My life as a dog - Blue-ribbon acting from both the four- and two-legged performers distinguishes this film, in which writer-director Christopher Guest proves once again just how good he is at ferreting out offbeat subjects (fading metal morons in the classic THIS IS SPINAL TAP, small-town theater productions in WAITING FOR GUFFMAN) and exploiting their satirical possibilities. This time out, Guest uses the mockumentary form to sniff around the insular world of professional dog show competitions, and the result is a winner. Through faux cinema verite interviews, we get the inside scoop and the backstage poop on eight owners and their five top-notch pooches, all of whom have their eyes on the prize — "Best in Show" at Philadelphia's annual (and fictional) Mayflower Dog Show. The proud, anxious and hopelessly devoted pet owners are all played with deft, nuanced comic flair: nerdy salesman Gerry Fleck and his tarty wife Cookie (SCTV vets Eugene Levy, who co-scripted, and Catherine O'Hara), who have a Norwich terrier; uptight yuppie lawyers Meg and Hamilton Swan (indie queen Parker Posey, Michael Hitchcock), whose weimaraner suffers from depression; salon owner Stefan Vanderhoof and Scott Donlan (Michael McKean, John Michael Higgins), who dote on shih tzus Miss Agnes and Tyrone; buxom trophy wife Sherri Ann Cabot (Jennifer Coolidge), who's showing a teased-to-the-roots standard poodle named Rhapsody in White; and long-faced bloodhound owner Harlan Pepper (Guest). Familiar funnyman Fred Willard delivers a hilariously scary turn as Buck Laughlin, the crass half of the dog show's color commentators. The press notes indicate that the actors were given a script outline and encouraged to improvise many of their scenes and dialogue; happily, there are no losing performances — and that goes for the pups, too.

-- www.tvguide.com

It's time to paws and reflect on the greatness of director Christopher Guest. The man who helped bring mockumentary to hysterical heights with Waiting for Guffman (not to mention cowriting and performing in This Is Spinal Tap) takes us inside the warped world of a national dog show, where whacked-out contestants and their four-legged companions compete for king-canine status. All the National Lampoonish characters here are brilliantly fleshed out in this howling masterpiece, and Fred Willard (as a numskull TV announcer who barks out questions everyone's dying to know but wouldn't dare ask) steals the last third of the film. Our command: Take all your hard-earned bones down to the local cineplex and plunk 'em down for a ticket. It's the best Show in town.

-- www.eonline.com

After parodying the idiosyncrasies of community theater devotees in the mock documentary Waiting for Guffman, actor/director Christopher Guest returns with another semi-improvised comedy that casts a satirical gaze on the world of championship dog breeding and training. A television crew is on hand to document the prestigious Mayflower Kennel Club Dog Show, and competition is fierce among the canine devotees vying for top honors. Salesman Gerry Fleck (Eugene Levy), who is cursed with two left feet (literally), and his wife Cookie (Catherine O'Hara) have entered their Norwich terrier "Winky" in competition. Wealthy and neurotic Meg Swan (Parker Posey) and her husband Hamilton (Michael Hitchcock) are on hand with their Weimaraner "Beatrice," who they fear may have been traumatized by watching them have sex. Scott Donlan (John Michael Higgins) and his life partner Stefan Vanderhoof (Michael McKean) have brought their beloved Shih Tzu, "Miss Agnes." Trophy wife Sheri Ann Cabot (Jennifer Coolidge) and her close friend and trainer Christy Cummings (Jane Lynch) are hoping for a repeat victory for Sheri's poodle, "Rhapsody In White." And Harlan Pepper (Guest), who operates a store specializing in fly-fishing gear, has decided to stack his bloodhound "Hubert" up against the competition.

-- www.blockbuster.com

Pampered pooches and their quirky owners converge on Philadelphia to compete in a prestigious dog show.

-- www.filmsandtv.com

A "behind the scenes" look into the highly competive and cut-throat world of dog-shows through the eyes of a group of ruthless dog owners including: yuppies Hamilton and Meg Swan and their neurotic weimaraner "Beatrice"; mild-mannered menswear salesman Gerry and Cookie Fleck, whose norwich terrier's registered name is "Champion Thank You Neil Sedaka"; fly-fishing shop owner Harlan Pepper and his beloved bloodhound "Hubert"; New Yorker Scott Donlon and his longtime hairdresser partner, Stefan Vanderhoof, who anticipate the crown for their pampered shih tzus "Miss Agnes" and "Tyrone"; and the champion poodle "Rhapsody in White" who might just snare the title for the third year running. 

-- www.hollywood.com

Christopher Guest brings his unique brand of lunacy to the screen with another mockumentary in the tradition of WAITING FOR GUFFMAN. This one, BEST IN SHOW, is about purebred dog owners feverishly competing for their pets to be named Best in Show at the Mayflower Kennel Club Dog Show. Using many of the same actors who starred in WAITING FOR GUFFMAN--a spoof on the society surrounding the stage--Guest peoples BEST IN SHOW with hilarious, frighteningly real characters played by Catherine O' Hara, Eugene Levy, Fred Willard, and indie stalwart Parker Posey, among others. As the cutthroat competition heats up, the film becomes delightfully absurd. The contestants are hilarious. They include Gerry Fleck, a tacky suburbanite, and his overly popular wife, Cookie; Hamilton and Meg Swan, who are unbalanced, yuppie lawyers with terrible teeth; and Scott Donlan and Stefan Vanderhoof, flamboyant longtime companions who fiercely cheer on their canines while keeping their hearts set on the championship title. A reminder that people often bear an uncanny resemblance to their dogs, BEST IN SHOW takes a funny look at an even funnier business.

-- www.cduniverse.com
-- www.ifilm.com
-- www.videoflicks.com

Christopher Guest, the man who had you in stitches "Waiting for Guffman," turns his attention to prize-winning pooches--and their idiosyncratic owners--in this look at the fictitious Mayflower Dog Show in Philadelphia. Among the people hoping their canines will hit the gravy train are neurotic Midwesterners Parker Posey and Michael Hitchcock, gay New Yorkers Michael McKean and John Michael Higgins; Florida flakes Eugene Levy and Catherine O'Hara; and country boy Guest. Adding hilarious commentary to the proceedings is TV announcer Fred Willard.

-- www.moviesunlimited.com

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.

-- www.phase9.tv

Deadpan mockumentary follows five teams of pedigree-pup owners and their canine companions in competition for the blue ribbon at a prestigious national dog show.

-- www.reel.com

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.

 The canine contestants and their owners are as wondrously diverse as the great country that has bred them. There is Harlan Pepper (CHRISTOPHER GUEST), a fly-fishing shop owner from Pine Nut, North Carolina, who hopes that his Bloodhound, Hubert, may be the first of his kind to win top prize at the show.

 In their upscale Illinois home, yuppie lawyers Meg (PARKER POSEY) and Hamilton Swan (MICHAEL HITCHCOCK) anxiously ready themselves and their somewhat neurotic Weimaraner, Beatrice, for the big event.

 Meanwhile, in Fern City, Florida, mild-mannered menswear salesman Gerry Fleck (EUGENE LEVY) and his vivacious wife, Cookie (CATHERINE O'HARA), happily prepare their Norwich Terrier, Winky, for the most important show of his competitive career.

 In New York, professional handler Scott Donlan (JOHN MICHAEL HIGGINS) and his longtime partner, hair salon owner Stefan Vanderhoof (MICHAEL McKEAN), happily anticipate the event as they 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 Ward Cabot (PATRICK CRANSHAW) and his voluptuous young wife, Sherri Ann 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 under the watchful eye of Mayflower Kennel Club President Dr. Theodore W. Millbank III (BOB BALABAN) and the show's chairman, Graham Chissolm (DON LAKE). Trevor Beckwith (JIM PIDDOCK) and Buck Laughlin (FRED WILLARD) are the Mayflower dog show commentators.

 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.

 -- www.rottentomatoes.com

The owners (and handlers) of five show dogs head for the Mayflower Kennel Club Dog Show. A film crew interviews them as they prepare for the trip, arrive at Philly's Taft Hotel, and compete. From Florida come the Flecks: she keeps running into old lovers. A wordless ancient in a wheelchair and his buxom trophy wife who may have a thing for the dog's handler own the two-time defending best in show, a poodle. From the piney woods of N.C. comes a fella who wants to be a ventriloquist. High-strung DINKs feud loudly in front of their Weimaraner. Two outré gay men from Tribeca round out the profiled owners. The dog show brings out the essence of the humans. Who will be best in show?

-- www.imdb.com