For Your Consideration

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What’s the Story?

Marilyn Hack (Catherine O'Hara) is an aging actress who still isn't recognized when she drives up to the studio gate. Her latest film, Home for Purim, is a low-budget indie drama. Her co-star is Victor Alan Miller (Harry Shearer), lately appearing in hot dog commercials. Director Jay Berman (Christopher GuestMichael McKean). When word gets around that Marilyn's performance might net her an Oscar, things get a little crazy. The Internet rumor mill goes wild, and Marilyn starts getting paranoid about her abilities. Agent Morley Orfkin (Eugene Levy) and publicist Corey Taft (John Michael Higgins) are downright surprised.

Is It Any Good?

Guest is famous for his largely improvised mockumentaries (Waiting for Guffman, Best in Show, A Mighty Wind). And although it's done in a more-traditional narrative style than Guest's previous films, For Your Consideration carries on that tradition in both tone and personnel.

The film is a brilliant send-up of the Hollywood community and its obsession with awards. No one is spared. Cosmetic surgery addicts, navel-gazing actors, and cold-hearted studios are all brought to task in this movie. It's an insiders' look at Tinseltown that's both pathetic and funny. It's rife with bizarre characters and hilarious throw-away lines, so much so that you might need to see it twice to catch everything. If you're a fan of Guest's earlier films, this is a must-see.