I cannot deny that Waiting for Guffman is a very funny movie. There was one joke, regarding an orchestra that gets way too into a piece of music, that had me laughing uncontrollably. But the movie is oddly ephameral- it's worthwike while watching it, but it kind of dissapears after.
It's the first of three mockumentaries by Christopher Guest, most famous for his role as Nigel Tufnel in the greatest mockumentary of them all, This Is Spinal Tap. Using the same techniques as that film, (16mm, improvisions by actors), Guest satirizes small town values.
Every year, Blaine, Missouri puts on a musical production, and for this year, the town's 150th aniversay, the town council wants to do something special. Corky St. Clair (Guest), an effeminate former broadway director, writes an original production- a history of the town in music. Although the local pool of talent is lacking to say the least, Corky is enthusastic and puts together a cast. Everyone is energized when the receive word that a famous broadway producer (the Guffman of the title) will be attending.
The movie is good example of theater of the absurd, as Guest is mearly content to tell jokes, many of which are very funny. But somehow, I felt that the movie lacked an emotional connection- the comic characters are so weird that we don't really care what happens to them. The actors are great, particularly Eugene Levy (who co-wrote the script) as a tone-deaf dentist and Fred Willard as his usual obnoxious character.
I liked this movie, but I think that Guest's next film, Best In Show, is superior. Perhaps that's because I like dogs more than I like theatre, but that's just me. If you want 84 minuets of laughs, give this a rental, but don't expect much more.
Waiting for Guffman (1996)