Waiting for Guffman

1996
15
1h 24m

IMDb RATING

7.4/10

32K

YOUR RATING

POPULARITY

Play trailer2:02

An aspiring director 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.An aspiring director 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.An aspiring director 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.

Director
- Christopher Guest
Writers
- Christopher Guest
- Eugene Levy
Stars

See production info at IMDbPro

IMDb RATING

7.4/10

32K

YOUR RATING

POPULARITY

3,319

2,602

Director
- Christopher Guest
Writers
- Christopher Guest
- Eugene Levy
Stars

See production info at IMDbPro

Awards
- 2 wins & 3 nominations total

Videos1

Trailer 2:02

Waiting for Guffman

Photos144

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Storyline

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Did you know

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Trivia
When playing Blaine Fabin in "Red, White and Blaine," it becomes necessary for Dr. Pearl (Eugene Levy) to remove his glasses. Unfortunately, Dr. Pearl's glasses corrected his lazy eye problem. Actor Fred Willard was unaware of the gag during shooting, and after delivering the line, "What did your keen and perceptive eyes behold?" to Fabin, he stared at Levy's lazy eye, finally understood why his line was funny, and "was gone for about ten minutes" with laughter.

Goofs
During the last scene in the play, a tuba can be heard playing, but there is no tuba in the orchestra.

Quotes
Corky St. Clair: So what I'm understanding here, correct me if I'm wrong, is that you're not giving me any money, so now I'm left, basically, with nothing. I'm left with zero, in which, what can I do with zero? You know, what can I... I can't do anything with it. I need to... this is my life here we're talking about, we're not just talking about, you know, something else, we're talking about my life, you know? And it's forcing me to do something I don't wanna do: to leave. To go out and just leave and go home and say... make a clean cut here and say "no way, Corky. You're not putting up with these people." And I'll tell you why I can't put up with you people, because you're bastard people. That's what you are, you're just bastard people and I'm going home and I'm gonna... I'm gonna bite my pillow is what I'm gonna do!

Crazy credits
During the end credits, Corky (Christopher Guest) shows us some of the fun memorabilia that he sells in his store.

Alternate versions
There is at least one rough cut of the film in circulation among fans of Guffman. It features an expanded performance of "Red, White and Blaine", including the musical number "This Bulging River", as well as dozens of alternate takes, as well as the exclusion of many scenes in the finished film, which were shot after this first rought cut was made.

Connections
Featured in Siskel & Ebert & the Movies: Shadow Conspiracy/Waiting for Guffman/Star Wars: Special Edition/Gridlock'd/Prisoner of the Mountains/Walkabout (1997)

Soundtracks
Lightnin' Strikes
Words and Music by Lou Christie (as Lou Christy), Twyla Herbert
Courtesy of Music Corporation of America, Inc. (BMI)

User reviews223

Featured review

9/10

Hilarious

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).