Waiting for Guffman (1996)
Genre:
Comedy / Musical (more)
Tagline: There's A Good Reason Some Talent Remains Undiscovered (more)
Plot Outline: Small town Blaine, Missouri puts on a pageant, despite a lack of theatrical ability obvious to everyone but themselves. (more) (view trailer)
User Comments:
Broadway bound
(more)
User Rating:
        
7.5/10 (8,391 votes)
Also Known As: The Christopher Guest Project (USA) (working title)
MPAA: Rated R for brief strong language.
Runtime:
84 min
Country:
USA
Language:
English
Color:
Color
Sound Mix:
Dolby / SDDS
Certification:
UK:15 / Canada:14A / USA:R
Trivia:
During the scene where Corky ('Christopher Guest' ) is teaching the cast some dance moves, Eugene Levy can be seen in the way back behind everyone, almost hidden out fo the picture. This is because whenever Guest would show off his moves, Levy would laugh so hard that they would have to cut and wait for him to stop laughing before doing another take. They figured it'd be best if Levy was in the back, where he would not be able to see Guest during this scene.
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Goofs:
Continuity: The placement of the show posters on Corky's wall.
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Quotes:
Corky St. Clair:
What the city council did was really... give me a challenge, and it's a challenge that I am going to... accept. It's like in the olden days, in the... days of France, when men would slap each other with their gloves... say, y'know..."D'Artagnan!"... y'know, "how dare you talk to me like that, you!," and... smack 'em!
(more)
Awards:
2 wins
&
3 nominations
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User Comments:
7 out of 8 people found the following comment useful:-
Broadway bound, 23 April 2005

Author:
jotix100 from New York
Christopher Guest has the knack for creating films where genuine
laughter never stops. We saw this film when it was originally released,
but caught it recently in the retrospect of Mr. Guest's films shown
recently here.
"Waiting for Guffman" is, to this humble viewer, probably his best
creation to date. Not only is this a funny movie, it shows the genius
of Mr. Guest at his best.
Corky St. Clair, the director from the New York stage seems completely
out of place in Blaine, Mo. He is too witty for that small little town,
where he is clearly adored, not only by the local thespians, but by the
whole municipal council. Some of the lines one hears coming from
Corky's mouth are so amazing that one wonders if the citizens of Blaine
fully realize they have a gem living in town.
The players auditioning for Corky's new production about Blaine's
beginnings, live in a world of themselves. Ron and Sheila Albertson,
are the star of other productions, so they return again for the new
show. Libby Mae Brown works in the Dairy Queen, but her ambition is to
be a star. Even the local dentist, Dr. Allan Pearl, is attracted to
become a performer.
There are two other underlying plots going on in the film. There is the
history part, or how Blaine came to be, and the other notorious
incident of the flying saucer that came into town and took several of
the citizens for a tour of the space craft and we are being told about
it by the people that experienced that adventure.
Christopher Guest makes a wonderful Corky St. Clair. Mr. Guest knows
what makes Corky great. Corky, no doubt, is a composite of people Mr.
Guest must have known at one time or another. Corky is an enormous
achievement for Mr. Guest as a writer and as a performer.
Fred Willard and Catherine O'Hara are incredible in their take of the
Albertsons, the travel agents without a clue of what's going on outside
Blaine. Ron's delicate operation is explained in some detail to the
horrified Mrs. Pearl. Eugene Levy, Mr. Guest's frequent collaborator is
right on the money as the dentist with singing aspirations. Parker
Posey, is the girl who thinks Broadway is only a few steps away. Paul
Dooley, Don Lake, Larry Miller,Linda Kash, are among the citizens of
Blaine one gets to know in the film.
Of course, none of this would have been possible without Christopher
Guest. It's a shame we don't get to see more of him, but that makes
even better whatever he decides to offer us from time to time.
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