Best in Show (Warner Home Video DVD, $12.99,
2000, 89 minutes, rated PG-13) [Cont.]
It Gets Better with Age, However
In 2000, I
had been a dog trainer for only a few years. I had yet to cover Westminster
once, let alone seven times. I had not taken a conformation course. So I didn’t
really know what was a farce of dog shows and what was just plain silly.
Now, with
many more years’ experience under my collar, I can appreciate the truth, and
there is very little, thus leaving me to enjoy the slick humor. And,
thankfully, I had forgotten who ended up winning BIS so the suspense even had
me going (and “in stitches” at times).
Characters All, Conversations
Abound, Arguments Often (“Don’t Spit on Me!”)
Harlan
Pepper with Hubert the Bloodhound from Pinenut, NC.
Harlan owns
the Fishin’ Hole and collects beach balls (more than 500 to date). He grew up
with blue tails and red bone coonhounds. Harlan can talk to anyone about
anything and forever without pausing to take a breath but it’s hard to follow
his logic (or lack of logic) in flitting from one topic to another even in the
same sentence.
Scott and
Stefan from Tribeca, NYC, are the Shih Tzu ‘queens.’
For their
48-hour trip, Stefan took eight kimonos. Stefan is a former Army brat while
Scott owns his own hairdresser salon. After the show they dress up their pups
and photograph them as well-known romantic couples in literature for a calendar
they will be selling. I will probably not be a purchaser, however.
Silent Jack
(or is it Leslie?)(approximately 95 years old) and his wife, 25-year-old Sherri
Ann (a Zhasha Gabor type) from Romulus, NY.
This odd
couple own white Standard Poodle, Rhapsody in White, who won BIS the past two
years. Handler Christy is the opposite of Sherri Ann – short haired, thin,
prone to wearing pants suits. Sherri Ann and Christy end up starting a magazine
called American Bitch for lesbian cover
couples who own female dogs.
The
attorney couple, Hamilton and Meg Swan from Moordale, IL, with matching braces
on their teeth.
These “Yuppy
Puppies” met in Starbucks years ago and still remember that Meg was drinking a
vanilla latte while Ham was sipping an espresso (or whatever). Typically
stone-faced, they verbally spar during therapy sessions with their Weimeraner
and verbally spar backstage at the Mayflower and verbally spar. . . well, you
get the picture. Canine Beatrice remains calm throughout but, unfortunately,
jumps up on the judge repeatedly during judging, resulting in her being excused
(disqualified and asked to leave the show ring) and, later, replaced with a
humping Pug.
And the Winners are. . . . (at least
the winning characters)
Gerry and
Cookie Fleck from Fern City, FL, may be the folks who are closest to normal
even though Gerry has two left feet (a joke that gets too much play). Gerry is
a salesman at Talman’s men’s clothing store and the two like to sing “God Loves
a Terrier.” Of course, they have a Norwich Terrier, Winky, who also seems to be
normal (as all of the dogs in the movie seem to be – not the people). The
Flecks were offered their name on a Pooper Scooper but turned it down.
Tied for
first place in the realistic category is also Buck, one of the commentators.
His areas of “expertise” include ‘crates, kibble and cookies.’ He has a
propensity for hoof-and-mouth disease on air.
On the
whole, BIS could be entertaining if you are multi-tasking at the same time. It
could also be an inexpensive babysitter. Go for it!
Caveat: DogEvals purchases products for review unless otherwise stated.
This DVD was borrowed from the public library.
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