For a movie that clocks in at a modest 90 minutes, Christopher Guest’s Best in Show packs in a lot of laughs and some witty one-liners. Of course, that’s a credit to Guest’s directing, as well as his writing (alongside co-star Eugene Levy), and the perfect cast, which also includes Jennifer Coolidge, Catherine O’Hara, Parker Posey, Michael McKean, John Michael Higgins and more. As many great quotes and scenes as there are in the 2000 movie, there are some that have lingered in my mind more than others. Hopefully some of your favorites made the list…
The Introduction Of Meg and Hamilton Swan (And Beatrice)
While the introduction to Meg (Parker Posey) and Hamilton (Michael Hitchcock) doing a therapy session with their weimaraner Beatrice, should have clued us in to the problems brewing in their relationship, nothing could have truly prepared us for what was to come for this couple and their unfortunate dog.
"She was very popular back then. She had dozens of boyfriends," Gerry Fleck "Hundreds," Cookie Fleck
While many know Eugene Levy and Catherine O’Hara for their outstanding portrayals of Johnny and Moira Rose in the Schitt’s Creek cast, long before the popular comedy series, they were delivering hilarious performances in Christopher Guest’s films. In this early Best in Show scene, we witness Gerry’s stunned reaction when his wife informs him that she had hundreds of boyfriends before they got together. This is information he’ll continue to process throughout the movie as she runs into some of them.
The Introduction Of Scott And Stefan (and Miss Agnes)
Scott (John Michael Higgins) and Stefan’s (Michael McKean) introduction offers some backstory to their relationship, their happy dog-loving life, and an introduction to their shih tzu Miss Agnes, we also get to see Stefan humorously scold his partner every time Scott finds an opportunity to make a hilarious innuendo.
"We both love soup. And we love the outdoors. And we love snow peas. And talking and not talking. We could not talk or talk forever and still find things to not talk about."
And then there’s Sherri (Jennifer Coolidge, in one of her best movies), who’s introduced next to her husband Leslie (Patrick Cransaw), a much older man, who likes all the same things Sherri does. Well, technically, from what Sherri says, he likes a few specific things she also likes (snow peas, soup, talking or not talking, etc.)
Meg And Hamilton's Romantic Starbucks Story
There’s something comically bland about the way Meg and Hamilton talk about how they met, back when they were in school and frequenting Starbucks. That’s Starbucks-plural, as they were often seeing one another from across the street at different Starbucks. You’d think this story couldn’t get any more riveting, but then they talk about what drinks they were drinking at the time, and that's followed by a timeline of caffeinated beverages they’ve enjoyed since then. So, there’s that.
The "God Loves A Terrier" Song
Cookie and Gerry aren’t just terrier enthusiasts, they’re also singers! I’m not going to lie, I can’t hear a mention of a terrier without immediately wanting to sing “God Loves a Terrier.” I just wish that the people who have to witness my high-pitched musical attempt to reference the movie were nearly as enraptured as the guests are at Winky’s party.
"I think we're overpacking, don't you?"
How many kimonos does one need for a 48-hour trip? If you’re Scott, at least seven. Maybe eight. I love the way Stefan questions if they’re overpacking, but I also love that later on in the film we see them completely make over their hotel room to make it more their style of decor.
"You stop namin' nuts."
Christopher Guest appears in the film as the bloodhound-loving Harlan Pepper. But Harlan doesn’t only love bloodhounds. He also loves fishing and, as we learn on his ride to the show, he loves to name nuts. So much so that he used to drive his mother crazy as he spouted off as many nuts as he could name.
Meg and Hamilton's Argument At The Airport
I think it’s in this scene that we see just how ridiculous Meg and Hamilton's disagreements are. While Hamilton is annoyed that they’re running late for their flight because of Meg, she’s firm in her belief that if they’d just taken a car service, they would've left on time. All of this culminates to Beatrice snapping at a man who comes over to pet her, and the married couple unite in their irritation of the friendly “mean man” who must have provoked their dog.
Max Berman's Hello To Cookie
Poor Gerry. Also poor Fay Berman (Linda Kash). Both have to stand by and watch as Max Berman (Larry Miller) hand Winky over to Gerry so that he can greet Cookie hello by planting a big kiss on her lips. The look on Gerry’s face as he watches this play out is priceless.
Max's Demonstration Of What A Terrible Hostage Negotiator He is
We already knew that Max was probably a terrible hostage negotiator with his “they all jump” comment at the dinner table, but he gives us a full demonstration of what it might be like to have to deal with him in a stressful and potentially catastrophic situation when his and Fay’s son is up on the roof with Winky, and Max threatens to gouge his eyes out with his thumb if he doesn’t come down.
"Nah, that's the good one. That should work," Cookie - "Just give it a rub," Gerry
One of the most uncomfortable moments of the movie happens when Cookie and Gerry arrive at the hotel only to have their credit card declined at check-in. Playing the hotel manager, Mark, Ed Begley Jr. does a great job of politely responding to this awkwardness as Cookie and Gerry insist that this is the good credit card and that they only received one notice, so it should be fine.
"Is this L.L. Bean? Can I check?"
Watching as the dog owners mingle and try to talk to one another really shines a light on the different walks of life they come from. Take the glazed-over looks on Meg and Hamilton’s faces as Harlan goes on about fishing, for example. And then Hamilton manages to shift the conversation to a topic that's more his speed by asking if Harlan’s jacket is L.L. Bean, much to his wife’s embarrassment.
"Six months working with leather and red thread," Stefan
Cookie and Gerry hit it off with Scott and Stefan immediately. In a sweet moment, Gerry admires the embroidery work on Scott’s leather pants, and Stefan sighs dramatically at how long it took for his partner to make them. But let’s face it, the pants are amazing and everyone in the group is in awe of them.
"You get the Busy Bee, I need to trim her whiskers!" Meg
Meg and Hamilton’s drama continues to escalate when they realize that Beatrice’s favorite toy is not with them. This erupts in an argument over who should return to the hotel room to retrieve it. While Meg insists she has to trim Beatrice’s whiskers, Hamilton erupts and demands she be the one to go get the toy. Is it any wonder that Beatrice is feeling a bit anxious by this point?
Buck Laughlin Suggesting They Dress Up The Hound With A Pipe And Sherlock Holmes Hat
Let’s pause for a moment and celebrate Fred Willard and Jim Piddock’s performances as Buck Laughlin and Trevor Beckwith. While it’s clear Trevor takes this whole event very seriously, Buck has nothing but jokes and ridiculous suggestions to provide in his commentary. That includes his idea to put a Sherlock Holmes hat on the bloodhound.
"What are you, a wizard, a genius? Why didn't you tell me that before?! Thanks for your help, you stupid hotel manager!" Meg
Remember how kind and patient the hotel manager was with Cookie and Gerry when their credit card was declined? Yeah, his patience is put to a major test here as Meg tears apart the hotel room and tells him and the maid off because she can’t find the dog’s toy. And still, I credit this man for not completely losing it. In fact, he even suggests that Meg try the pet store downstairs, which only earns him an even meaner rebuke.
"You're gonna just have to let this go, ok?" Christy Cummings
There’s obviously some tension brewing between Sherri Ann and Christy, as we see Christy’s new hairstyle, which Sherri put together. Of course, the makeup Sherri applied was too much — “freakish,” according to Christy — and had to come off, much to Sherri’s disappointment. But, per Christy, she needs to let it go.
Buck Laughlin Pondering How They Make The Miniature Dogs Miniature
Trevor continues to tolerate Buck’s ridiculous comments throughout the dog show, including this question about how miniature schnauzer’s are miniaturized.
"That handler looks familiar to me." Buck Laughlin
While the other run-ins Cookie has with her old flames are much more eventful in the movie, this brief gag still makes me laugh. As Cookie is walking Winky out on the floor, Buck pauses his commentary to note that she looks kind of familiar to him.
"Don't spit at me!" Meg
At this point, Meg and Hamilton are in full-on meltdown mode. Meg has failed to retrieve the Busy Bee, and the toy she bought as a replacement is not to Hamilton’s satisfaction. They’re both very unhappy, but Meg will not tolerate Hamilton spitting on her while he’s screaming at her.
Buck Laughlin Talking To Dr. Millbank About Columbus Landing In Philadelphia On The Mayflower.
Buck Laughlin does not exclusively deliver his rambling commentary to Trevor in this film. Here we see him attempting to impart some historical wisdom on Dr. Millbank (Bob Balaban), president of the Mayflower Kennel Club. It’s almost impossible to keep up with his inaccuracies as he explains the "little known fact" that Columbus didn’t actually land in Philadelphia on the Mayflower. The good doctor is barely able to sift through everything that’s wrong about what Laughlin is saying in order to politely correct him.
"He went after her like she's made out of ham." Buck Laughlin
Beatrice's dreams of winning at the Mayflower were dashed when she showed aggression toward the judge. The dog was ejected from the competition, much to Meg and Hamilton’s frustration and disappointment. And much to our amusement when we factor in Buck’s response to the dog going after the judge like she was ham.
"I'm gonna be right here until I get another message from myself." Sherri
The pressure of a dog show is not for everyone, and Sherri needs a break as she stress-eats popcorn and waits for herself to tell herself it’s time to go back out there.
Scott And Stefan Watching The Behind-The-Scenes Drama Between Christy And Sherri
The scene where Scott and Stefan watch part of the show on TV as Christy and Rhapsody in White win best in group is hilarious and makes me wish we could’ve had much more of their commentary on the whole dog show. In the end of this scene, they’re left with their jaws on the floor as they watch Christy and Sherri Ann exchange a very passionate celebratory kiss.
Cookie Trying To Walk On Her Hurt Knee
Catherine O’Hara is great at physical humor, and this scene is pure comedy because of it. Just as she’s about to take Winky out for the final competition, she falls and hurts her knee. But it doesn’t leave her with a mere limp. Instead, her leg seems to jerk in every direction as she tries to walk. It’s such a goofy moment and a perfect display of how funny O’Hara is.
The Look On Gerry's Face The Moment Winky Wins
Gerry was barely prepared to be the one to take Winky out onto the floor after Cookie hurt her knee. But he steps up, two-left-feet and all and does it. That they would actually win Best In Show is clearly not what he's expecting, as evidenced by the way he first turns and looks behind him when the judge points to him to declare Winky the winner, and then stares in total shock as it hits him that they just won the Mayflower.
"We are so lucky to have been raised amongst catalogs." Meg Swan
No judgment to anyone who enjoys looking at catalogs. Who doesn’t? But Meg and Hamilton waxing on about how great it is to thumb through an L.L. Bean is too much for me.
"Am I nuts or... something's wrong with his feet."
We might have forgotten that Gerry has two left feet, as he explains to us near the start of the movie. But that bit comes back when he has to be the one to take Winky out on the floor for the final round. It’s Buck who actually notices Gerry’s feet, and Trevor seems a bit stunned to have to credit his co-host for noticing this little tidbit.
"How much weight do you think I could benchpress?"
Because this is something you’d imagine would come up from the commentators at a dog show, right? Even Buck seems to know the question is out there, but that doesn’t stop him from following through with the conversation as Trevor tries to politely play along.
"No, that's a bear in a bee costume," Meg
We see a few people have the unfortunate experience of dealing with an angry Meg throughout the movie. This pet store owner (Hiro Kanagawa) is one of them. While he patiently tries to help find a comparable toy for Meg to buy to replace Busy Bee, she has to point out what’s wrong with everything he shows her. And then she ends up buying a toy that’s the least bee-like.
In the epilogue, Cookie has one last run-in with an ex. This time, it’s a recording engineer named “Bulge” (Steven M. Porter), and like the other men Cookie encounters, he cares a total of 0% that her husband is standing next to her as he reminisces and flirts with Cookie. And at this point, Gerry can only smack his head on the microphone over and over in response.
