Waiting for Guffman (1996)

An aspiring director and the marginally talented amateur cast of a hokey small-town Missouri musical production go overboard when they learn that someone from Broadway will be in attendance.

Director:

Christopher Guest

Writers:

Christopher Guest, Eugene Levy

Stars:

Christopher Guest, Fred Willard, Catherine O'Hara

2 wins & 3 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Deborah Theaker	...	Gwen Fabin-Blunt - Councilwoman
Michael Hitchcock	...	Steve Stark - Councilman
Scott Williamson	...	Tucker Livingston - Councilman
Larry Miller	...	Glenn Welsch - Mayor
Don Lake	...	Phil Burgess - Blaine Historian
Christopher Guest	...	Corky St. Clair
Fred Willard	...	Ron Albertson
Catherine O'Hara	...	Sheila Albertson
Parker Posey	...	Libby Mae Brown
David Cross	...	UFO Expert
Eugene Levy	...	Dr. Allan Pearl
James McQueen	...	Singing Auditioner (as Jim McQueen)
Turk Pipkin	...	Ping Pong Ball Juggler
Jerry Turman	...	Raging Bull Auditioner
Bob Balaban	...	Lloyd Miller

Storyline

A town of Blaine, Missouri is preparing for celebrations of its 150th anniversary. Corky St.Clair, an off-off-off-off-off-Broadway director is putting together an amateur theater show about the town's history, starring a local dentist, a couple of travel agents, a Dairy Queen waitress, and a car repairman. He invites a Broadway theater critic Mr. Guffman to see the opening night of the show.

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Plot Keywords:

mockumentary | eyeglasses | cringe comedy | missouri | dentist | 

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Taglines:

There's A Good Reason Some Talent Remains Undiscovered

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Genres:

Comedy

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Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated R for brief strong language

Details

Official Sites:

Warner Bros. / Castle Rock [United States]

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

31 January 1997 (USA)

Also Known As:

The Christopher Guest Project

Filming Locations:

Gaslight Baker Theater, Lockhart, Texas, USA

Box Office

Budget:

$4,000,000 (estimated)

Opening Weekend USA:

$37,990, 2 February 1997, Limited Release

Gross USA:

$2,923,982

Company Credits

Production Co:

Castle Rock Entertainment, Pale Morning Dun, All Night Productions

Technical Specs

Runtime:

84 min

Sound Mix:

Dolby SDDS SDDS (uncredited)

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

Frances Fisher filmed scenes as Johnny Savage's mother but her scenes were deleted from the film. She does appear in the film's trailer.

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Goofs

During the last scene in the play, a tuba can clearly be heard playing, but there is no tuba in the orchestra.

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Quotes

Steve Stark, Councilman: God, I wish I was in this show.

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Crazy Credits

During the end credits Christopher Guest's character shows us some of the fun memorabilia that he sells in his store.

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Alternate Versions

There is at least one rough cut of the film in circulation among fans of Guffman. It features an expanded performance of "Red, White and Blaine", including the musical number "This Bulging River", as well as dozens of alternate takes, as well as the exclusion of many scenes in the finished film, which were shot after this first rought cut was made.

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Connections

Featured in At the Movies: Shadow Conspiracy/Waiting for Guffman/Star Wars: Special Edition/Gridlock'd/Prisoner of the Mountains/Walkabout (1997)

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Soundtracks

Covered Wagons, Open-toed Shoes
Written by Michael McKean and Christopher Guest
Courtesy of Tuxedo Time Music / Coney Island Whitefish Music / Hazen Music (ASCAP)
Played in the show

User Reviews

Good spoof documentary from Guest

Sometimes dry, sometimes bubbling satire of middle America chronicles Corky Corkoran's (Guest) efforts to put on a spectacle commemorating the town of Blaine's 150th anniversary. Told in "mockumentary" style like most of Guest's films. Corky drafts an odd assortment of local talent to bring his historical revue to life, including the local dentist (Levy) and travel agent couple (O'Hara and Willard). Like "Spinal Tap", this film mercilessly spoofs the "artistic" pretentions of Corky and his cast, but the audience ends up feeling genuine affection for the characters, the provincial backwater of Blaine, and even Corky's awful show with laughable music and acting. Guest's performance, as well as several of the others, is very funny and memorable.

A likeable comedy that some audiences may find too slow... much funnier than his later (and more popular) "Best of Show".