Day 54: Waiting For Guffman

Friday, Feb. 17th.

I heard back from another one of my graduate schools today; I didn't get in. That's 2 down, 1 to go. I'd be lying if I said I'm not pretty bummed. Sociology grad school was one of the main reasons I moved to Chicago, and I've dreamed of getting my doctorate since I was a little kid. But because it's my dream I'll just reapply and try again. Keep your fingers crossed for 2013.

In an attempt to raise my spirits I decided to turned to a trusted source of comedic documentaries: Christopher Guest. You may know him as The 6 Fingered Man from Princess Bride, Nigel from Spinal Tap, or husband to Jamie Lee Curtis. But I first knew him as Corky St. Clair in Waiting for Guffman.

Waiting for Guffman is a story about losers. All of Christopher Guest's movies are about losers; losers who love dogs, losers who love folk music, losers who want to be rich and famous. Hopeless people who lack even the most tiniest shred of self awareness and have convinced themselves they are destined for more than their current lot in life. People whose opinions of themselves far outweigh their actual talent, charisma, intelligence or other traits necessary to make it in the world. 

I know it doesn't sound funny, but it is. It's filmed as a dead-pan documentary, following a small community theater as it prepares its annual play. The humor's in the writing, the ridiculously unique characters, and the situational irony. The characters don't know they are pathetic, they think they are awesome. But the audience knows, and we laugh at that gap created by a lack of self awareness. 

Sometimes I get in my head about my own talent and self-worth. Am I talented, or do I just want to be? Does wanting something strongly enough mean you should get it? If I wasn't smart or talented, I'd be able to tell...right? There'd be unmistakable signs that would show me the path I'm taking isn't going to end in success, so I should drop that dream and move onto something new...right? 

Anyway, the cast's awesome: Fred Willard, Eugene Levy, Catherine O'Hara, Parker Posey, and the master of dead-pan, Bob Balaban. 

As vapid as these characters are, you still care about them, and you want them to be happy. Even the worst of the bunch (probably Fred Willard's character; a pompous know it all) is still a decent person at his core. And that makes them the ultimate underdog- characters you want to see succeed even though they don't have the talent, drive or opportunities to do so. 

Like most of Guest's films, 'Guffman' ends in a crushing defeat, leaving the characters with nothing else to do but pick themselves up and try again. 

And that's what I'm going to do. Pick myself up, reapply, and try again. 

Here's the trailer:

And here's the best 40 seconds of the entire movie: 

Not sure if you can find this online- I own it.