Who among us would pass up a chance at stardom?  If you watch Waiting for Guffman (1996), the answer it will provide is that everyone wants to be famous.  Of course, it is part of the series of “mockumentaries” made by Christopher Guest and the cast of actors and actresses he has assembled for these films, most of which have been reviewed by The Legionnaire.  Thus, when you hear of such assertions from a flick like this, you need to take it with a healthy dose of skepticism.  What it does underscore, though, is the sometimes strange lengths to which people will go for notoriety.  This is contrary to Catholic teaching as we are called to approach all situations with a servant’s heart.  There is nothing wrong with wanting to be in showbusiness and entertaining others.  At the same time, I think we can all point to instances when fame has those in the limelight to do some pretty sinful things.  Luckily, that is not what you see here.  Instead, it makes fun of those in small town America who have little idea of what making it big entails, but a willingness to accomplish it.  This is not a great presentation either, especially if you live in these areas of our country.  Since the word “mock” is in the name for this genre, it speaks to part of the plot.  It can serve as a warning to those who wish to become famous, though there are better formats for such lessons.

The setting for Waiting for Guffman is the fictional town of Blaine, Missouri.  The mayor, Glenn Welsch (Larry Miller), and the city council are preparing to celebrate the 150^th anniversary of Blaine’s founding.  What follows is an introduction of some of the denizens of this locale in order to further the country bumpkin narrative mentioned in the previous paragraph.  We are all God’s children, though some may be a little more different than most, like local historian Phil Burgess (Don Lake), who claims that in 1946 all Blaine’s inhabitants were abducted by aliens from outer space.  Perhaps the most eccentric of them all, and in some ways extraterrestrial to such a place, is Corky St. Clair (Christopher Guest).  He claims to have worked on Broadway in New York City, but came to the Midwest to get away from the fast-paced Big Apple life.  Since that time, he has been directing shows that have been bringing down the house, at times quite literally, such as his production of Back Draft that destroyed the theater in flames.  Despite this evident public danger, Glenn turns to Corky to make a musical based on Blaine’s history, and yes, the supposed abduction saga makes it into what will be called Red, White, and Blaine.  With the help of high school music teacher Lloyd Miller (Bob Balaban), Corky sets to holding open auditions.  To give you a further sense of what the film is aiming for, and to add more context to the population from which the cast is drawn, I will describe to you the principal players.  There is Ron (Fred Willard) and Sheila Albertson (Catherine O’Hara), the local travel agents who have never left Blaine but have been in many of Corky’s productions; the dentist, Dr. Allan Pearl (Eugene Levy), who thinks that because he sat next to the funny kid in high school, that he is now also comedic; Dairy Queen worker Libby Mae Brown (Parker Posey), who is desperate to get out of Blaine, but knows that there is always Dairy Queen in case she falters; a guy living on the outskirts in a trailer named Clifford Wooley (Lewis Arquette), who has no notion of showbusiness, but Corky decides has the right voice to be the narrator; finally, there is Johnny Savage (Matt Keeslar), who the closeted homosexual Corky is secretly attracted to, and is the initial lead in the production despite being a mechanic.  Once they are all chosen for their roles, rehearsals immediately commence.  During this process, Corky takes it upon himself to write to supposed Broadway contacts.  He is thus excited to hear back from a producer, Mort Guffman (not pictured), saying that Mort would like to come to Blaine to see the show.  Corky informing the cast and crew of this development excites them, and he turns to the city council for $100,000 to make more of a spectacle.  They laugh at his request when they think he is joking, and as kindly as possible remind him of the other productions he has pulled off on shoestring budgets.  Corky is despondent, but the cast comes to bring him out of his funk.  The flattery of the mayor and the council helps, too.  Thus comes the appointed night, and initially everyone is sad to see that the seat reserved for Mort is unfilled.  Yet, not long into the first act, somebody occupies it.  Immediately following as rousing a performance as they could muster, Corky brings the bemused man backstage to meet everyone.  With a balloon in hand, he somewhat sheepishly explains that he is Roy Loomis (Paul Benedict), and that he is in town for the birth of his niece who will love the red inflatable.  Once Roy leaves to stunned silence, Corky finally reads the note that had been handed to him explaining that Mort had been forced by bad weather to remain in New York.  Three months later, Dr. Pearl has given up his practice and is doing one-man shows in retirement homes in Miami; the Albertsons have finally left Blaine, relocating to Los Angeles to be in commercials with no speaking lines; Corky has returned to New York; and Libby will always have the Dairy Queen.

Please understand that, from a Catholic perspective, there is nothing wrong with pursuing one’s dreams like those in Waiting for Guffman.  They can fit within the framework of a vocation, or being something that compliments them.  Believe it or not, there are those who grow up longing to be a priest or member of a religious order.  That is what we would refer to as a calling, and they are beautiful when they are so clearly heard and followed.  Despite his alternative lifestyle, and arguably not being as talented as he thinks he is, Corky has the same kind of dedication to a vision that only he can see.  Sure, his visions become things that he then shows to others, but he has the clarity of purpose that is so crucial to discernment.  You should be open to whatever God desires of you, and when it is found, no matter how long it lasts, it is a blessing.  What is also a blessing are the folks in Blaine who turn out to watch Red, White, and Blaine.  Granted, they would not know the difference between Cory’s work and Cats, but their enthusiasm is what stands out so true.  It is also played for laughs, which is the unfortunate part of this film.  Then again, if comedies did not poke fun at certain people, then they would probably not be as funny.  At the same time, the cast have a sense that there is nothing to be had for them in Blaine, which is why they all leave the town by the end.  Put differently, they are not satisfied with the graces bestowed upon them by their neighbors.  In showbusiness parlance, they are not content with being big fish in small ponds.  What God would like of all of us is to be happy with the fish He made us to be.  That does not mean we should give up on trying to grow.  Getting closer to God is a journey, and who we are at one point in it is different than who we will be farther along the trail.  It may be silly to say, but you see this in all the characters in the film.

While I did not like making fun of certain groups, there are some funny moments in Waiting for Guffman.  This is not unusual for Guest mockumentaries, at least for me.  Is this enough for me to fully recommend it?  I am not sure I will, but leave it up to you.