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Actors: Christopher Guest, Fred Willard, Catherine O'Hara, Parker Posey, Eugene Levy, Paul Benedict, Matt Keeslar, Larry Miller, Scott Williamson, Michael Hit
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| Review Summary and Plot Commentary about Waiting for Guffman |
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The little town of Blaine, Missouri, whose primary claim to fame is that it manufactures stools, is about to celebrate its 150th birthday. (Way-)Off-Broadway director Corky St. Clair proposes to put together a show -- a historical pageant -- to recreate Blaine's illustrious story and virtues, and goes about putting together the so-called "talent" for the event. His eventual stars, all terrible actors who don't know it, include a dentist, a couple of travel agents, a DQ waitress, and a car mechanic. Broadway theater critic Mort Guffman is invited to see the opening night, and the possibility that he might actually come lingers in the air. This 1996 mockumentary written, directed, and performed by much the same team that did "This is Spinal Tap" earlier, and later "Best in Show," is sweetly hilarious with much the same spirit as those other delightful movies.
--David Loftus, Resident Scholar
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On the sesquicentenial of the stool capital of the world, (Blaine, Missouri) the local theater director (an eccentric out-of-towner who never made the big time in New York but came to town a few years ago and started directing his unique versions of plays), is brought in to direct a play about the history of this relatively insignificant town. The title refers to an important person from New York who has promised to come see the show. Done in documentary style and created by much of the same team that did "This is Spinal Tap," this has a very similar feel. Much of the humor hits home for anyone who has done regional theater. A lot of the movie is about how peoples dreams are awakened and whether or not they are fulfilled.
--Zorikh Lequidre, Resident Scholar
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| Analysis of Waiting for Guffman |
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Our unique search engine provides a wealth of detail about
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Ratings are on a 1-10 scale (Low to High)
Plot
Comedy, primarily
Yes
Time/era of movie:
- 1980's-1999
If a parody... of
- small city folk
Job/Profession/Poverty Story?
Yes
Job:
- actor
Training/apprentice story
Yes
Ethnic/Regional/Gender story?
Yes
Story of city/rural life?
- Small Town
Culture clash?
- visiting a different culture
Culture of surrounding area:
- American suburban
- American Midwest
Main Character
Identity:
- Male
Profession/status:
- producer/director
- actor
Age:
- 20's-30's
Eccentric:
Yes
- eccentric
- deluded
- emotionally unstable
Hair color?
- blonde
Hair type
- (man) short/standard straight
Body type
- (man) average
Events of movie makes character more...
- irritated
- happy
Ethnicity/Nationality
- White (American)
How sensitive is this character?
- sensitive to others' feelings
- middling sensitive to others' feelings
Sense of humor?
- Strong but gentle sense of humor
Intelligence
- Average intelligence
Physique
- very athletic
- average physique
Secondary Main Character
Identity:
- Male
Hair color
- brunette (Brown)
- brunette (Black)
Hair style
- (man) short/standard straight
Body type
- (man) average build
How much in movie?
- 60%
Ethnicity/Nationality
- White (American)
Main Adversary
Identity:
- general circumstances
Ethnicity/Nationality
- White (American)
Setting
United States
Yes
The US:
- Midwest
Small town?
Yes
Small town people:
- nice, like Andy/Opie/Aunt Bee
- dumb Rednecks, like Gomer Pyle
Misc setting
- school
- theater
Style
Accounts of torture and death?
- no torture/death
Movie makes you feel...
- full of laughter
Any profanity?
- Occasional swearing
If lots of song/dance...
- lot of singing and dancing
If soundtrack VERY NOTICEABLE...
- Broadway musical
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Note: the views expressed here are only those of the reviewer(s). | |
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