2000, 1 hr 29 min., Rated PG-13 for language and sex-related material. Dir: Christopher Guest. Cast: Christopher Guest (Harlan Pepper), Parker Posey (Meg Swan), Michael Hitchcock (Hamilton Swan), Eugene Levy (Gerry Fleck), Catherine O'Hara (Cookie Fleck), John Michael Higgins (Scott Donlan), Michael McKean (Stefan Vanderhoof), Patrick Cranshaw (Leslie Cabot), Jennifer Coolidge (Sheri Ann Ward Cabot), Jane Lynch (Christy Cummings), Ed Begley Jr. (Hotel Manager).

Hey Stacy, I've seen it! Please stop frowning at me!

You've seen them on Animal Planet and in advertisements, but rarely in real life, those people who treat their dogs better than they treat their relatives. We're talking about owners (oops, these guys would probably prefer to be the parents since you can't own a free spirit of a dog) - parents who primp and preen their furballs with such love and affection that makes one wonder about their sense of reality.

These people are the showcase of Best in Show, the comical new film by Christopher Guest who presents Show in the same way he co-wrote This is Spinal Tap, the very popular and farcical documentary-style film. Because of this you see people portrayed as they might act in real life, with real-people dialogue (rambling, incoherant and revealing - not crisp and constantly witty like "Buffy").

The cast includes several talented actors and actresses who demean themselves greatly in order to present some interesting characters, all vying for their dog to win the Best in Show award at the Mayflower Dog Show:

Tap alum and co-writer Michael McKean appears as part of a flaming gay duo that brings their shit zhu (and yes, there are appropriate jokes over the name of the breed by Willard) to the Show. John Michael Higgins completes the stereotypical set, and if you like your beer cold and your gays flaming, then he's your guy. I mean, you'll like him, not that you'll liiiike him.

Gerry (Eugene Levy) and Cookie (Catherine O'Hara) Fleck were the best of the bunch, the most compelling situation. Gerry literally has two left feet, is geeky and the pair are constantly running into former sexual partners of hers who have no qualms about talking about how great she is in the sack. Cookie obviously is happy with Gerry and must see something in him, despite physical flaws, as they sing songs of love to their Terrier and each other.

The Swans, Meg (Parker Posey) and Hamilton (Michael Hitchcock), are of the Starbucks and LL Bean crowd, yuppies with so many problems they even take their dog to therapy.

Director Guest puts himself in the film as Harlan Pepper, a country boy from North Carolina who loves his bloodhound more than life itself, not to mention he's an amatuer ventriloquist.

Sherri Ann (Jennifer Coolidge) the goldigger and Christy (Jane Lynch) her dog handler have the poodle (a 'bitch named Butch') that you know is embarrassed to be around other dogs who have to make fun of her fluffy fur balls. The two throw a party for their poodle before the Show - complete with ice sculpture - and proudly celebrate previous wins with a cocky swagger.

Ed Begley Jr. (also bit part in Tap) has a small role as the hotel manager who leads the 'documentary' on a tour, showing the powerful cleaning products that can get the dogs' messes of the carpet, and helps out the cash-stripped Flecks by letting them stay in a storage closet.

Nothing, though, could come close to the over-the-top infusion of energy and humor that Fred Willard brings to the film halfway through as Buck Laughlin, one of the Show's TV announcers. He knows nothing about dogs and freely admits it, yet he talks incessantly about the Show. Buck is more like a sports announcer, always using sports metaphors with exaggerated descriptions and sarcasm, and wanting to dress up the dogs, wouldn't that be fun.

I will say this for the film: I was intrigued by dog shows enough by the movie that while watching Animal Planet this weekend I actually stopped and watched a professional dog show for awhile.