BEST IN SHOW
Year: 2000
USA: Castle Rock Entertainment
UK: Warner Bros
Cast: Christopher Guest, Parker Posey, Michael Hitchcock, Eugene Levy, Catherine O'Hara, John Michael Higgins, Michael McKean, Patrick Cranshaw, Jennifer Coolidge, Jane Lynch, Bob Balaban, Don Lake, Jim Piddock, Fred Willard, Ed Begley Jr, Jay Brazeau, Linda Kash, Larry Miller, Cody Greg, Carrie Aizley, Lewis Arquette, Dany Canino, William Sasso, Stephen E. Miller, Colin Cunningham, Teryl Rothery, Tony Alcanter, Camille Sullivan, Dave Cameron, Malcolm Stewart, Jay-Lyn Green, Jehshua Barnes, Earlene Luke, Harold Pybus, Cleo A Laxton, Corrine Koslo, Andrew Wheeler, Don Emslie, Don S Davis, Steven Porter, Melanie Angel, Doane Gregory, Hiro Kanagawa, Scott Williamson, Deborah Theaker, Rachel Harris, Fulvio Cecere, Lynda Boyd, Madeleine Kipling, Merrilyn Gann, Andrew Johnston, Michael J Pollard
Directors: Christopher Guest, Roberto Schaffer
Country: USA
USA &UK: 90 mins
USA Rated: PG-13 for language and sex-related material
UK Certificate: 12 contains some moderate sexual references
USA Release Date: 27 September 2000 (Limited Release)
UK Release Date: 9 March 2001
Synopsis
The tension is palpable, the excitement is mounting and the heady scent of competition is in the air as hundreds of eager contestants from across America prepare to take part in what is undoubtedly one of the greatest events of their lives, the Mayflower Dog Show.
Harlan Pepper (Christopher Guest), a fly-fishing shop owner from Pine Nut, North Carolina, hopes that his Bloodhound, Hubert, may be the first of his kind to win top prize and lawyers Meg (Parker Posey) and Hamilton Swan (Michael Hitchcock) from Illinois, anxiously ready themselves and their somewhat neurotic Weimaraner, Beatrice, for the big event.
Meanwhile Florida menswear salesman Gerry Fleck (Eugene Levy) and his vivacious wife, Cookie (Catherine O'Hara), happily prepare their Norwich Terrier, Winky, as do New York, professional handler Scott Donlan (John Michael Higgins) and his longtime partner, hair salon owner Stefan Vanderhoof (Michael McKean), who feel that one of their Shih Tzus, Miss Agnes, stands a very good chance of winning the cup.
Although the fabulously wealthy and elderly Leslie Cabot (Patrick Cranshaw) and his voluptuous young wife, Sherri Ann Ward Cabot (Jennifer Coolidge), are confident that their two-time champion Standard Poodle, Rhapsody In White, will keep the crown, they aren't taking any chances and have hired ace handler Christy Cummings (Jane Lynch) to assure their win.
At the Mayflower Dog Show, everything is being organized with the utmost precision so that finally, the hundreds of contestants come together under one giant roof, the audience throngs the massive arena and the competition begins in earnest as television cameras bring the wonderful world of dogs to millions.