Don’t Knock the Mock

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Waiting for Guffman

Written by John Pog

Man, am I excited to talk about today’s movie! I love it, not only for its fun and earnestly unaware anarchic style, but also for the career it quietly jump-started and because of what it would soon inspire. With all that in mind, I am thrilled to bring you, Waiting for Guffman.

Don’t Knock the Mock

Waiting for Guffman didn’t invent the mockumentary, but it did, in many ways, give a jolt to the genre. Director Christopher Guest had his first brush with mockumentaries back in 1984 as a performer in Rob Reiner’s ridiculous comedy This Is Spinal Tap. Guest is the one who says, “This one goes to eleven.” However, it wouldn’t be until Guffman that he made the switch from madcap improvisational performer to directing the madhouse. 

To be clear, Guest had movies under his belt, but how many people are talking about The Biggest Picture or Attack of the 50ft Woman? It’s not until he switched it up and started directing mockumentaries that he began getting heat. Best in Show, A Mighty Wind, and Mascots, which I think is funny, damn it, all come out of this first… success? Proof of concept? To call it a financial success is far from true; the film was unable to make back its $4 million budget, only grossing $2.9 million. Still, it had the benefit of great reviews from critics at the time and was lucky enough to coincide with the DVD boom of the early 2000s. Watching this movie will really take you back to the days of going to Blockbuster, picking out a movie, ordering some pizza, and giggling at The DQ.

How This Movie Influenced Culture

The other thing you cannot ignore when discussing this movie is the effect it’s had on the Hollywood landscape, such as last year's charming Theater Camp. But even more than Hollywood, TV was impacted in a big way.

Look at the years following its success, from works like Schitt’s Creek, the classic It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia episode “The Nightman Cometh,” much of Lin-Manuel-Miranda’s sensibilities (no seriously), and of course, the entirety of Parks & Recreation is incredibly indebted to Guffman that Guffman almost feels like a prequel to Parks & Rec or maybe that Parks & Rec started out as a spec script for an episodic version of Guffman.

Why This One is so Special

It’s not just that this film features wonderful Parker Posey and Catherine O’Hara performances… NOT JUST. What makes Guffman so special is that it has a real genuine heart to it. It is so sweet, from its town pride to its love of theater. Last year, in Tyler’s piece about Ishtar, he talked about how it asks the question, “What do you do when you have everything to make it minus the talent?” and this film asks very similar questions. The difference to me is that Guffman asks that from a place of love and compassion for its characters. There is no malice there, whereas Ishtar revels in its malice. Guffman roots for these people, cries for them, and makes you want to see them succeed even though you know the inevitable is coming. Yet you stick with it anyway, because that’s the kindness of the direction and performance, and for that, we love it.

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