!), to the town's geography-challenged founding father, the much plugged stool manufacture (and those who can perform and utter it with a perfect serious face), not to mention the UFO abduction anecdote, a self-claimed abductee (Dooley) recounts that he has been multiply probed."

read my full review on my blog: cinema omnivore, thanks

A drama teacher with big dreams of Broadway is tasked with putting on the 150th celebration of Blaine, Missouri. It's the kind of middle-American community we've seen before, and Christopher Guest mines the eccentric humor in every last proud citizen. Case in point, the mayor:

"There's a saying in Missouri, if you don't like the weather just wait five minutes. In Blaine, with hard work, I think we can get that down to three or four minutes."

As with any of Guest's movies, the ensemble cast is exceptional (and yet, somehow, Parker Posey is always the show-stealer for me) and the movie strikes just the right balance of mocking and affectionate. There's just too much Leslie Knope in these people and it makes for a very funny movie.

Just as funny now, if not funnier, than when I saw it in the theater in 1996.

You have to see it for yourself to find out where you stand on this film, which is less a musical and more a, well, mocksical. It's the story of an aspiring director played by Christopher Guest, who also directed the film) and the marginally talented amateur performers in the cast of a musical production being staged in a goofy small town in Missouri. When it's said that someone from Broadway will be in the audience, the troupe goes nuts. Also in the cast are Fred Willard, Eugene Levy, and the always hilarious Catherine O'Hara.

While respecting and enjoying the work of everyone involved, I still felt underwhelmed by this experiment in satire. Christopher Guest and his cohorts created a dead-on spoof of small-town Middle-American earnestness and delusion, but the format was perhaps too loose and too unscripted to hold together as a film, for my tastes at least. It would have made for a great 30 minute short, but at 84 minutes it felt interminable: like one of those Saturday Night Live skits that starts out funny and on the mark, but doesn't know when to quit.

Face it, between Best in Show and Waiting for Guffman, Christopher Guest leaves no doubt, that he alone ,is the greatest mockumentary film maker of all-time. Which film is better? Good luck with that one. Even though I have seen both of them in the past, I just watched both of them again. And could watch them, both,again. Just wanted to add my two cents.

Civic pride and the desire to perform bring an eclectic group of people together in the mock documentary, or `mockumentary,' `Waiting for Guffman,' directed by Christopher Guest. As he did with his more recent outing, `Best In Show,' Guest uses his satirical format to tell the story of the good people of Blaine, Mo., who are planning a celebration to commemorate the sesquicentennial of their fair town, the highlight of which will be a play depicting the history of Blaine. And how fortunate they are, as the celebrated director Corky St. Clair (Guest), who has had some close encounters with Broadway, has recently settled down in Blaine and has agreed to undertake the monumental task of directing the play, which he decides to present as a musical. He has the High School band/music teacher, Lloyd Miller (Bob Balaban) to provide the music; now all he has to do is assemble his cast. So he posts an announcement for auditions, and with that, the action begins.

St. Clair has a grand vision of what his musical will be, and once rehearsals begin and he realizes just how good it is, he contacts some people he knows from his brush with the Great White Way, who agree to send a representative, Guffman, to see the show. St. Clair, of course, is walking on air, as he sees this as a chance at the big time; he's convinced they're going all the way to Broadway with this one. And on the night of the show, anticipation runs high as St. Clair and the members of the cast wait for Guffman to arrive. They've even reserved a folding chair in the front row for him, and as the curtain goes up, they hold their breath awaiting the first glimpse of The Man himself.

Guest takes you through the whole process, from the auditions to the final show, and through interviews you get to know the townsfolk and their feelings about living in Blaine and their thoughts on the sesquicentennial and St. Clair's elaborate musical. And as you meet these people, I guarantee you're going to run into more than a few from your own experience; and anyone who's ever had anything to do with community theater on any level, is definitely going to be able to identify with the characters and situations presented here. Written by Guest and Eugene Levy, the screenplay is rife with insight into human nature on a level with anything ever written by Thackeray or Twain. The humor is dry and subtle; never forced, it evolves totally from the characters and the situations Guest and Levy have created. And, as David Byrne did with `True Stories,' they play up the humor of every day life in a small town without ever making fun or maligning it in any way; there are no `cheap shots' employed just for the sake of a laugh. It's all delivered good-naturedly and with taste. If they seem to be laughing at anyone, rest assured, it's themselves above all.

Among those involved in bringing this piece of Americana to life are Fred Willard as Ron Albertson, and Catherine O'Hara as his wife, Sheila, who together run a local travel agency, but are entertainers at heart and jump at the chance to perform in St. Clair's musical; Parker Posey as Libby Mae Brown, who hopes to leave her job at the Dairy Queen behind when the show moves to Broadway; Eugene Levy as Dr. Allan Pearl, a dentist with a latent desire to perform who finally gets his chance with St. Clair; and Matt Keeslar as Johnny Savage, the mechanic who never realized where he real talents lay until St. Clair came along, and winds up on the stage, much to the chagrin of his dubious father, Red, played by Brian Doyle-Murray. The performances by one and all are first rate, and it gives that necessary sense of realism to the film that really makes it work; these are not actors you're watching, but real people in a very real town.

The supporting cast includes Don Lake (Blaine Historian Phil Burgess), Paul Dooley (UFO Abductee), Linda Kash (Mrs. Pearl), Miriam Flynn (Costume Dresser), Jill Parker-Jones (Stage Manager), Larry Miller (Glen Welsch, Mayor), Deborah Theaker (Gwen Fabin-Blunt, Councilwoman), Michael Hitchcock (Steve Stark, Councilman) and Scott Williamson (Tucker Livingston, Councilman). Alfred Hitchcock may be the Master of Suspense, but with `Waiting for Guffman,' Christopher Guest proves beyond the shadow of a doubt that he is the Master of the `Mockumentary.' He has an eye for detail and an innate sense of what makes people tick, and he fills his film with all the nuance and quirks of life that can be found every day in any small town or metropolis across the country. With this film he holds up the mirror and says, `Go ahead, take a look,' and it gives you a chance to let your hair down and perhaps realize that everything isn't quite as serious as it seems sometimes; a chance to laugh at yourself and the guy next to you, with nothing but the best intentions, while affording you the opportunity of just having some good, old fashioned fun. And that's the magic of the movies. I rate this one 9/10.

I might be preaching to the choir as I write a review for this movie, so I will skip my praises. I think it is worth mentioning that this is a movie I can re-watch once or twice a year and still enjoy. That is a special quality that most movies don't have.

Rarely have I laughed so hard at a movie. It was good to see so many of the second city crowd again.. Christopher Guest is a master of understated humor. Several scenes were so funny I almost wet myself- the scene in the restaurant talking about a penis reduction and the play and the thought that travel agents never travel and don't see that as unbeneficial for their clients... oh, well- Most of all, the artifacts in the store at the end are a hoot- A "my dinner with Andre Action Set-" is the epitome of effete humor. This movie is wonderful for the snits the music director has and for the ambitions of these amateur actors. Rent it today!

My stomach hurts from laughing - all Christopher Guest films are brilliant and this much like A Mighty Wind just hangs out waiting for discovery and thoroughly painfully funny. Pure enjoyment if you appreciate this kind of humor and it's baffling that some don't but I've seen those who don't. ??? No spoilers to say as usual the final performance of whatever it took to get there is always stellar. There's a scene in this that hurts I laugh so hard... when the cast is rehearsing the "stool" sing and dance number and just sort of out of sync, so much so that the music director's face as he witnesses the unpreparedness frozen with this glare of horror and panic, then Corky's "why are you whispering..?" to his final retort of unreasonable reasoning that says to learn it means you can forget it. It hurt my stomach muscles. And O'Hara can play any role with a subtlety that absolutely nails it. The Chinese Restaurant and her sudden candor with the newly acquainted couple (husband's "Can we get some coffee over here..." I can enjoy Christopher Guest's alternative realism many times over. Because it is after all a movie.... Great fun.

'Waiting for Guffman', while lacking the expansive detail of the seminal 'This is Spinal Tap', is still a worthy addition to Guest's filmography. The story, as ever, is really quite irrelevant, as the pleasure to be had from these films is in meeting the characters that the actors forge from intensive improvisation. What never ceases to amaze is that these 'improvised' characters have more depth, subtlety and believability than the large majority of traditionally crafted and scripted characters. Equally as impressive is the refusal to turn any character into an object of derision. For all their seeming vacuous vanity and ego driven foibles, these are essentially good people. The entire movie is infused with a benign joy and heartfelt warmth that is irresistible.

As others have said, the highlight of the movie is a scene that can only be seen in the DVD extras – Libby Mae Brown's audition monologue – an incredibly well written and executed performance that reveals more about her character and Posie's talent than many award winning turns.

As ever, the musical numbers by 'Taps' Guest, McKean and Shearer are brilliant – catchy and witty and performed just on the right side of endearing amateurishness.

An excellent movie, that compensates for the lack of laugh-out-loud moments with well crafted, beautifully realized characters, and inspired songs.

Christopher Guest is a genius. All the actors are geniuses. Catherine O'Hara? Eugene Levy? Parker Posey? I mean. All of them. Guest sets the stage and tone but these lines are IMPROVISED. Improvised. Can you imagine??

An aside: The 7.4 rating here is a mirror image of the 32.6 percent of American MAGA dummies who vote Republican against their own bests interests because they understand nothing about comedy, the economy, or policy. This 32.6 will usher in the fascist end, likely in our lifetimes, unfortunately, but for sure the rest of us will laugh and laugh at Christopher Guest films, until they lock us up.

This film is perfect. 100%. No notes.

Hilarious film. Especially if you are a "theatre" or "drama" person

because no doubt you and everyone you know has seen it a

hundred times. Who could forget classic lines like:

"Just say a line, that's what I like to do. Even if it's from another

show."- The Fred Willard character.

Definite "cast party" material-

Hilarious!

Maybe it's just my history with the theater community, but Waiting for Guffman really resonates with me. Christopher Guest as Corky St. Clair is the shining star in this number, but the entire cast is amazing, as each character is so earnest, yet so clueless. It's also very impressive how an improvised script can create such quotable moments. For me, this mockumentary is a Zen thing, like how many babies fit in a tire...

An aspiring director (Christopher Guest) and the marginally talented amateur cast of a hokey small-town Missouri musical production go overboard when they learn that someone from Broadway will be in attendance.

Despite the incredibly cast (especially Parker Posey), this is not a film people usually talk about. In the same vein and from some of the same people, you hear a lot about "Spinal tap" and to a lesser extent "Best in Show". How did this one quietly fade away? I guess Meryl Streep loves it, so that's good.

This film seems like the precursor to "Parks and Rec". Not the first fake documentary, but the focus on a small town and its inhabitants seems familiar. Even more than "The Office", this seems to have the elements that made "Parks and Rec" great.

This Christopher Guest film has the potential to be incredibly funny considering it's about a small midwestern town's historic festival drama production. The characters are iconoclastic emblems of small town life, who find leadership in a neurotic off-off-off... Broadway director turned high school drama teacher, Corky.

But soon the movie plays out like a bad pbs documentary. The intended humor is just that, intended, but so contrived it's stale, like a day old loaf of French bread. The town of Blaine places its salvation in Corky's hands as he plans on making his return to off-off-off... Broadway with. How? Guffman (to say more would give away the plot).

About the only saving grace of this movie is the humourous tension between the high school music director, Lloyd Miller, a control-freak of short stature, and Corky, the closet-gay "drama queen."

If you want to see a funny Christopher Guest film, rent Best in Show, or go see Might Wind. Definitely pass on this train wreck of a mockumentary.