Best in Show
The announcement of actress Catherine O’Hara’s death at the beginning of this year came very unexpected. From mater familias with a questionable sense of timing in HOME ALONE to the unforgettable matriarch with the best pronunciation in television series SCHITT’S CREEK or avant-garde artist Delia Deetz in BEETLEJUICE, O’Hara manages to surprise the audience with every performance. Journalist Paula Mejía perfectly sums up our fascination with the actress: “Catherine O’Hara brought humanity to over-the-top characters—and managed to wink at the audience in the process.”
Our favourite O’Hara performances are her roles in director Christopher Guest’s excellent mockumentaries – a parody on the documentary where truth is merely an open suggestion. Often paired with actor Eugene ‘unibrow’ Levy, O’Hara could master even the most hilarious of situations with a dead-pan delivery. To honour this iconic actress, we screen the very funny BEST IN SHOW.
In BEST IN SHOW, our Queen of Mockumentaries is the promiscuous Cookie Fleck, married to Eugene Levy’s Gerry and proud owner of a Norwich terrier with the name Winky. Cookie and Gerry are one of the five couples who have entered their show dogs into the Mayflower Kennel Club Dog Show. With his mockumentary, Christopher Guest creates a behind-the-scenes look into the highly competitive and cutthroat world of dog shows.
In addition to O’Hara and Levy, Parker Posey, Jennifer Coolidge, Jane Levy and John Michael Higgins are some of the others showing their purebred dogs to the world. The biggest part of the movie was improvised by the actors and since none of the licensed dog shows wanted to allow the film crew, they had to create their own dog show, find the dogs and their trainers. A nightmare, according to director and actor Christopher Guest. But very much worthwhile according to main actor and co-screenwriter Eugene Levy, because “people just love dogs”.
The passing of Catherine O’Hara, the actress with the unique comedic talent, is a tough goodbye. But during her life and in her roles, O’Hara was a firm believer of seizing the day. Or in the words of the unforgettable Moira Rose: “Who knows what will befall us tomorrow? You could be hit by a Mack truck or bopped on the head by a tiny piece of space debris.” Wise words from a wise woman. Rest in Peace, Catherine.
