Strong and Moving!

Admirable film.

The film's masterful storytelling did its job. The message was clear. No need to overdo.

The movie turns out to be a little better than the average. Starting from a romantic formula often seen in the cinema, it ends in the most predictable (and somewhat bland) way.

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.

Classic Christopher Guest directing, excellent improv acting, hilarious songs during the play in the movie, and a great start to a line of movies that Guest directed in this way. Notable scenes: Eugene Levy's impression of Johnny Carson's impression of an Indian, Catherine O'Hara's bangs (straight up!), the first of Fred Willard's impressions of how TV personalities talk (which he later reprised in "A Mighty Wind"), Parker Posey's character talking ad nauseum about Dairy Queen creations, and Eugene Levy's martian song at the play. Too many parts to mention here, you'll just have to see for yourself.It should be noted that the Family Guy character of Bruce sounds exactly like Guest's Corky St. Clair. This is one of the better Guest movies to watch, so I don't think you'll be disappointed.

"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+

I love these Guest/Levy put-ons, and Willard is always great. So is O'hara in this. But come on, this is not in the same league as their others. It isn't even nearly as good as Drop Dead Gorgeous. I know that is by a different troupe, but it is a great comparable. The part leading up to the show is good. The show is interminable. It kills the movie. After the show ends, things get better again, but that huge dead-spot in the middle makes it impossible to give this more than a five. Once again, the people who give these mediocre movies a "10" seem to be missing an oar. Take this comment: "the character of Corky ... at first glance he can seem like an annoying gay stereotype. But good ol' Christopher Guest has a trick up his sleeve...listen VERY carefully and you'll hear him mention his wife (just once in the whole movie). I don't actually think for a minute Corky is homosexual, he just acts exceedingly camp. ... We should realise that Christopher Guest is one step ahead of us!" Hello!?!? Guest is two steps ahead of this guy I'd say. Corky CLAIMS to have a wife. Somebody else in the flick, maybe it is Mrs. Pearl, says nobody has ever seen her. Hello!? That is the joke. Get it now?