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Best in Show (PG-13, 2000)

common sense media says

Hilarious and offbeat but humor is pretty grownup.

parents & educators say
  • 38% say sexual content is an issue
See all 13 reviews | Review it

What parents need to know

Parents need to know that this movie contains strong language, sexual references, same-sex kissing, and adultery. Most teens won't be too interested in the material.

Violence: Not applicable.
Sex: A same-sex kiss; some bawdy references.
Language: Some strong language.
Consumerism: Not applicable.
Drinking, drugs, & smoking: Drinking and smoking.
Our ratings and reviews are informed by child development guidelines. Learn more.

More on Best in Show

What to talk about

Talk to your kids
Families can talk about why the awards are so important to the dog owners. Who sets up the standards for judging these dogs, and why? Talk about the way the different couples communicate and resolve differences with each other. Which ways are healthiest? Can you tell anything about a character by his or her choice of dog?

What's the story?

What's the story?
Director Christopher Guest takes on people who participate in dog shows in this mockumentary. Married uptight lawyers the Swans (Parker Posey and Michael Hitchcock) own a neurotic Weimaraner named Beatrice, who just hasn't been the same since she saw them having sex. Cookie Fleck (Catherine O'Hara), is a woman with a ribald past who owns Norwich terrier and is married to a man with, literally, two left feet (Eugene Levy). Stefan and Scott (Michael McKean and John Michael Higgins) are a happy couple and the owners of an adorable Shih Tzu. Sherri Ann is a trophy wife and the owner of the reigning champ. Her dog's trainer (Cristy Cummings) handles more than the dog. Guest himself plays a Southern bait-and-tackle store owner with a bloodhound. And Fred Willard appears as the hopelessly untalented announcer.

Is it any good?

Is it any good?
 
Fans of offbeat humor will get a big kick out of this follow-up to Waiting for Guffman, but there will be more appreciative, "Oh, that's funny!" comments than outright laughs. Director Christopher Guest has a repertory company of top-notch improvisational actors. He outlines the story to each of them and then pretty much lets them create their own characters and dialogue. This gives his movies a wonderful sense of depth, as it really seems that we are getting brief glimpses of real characters who are just as interesting when the camera isn't on them. But it also means that the humor tends to come from small moments and from character rather than from jokes.

Catherine O'Hara is a delight as Cookie Fleck, and one of the movie's best running jokes is that almost everyone Cookie meets rapturously recalls some past encounter with her. Jennifer Coolidge is sensational as a cross between Lady Macbeth and Anna Nicole Smith.

Movie themes & details

Movie Details
Studio: Warner Bros.
Director: Christopher Guest
Cast: Jay Brazeau, Michael Hitchcock, Parker Posey
Genre: Comedy
Run time: 90 minutes
Theatrical release: October 29, 2000
DVD release: May 15, 2001
MPAA Rating: PG-13
MPAA explanation: language and sex-related material.
This review was written by Nell Minow
 
 

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What parents & educators say

15
Based on 8 parent & educator reviews:
  • 38% say sexual content is an issue
Read the reviews

Most useful reviews by all members

Trinity3
adult
14
 
pure flippin hilarity
I cant lie-this movies one of the funniest ive ever seen! but the portrayal of gay characters is a little excessive. not too bad with the language though.
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drummerchick21
teen, 17 years old
12
 
Great for 12 and up
This is one of the best movies ever made. Hilarious characters and plot line. It may be offensive to homophobics, but they live under a rock anyway.
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moviemadness
adult
15
 
Excellent, Hilarious Mocumentary
Best In Show is HILARIOUS, but not appropriate or understandable for kids under 15 or 16. There are several inappropriate sexual references (an awkward discussion of a couple's sex life)(a married woman who meets several ex-boyfriends who make sexual comments about her, making her husband very uncomfortable) (several french kisses between straight and same-sex couples). Role models are iffy. Some are good and sweet, while others are neurotic and unkind. The humor is excellent for those old enough to appreciate it. Best for mature teenagers and adults.
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meganargetlam
teen, 16 years old
 
You said...
"Positive portrayal of gay characters" is iffy. I don't see what is wrong with this. Social behavior may be iffy for other reasons, but for positive portrayal of gays? I don't believe that that is a bad thing. The movie isn't good for kids, but not because of the gays.
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BestPicture1996
teen, 16 years old
12
 
Funny mockumentary
I haven't seen many mockumentarys (like "Borat" or "District 9") but I do watch "The Office" regurlarly so I know when they're making fun of something, sort of satire like "Tropic Thunder." I'm glad to say it was very funny, and I recently saw a real dog show on TV, and their impressions of the eccentric trainers were spot-on!
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Officionada
adult
15
 
Hilarious for mid teens up
One to watch with the kids - my 15 year olds love it! They are always quoting from it (as am I). We discuss the language and sexual references but there are no real issues for me. Great movie
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mike600
adult
 
Funny for pre teens 12+
Very funny, hilarious, worth it.
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bubbo
adult
 
Hilarious! Good for kids 13+
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chalbridge zupe
kid, 12 years old
9
 
Best in Movies
This movie was another hit! My favorite parts were the clever and mildly outrageous humor hidden within it and of course, the witty Jane Lynch. Nothing explicit or crude that I can remember. So, great movie for tweens and teens!
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ethandavid26
adult
 
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tomp
adult
17
 
Great movie for adults
Too sophisticated for kids. The movie mocks all kinds of human foibles. It takes maturity beyond mid-teens to understand that the humor is directed at all of us, not the particular types -- gay, handicapped, repressed, southern, old, yuppie -- portrayed.
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luvpink
teen, 13 years old
 
Awful!
Awful! I watched five minutes not even and had to turn it off since it was too dirty!
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theturners
adult
 
NOT for family viewing
We thought this would be a funny movie to watch as a family. Our son is 13 and we find most PG13 movies fine for us to view as a family. Not this one. We were appalled when the opening scene had a couple talking to their analyst about having sex in front of their dog. We tried to watch the first ten minutes of the film and it was nothing but snippets of crude introductions to various dysfunctional couples with lots of sexual inferences, including a shot of costumed gay couple with a guy spanking his partner's bare butt. These scenes were intended to be funny but we just thought it was awful and turned the movie off. I bought this from a store's clearance bin for $5 and it's now going into the garbage.
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