FloodClearwater Waiting for Guffman, the ensemble-driven mock-u-parody of community theater, differs in one engaging way from writer-director-star Christopher Guest's other inspections of American culture at its most banal. Principally, Guffman follows a group of people who (think they) are on life's upslope, building toward a great achievement of teamwork in showbiz. Guest's other movies with the same cast--viz. Best in Show, A Mighty Wind, For Your Consideration--are far more concerned with portraying the pathos of the has-been. In Guffman, Guest's character, Corky, is the only has-been, and then only if you count '10 years living in New York and failing auditions' as achieving something in show business. Guffman's characters are small town people at their most stereotypical ordinary selves, people yearning for a brush with the magic of being a part of a really good play. Consider Parker Posey's performance as Libby Mae Brown, the Dairy Queen worker. Posey tells you everything you need to know about the listless ennui of being stuck in a place with nothing to do and no way to grow with a couple of wordless moments where she looks away, her eyes reverberating what is not being said about the failure of dreams. Or take Bob Balaban's portrayal of the quietly suffering music teacher, deposed as the director of the town's annual play in favor of the terrible infant that is Corky (who has lived in New York, after all). The scene where Balaban's character reacts to Corky's reappearance at the helm of the production is a master class in comedic character acting in the most tissue-subtle way that it can be delivered.The thing about the failure of never-weres (as opposed to has-beens) is that the failure brings no sanction, no shame. Americans are raised on tales of "The Little Engine That Could" and Abe Lincoln's failed political campaigns before he became the greatest President in history. In America, if you aren't yet anything, and you try, we root for you. If you fail and try again, we find ourselves rooting twice as hard. This striving of small town nobodys towards the stardust of Broadway, home of another Abe, Abe Guffman, gives this film an emotional resonance fundamentally different from Guest's many other projects (even Spinal Tap). The result is that by the end of the film, we're not at all tired of the characters, or annoyed or sapped by their failure to get discovered. Guest could assemble a new script and make the sequel, could make a "Guffman 2," and it would succeed with both his core audience and with a general audience, because everybody (in America, anyway) loves to see a first-timer try to make it big, whether it is their first attempt, or their tenth.

grantss "You know, there's an old saying in Missouri that if you don't like the weather, just wait five minutes. In Blain, I honestly believe, with hard work, we can get that down to three or four minutes."Hilarious, moving, sweet, quaint, great. Christopher Guest, one of the creative geniuses behind This is Spinal Tap, now turns his attention to small town America, and the result is brilliant. Original plot, incredibly funny understated dialogue, amusing perfect- for-the-movie music. Starts as a spoof of small town America and ends as a moving examination of small town innocence, hidden talent, values and goodness.Casting is perfect. Christopher Guest, Eugene Levy, Fred Willard, Catherine O'Hara and Parker Posey shine.Superb movie.

moonspinner55 Writer-director Christopher Guest's timing and peculiar sense of humor are purposefully erratic--and it takes some time for him to get an audience off the dime and into the perplexing spirit of his cinematic occasions. Guest is well-attuned to the colorful eccentricities of 'ordinary' folks, yet his knowing nature borders on smirking, and I'm not a big fan of obnoxiousness--no matter how talented the participants. Mockumentary about a small town acting troupe putting on a musical production does benefit from some great players (particularly Fred Willard, Eugene Levy, and the effortlessly funny Catherine O'Hara). However Guest, himself a co-star--giving a rather offensive performance as gay theater director Corky--does not have the pizazz to bring off scenes of uncomfortable ineptitude. One waits in queasy vain for a pay-off that never comes. I assume Guest wants to have some comedic punch within these improvisational set-ups; if so, he's punching with two limp wrists, and his film is awfully long even at 84 minutes. *1/2 from ****

MartinHafer This is the first of several films that Christopher Guest and his friends have made using a very unusual style. Instead of a clearly defined script, some very talented actors (such as Eugene Levy, Catherine O'Hara, Fred Willard and others) took a script idea and improvised throughout. The film was then created using the best bits and I can honestly say that there is nothing like this film. While some of the jokes are very, very dry and occasionally fall flat, there is a subtle charm and wit to the film as you follow a group of 3rd rate local actors who have insane visions of Broadway.The film is ostensibly about a very local stage production about the founding of some small town. While these sort of pageants have been ubiquitous in small town America, this one is unique because supposedly a guy by the name of Guffman is coming to town and plans two see it. Guffman, it seems, is from Broadway and the cast has the temerity to believe that maybe they'll impress him so much that they'll become major stars. Considering the quality of the acting is well below that of an average high school production, this is very absurd. Yet, although ridiculous, there is a certain something in many of these people that is very likable so there is some depth to the film--you aren't just laughing at yokels who have ridiculous aspirations.I thoroughly enjoyed the film and think that people who like their humor subtle and perhaps a bit painful will enjoy this film. People who prefer broad comedy probably won't enjoy this very much.