FOR YOUR CONSIDERATION
US, 2006, 86 minutes, Colour.
Catherine O’ Hara, Ed Begley Jr, Eugene Levy, Harry Shearer, Christopher Moynihan, Christopher Guest, John Michael Higgins, Jane Morris, Jennifer Coolidge, Parker Posey, Paul Dooley, Don Lake, Michael Hitchcock, Rachael Harris, Sandra Oh, Richard Kind, Bob Balaban, Michael Mc Kean, Fred Willard, Jane Lynch, Mary Mc Cormack, Ricky Gervais, Larry Miller, Craig Bierko, Hart Bochner, Claire Forlani.
Directed by Christopher Guest.
Fans of Christopher Guest have looked forward to each of his films over the last ten years. Every three years or so, he comes up with an idiosyncratic and satiric take on some aspect of show and show business. There was his very funny Waiting for Guffman in 1996, a spoof on putting on a musical in a small town (with all the rivalries, egos and complications of Broadway). He followed it with his best, the dog-show comedy, Best in Show (2000). Then it was the music industry in A Mighty Wind (2003). These were all mockumentaries, a genre Guest had worked on originally for This is Spinal Tap (1984), a style that spoofed films, interviews and the lifestyle and workstyle of the targets.
For Your Consideration (that phrase so beloved of the movie industry with its ads for the Academy members to watch possible nominees) has traces of the mock documentary, especially in Fred Willard and Jane Lynch’s hilarious send up of the Entertainment Tonight style of interviewers. There is also some good fun in the spoof of the TV film reviewers disagreeing (and, better, agreeing) on air. The sequences of the film within a film, Home for Purim, with its old-fashioned sentiment and idiotic dialogue and poses, are amusing as is the director’s (Guest himself) odd attempts to rally his cast.
In fact, there is a whole lot of detail and many lines that are quite funny: Ricky Gervais and Larry Miller as the producing ‘suits’ who turn the film into Home for Thanksgiving, Michael Mc Kean and Bob Balaban as the beleaguered writers who take themselves terribly seriously, Jennifer Coolidge (always excellent) as the really dumb producer, Eugene Levy (also always excellent) as an agent with adaptable spiels and John Michael Higgins as an over-earnest PR man.
However, For Your Consideration has more of a narrative plotline than usual, a story about the cast of Home for Purim and the effect of an on-line rumour about Oscar possibilities, especially for the ageing star played by Catherine O’Hara?. It begins to devour her – and her facelift look in anticipation of the nomination is truly alarming. Harry Shearer has a big role as the lead and Parker Posey and Christopher Moynihan are the young leads – all of whom get caught up in Oscar fever (and also have their time in mock interviews).
But, overall, this is a smiling movie rather than loud laughter (except for Fred Willard and Jane Lynch). It seems somewhat patchy, its zaniness not so inspired as the previous films.
Having said that, it is an amusing film from a director who has set his own bar particularly high. (And Catherine O’ Hara’s fine comic performance did win her the Best Supporting Actress award from the National Board of Review!)
1.Christopher Guest and his films, expectations? Satire, spoof, jokes, wit? The tradition of his mockumentaries?
2.The Hollywood setting, the sets for filming, offices, TV stages and sets, the PR world? Homes? Advertising?
3.The title, the advertisements for Oscar nominations? Audience reaction to awards and hype?
4.The world of public relations, agents, the use of the internet ? Ideas and rumours – and ignorance of the world of the Net?
5.The world of film-making? The B-budget? The director and his idiosyncrasies? The exercises and the cast doing them? Advice, the scream? Jennifer Coolidge as the producer, her ignorance, talking about snacks, just being there, wondering “What about me”? The writers, their academic background, their hopes, their tantrums about the director cutting the script? The range of technicians? The business investors and their visits, their double-talk – especially about Jewish issues?
6.The film itself, Home for Purim? The American Jewish background? The setting of the 1940s, World War Two? The mother and her dying, her daughter coming home, her son coming back from the war? Her relationship with her husband? The valiant type, the daughter coming home and bringing her friend? Reactions? The dinner? The illness etc? the takes and retakes? The histrionic performances?
7.Marilyn Hack and her reputation, success, her age, her performance in the film, her hearing of the rumours, Corey Taft and the internet? Checking? Going to the computer nerd? Her double-talk about her interest, with the cast? Her reaction to Callie? Nervous? Her going on television – and her flat performance? Expectations, nominations? Her disappointment, the interview? Her facelift – and the disappointment? Her finishing up teaching acting?
8.Victor Allan Miller and his age, his relationship with Morley Orfkin? His history in advertisements and their being visualised? His hopes, performance in the film, the deals, the whispers? Further ads? The interview on TV and his being very bright? His being prepared for the nomination, not having television, the phone call? Disappointment? The interviewers? His further ads – with the glamorous girls?
9.Callie, her performance in the film, her background of stand-up comedy, her hopes, her failing in stand-up, offset, her relationship with Brian? Her talking, the bonding with Marilyn, the discussions about nominations, the director helping her, the whispering, her change of attitude, breaking the relationship with Brian? Feted on TV? The interview about the lack of nomination? Her return to stand-up?
10.Brian, ordinary, relationship with Callie, acting, ignored, the irony of his getting the nomination?|
11.Morley Orfkin, Eugene Levy’s style, double-talk, the role of the agent, affirming, denying suggestions made etc, etc?
12.Corey, his manner, PR work, his being ignorant – and the backup story of the accident?
13.The television comperes and the satire on Entertainment Tonight and other programs? Chuck Porter and his style, crass? Cindy and her self-assurance? The programs, intrusive, acting up, the interviews, style?
14.The initial interviewer, cameraman, questions – and ignorant and crass? The spoofing of interviewers?
15.The members of the cast, the camera crew, the English cameraman and conversations?
16.The information about the nomination, the internet, Corey having to learn about the internet? Marilyn and her talking? The continued buzz, the effect, everybody cashing in on the rumour?
17.The pathos of the interviews after the failure of nominations, the reactions of the cast?
18.The aftermath, Marilyn teaching, Victor and his advertisements, Callie and her stand-up comedy?
19.The film references, the in-jokes, the overall effect of this kind of narrative about B-budget film-making, Hollywood eccentricities, the buzz about awards?
