Waiting for Guffman

Director: Christopher Guest 

Screenplay: Christopher Guest and Eugene Levy

Minutes: 84

Year: 1996

Score: 7.33

Release: Warner Archive

What you need to know is that this picture is a farce. An accurate, sad, joyful, farce. In this film Guest takes his vision of Spinal Tap and lays it over a small town with dreams.

From WBShop.com:

Blaine, Missouri, may be small, but Corky St. Clair always dreams big. Determined to get back to the lights of Broadway, he’s created Red, White and Blaine, a musical celebration of the burg’s 150th anniversary.

This Is Spinal Tap and Best in Show co-creator Christopher Guest plays Corky in this acclaimed comedy. Eugene Levy, Catherine O’Hara, Parker Posey, Fred Willard and Bob Balaban costar as stagestruck townfolk who pin their hopes of being discovered on Corky’s hilariously hapless theater production…and on reports that big-time talent scout Mort Guffman will be in the audience. “Waiting for Guffman does for regional theater what This is Spinal Tap did for rock ‘n’ roll” (Jami Bernard, New York Daily News).

I know I may seem like some all-knowing wizard hiding in a basement watching any and all movies I am afraid that you have been misled. There are many great movies which have been buried on my to-watch list for too long. Waiting for Guffman was among them.

I have watched This is Spinal Tap dozens of times, it is one of my comfort foods. With this knowledge I knew that I would love Guffman and I have no good excuse for waiting. This movie is a treasure. This movie can easily spin into the comfort food category.

Don’t be like me.

Christopher Guest and Eugene Levy wrote a perfect movie. There is nothing in here that shouldn’t be and the scenes they cut, included, could have always worked well within. This is a great family film that anyone should be able to get behind.

The film lampoons Midwestern small towns perfectly. A sense of community where everyone knows each other and they come together to cherish their towns meager accomplishments for more than they are worth.

Blaine, Missouri is the sort of a small town I wanted to live in when I moved away from an urban/sub-urban city towards farm towns. Do yourself a favor and pick this release up.

Special Features

• Commentary with Christopher Guest and Eugene Levy
• 13 Additional Scenes
• Trailer

Director: 10 – Cinematography: 5 –  Edit: 6 – Parity: 3 – Main performance: 10 – Else performance: 6 – Score: 7 – Sound: 6 – Story: 6 – Script: 10 – Effects: 6 – Design: 8 – Costumes: 8 – Keeps interest: 10 – Lasting: 10