WAITING FOR GUFFMAN

US, 1996, 84 minutes, Colour.
Christopher Guest, Eugene Levy, Fred Willard, Catherine O’ Hara, Parker Posey, David Cross, Bob Baliban, Matt Keeslar, Brian Doyle- Murray, Paul Dooley.
Directed by Christopher Guest.

A parody-laden spoof. Christopher Guest was one of the key makers of the very funny take off of the music industry and the media, This is Spinal Tap. Now he invents a small American city in the midwest, Blaine, Missouri, who are celebrating their 150th anniversary and are putting on a pageant. Guest himself is hilarious as a would-be Broadway director of musicals who has found his home in Blaine (while aping over theatrical Broadway styles). The rest of the cast is excellent, taking off officious town councillors as well as untalented citizens who audition, rehearse and then put on the pageant which, of course, has to be seen to be believed.

Using a mock-interview style as well as a mock documentary structure that we are following the progress of the putting on of the show, this is very entertaining, often cleverly hilarious - unless, perhaps, you come from Blaine.

How well did the film work as satire, spoof, comedy? Irony and wit?

1.The work of Christopher Guest, writing and directing, acting? The team that he had around him for many films?

2.The background of Americana, the small town, Missouri? The contrast with the talk about New York? Theatre, school, travel agents, diner workers, dentists, teachers?

3.Laughing at the targets or with them? Both?

4.The town of Blaine, its history and the explanations, the ancestor’s mistake, smelling the salt, thinking he was in California, Missouri? Establishing the town? The dynasty? President Mc Kinley, the stool, the jokes about the industry of making stools? Prosperity, patriotism?

5.The mayor, his council, the plans, the grant for the play? The clashes within council? The clash with Corky? Relenting? The success of the musical?

6.The interview technique: the revelation of each of the characters through interview? Steve Stark, councilman, his exceeding admiration for Corky? Not being able to be in the musical? Alan and his wife, Lloyd and his role as teacher? Ron and Sheila? Libby? The experts on history, on the UFO history of Blaine compared with Roswell, the citizen talking about being abducted and the probes? A cross-section? The issue of crop circles and the weather within the crop circles?

7.The chapters, the build-up of tension before the performance?

8.The auditions, Libby and teacher’s pet, Sheila and Ron with Midnight at the Oasis, Alan and the medley of Stephen Foster songs? The characters who did not make the grade?

9.The approach to Clifford, to be the narrator? His performance?

10.Johnny Savage, his father and antagonism towards Corky, work at the garage, going to the rehearsals, his attitude and performance, his father forbidding him to go to the show?

11.Corky as a person, Christopher Guest’s performance, camp, innuendo, the Broadway background, going to Blaine, his success with musicals? Working with Lloyd but the sense of tension? Writing the play, his presentation to the council, the issue of money, the auditions, talk about his wife and shopping, the rehearsals and his enthusiasm? The sending up of the Broadway choreographer? The routines and his style? The withdrawal of the money, the tantrums, the pleading for him to return, his being welcomed back? The message from Guffman? The hopes for going to Broadway?

12.The group, the enthusiasm about Guffman coming, their hopes? Expressing these to camera?

13.The performance, Lloyd and his conducting and his being successful? The good aspects of the play, the satiric aspects? The songs and the lyrics? Alan and his performance in different roles, his wife’s happiness? Steve and his admiration? The mayor, the descendants of Blaine? Libby? The Americana of the story? The audience response?

14.The guest in the front row, his coming to see the group, his not being Guffman? The message from Guffman about New York being snowed in?

15.The aftermath, the interviews with each of the characters, Alan and his going to Miami to perform to the old people? Libby and her going to Alabama? Ron and Sheila and continuing their lives – with the hope of making it in Hollywood, being extras, wanting to contribute ideas?