Waiting for Guffman

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Waiting for Guffman

R

1996

1h 23m

Comedy

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Tomatometer

Popcornmeter

91%

Tomatometer

114 Reviews

91%

Popcornmeter

25,000+ Ratings

When the town of Blaine, Mo., approaches its sesquicentennial, there's only one way to celebrate: with a musical revue called "Red, White and Blaine." Hoping the show will be his ticket back to Broadway, impresario Corky St. Clair (Christopher Guest) rounds up a cast of enthusiastic but untalented locals (Eugene Levy, Fred Willard, Catherine O'Hara) to perform his masterwork. But, when Corky reveals that theater agent Mort Guffman will attend the opening, things really kick into high gear.

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Critics Consensus

This riotously deadpan mockumentary about aspiring community theater performers never stoops to ridicule oft-ridiculous characters.

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Harper Barnes

St. Louis Post-Dispatch

Mar 11, 2026

A good cast skilled at deadpan comedy and some very funny lines and clever comedic setups make for an enjoyable farce.

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Jay Boyar

Orlando Sentinel

Mar 11, 2026

4/5

The laughs keep coming partly because Guest has assembled some of the best improv-comedy minds around to act in the film and to make up dialogue.

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Jeff Strickler

Minneapolis Star Tribune

Mar 11, 2026

The townspeople are so genuinely enthused about staging "Red, White and Blaine" that we can't help but hope the show will be every bit the smash they envision.

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Robert Julian

Bay Area Reporter

Mar 11, 2026

Christopher Guest’s creation is not mean-spirited; his Corky is more archetype than stereotype.

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Dan Webster

Spokesman-Review (Washington)

Mar 11, 2026

3/4

Each of the cast members is delusional to an extreme, but all boast such innocence that it's virtually impossible not to sympathize with them.

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Rod Dreher

South Florida Sun-Sentinel

Mar 11, 2026

...side-splitting tribute to earnest showmanship and all-American bad taste.

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Gareth V

@geewah Oct 16, 2026

A warm, witty and beautifully performed comedy. A gentle gem for anyone who’s ever loved a terrible school play.

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Ben N

@Bneffer Apr 13, 2026

A bit far-fetched and silly to be great, this tale of putting on the big show is fun and sweet. I enjoy it and would recommend to any Guest fan.

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stephen B

@RT02381805 Apr 3, 2026

It's even more funny when you realize it's the same town square from the Leftovers.

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Aye E

@RT43717499 Feb 21, 2026

This is ok. Definitely a handful of great jokes and great performances. Love the Parks and Rec feeling in the beginning. But this just doesn't age well, and unlike For Your Consideration, which felt like they were making fun of their own industry, from a contemporary point of view much of this humor felt like it was punching down. A straight guy playing gay as a joke just wasn't that funny. And seeing the charms of a small town is one thing, but this felt like it was teetering on the edge of making fun of them. And the premise of them waiting for Guffman came up late in the movie and felt barely significant, except for one part, it was overall inconsequential until the end.

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Alec B

@Alec97 Feb 9, 2026

Its never condescending but it also doesn't pull punches. Elements of this movie feel so real that I can't believe it. This is probably Guest's best acting in any of these movies.

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Darryl W.

@BlackFedoraTheatre Feb 8, 2026

Enjoy all the movies Guest and team did together, but the first one is the best to me bc every time I watch Guffman there comes a point where I find myself believing these characters are real.

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Christopher Guest

Director

Christopher Guest

Corky St. Clair

Eugene Levy

Dr. Allan Pearl

Fred Willard

Ron Albertson

Catherine O'Hara

Sheila Albertson

Parker Posey

Libby Mae Brown

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70%

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Synopsis

When the town of Blaine, Mo., approaches its sesquicentennial, there's only one way to celebrate: with a musical revue called "Red, White and Blaine." Hoping the show will be his ticket back to Broadway, impresario Corky St. Clair (Christopher Guest) rounds up a cast of enthusiastic but untalented locals (Eugene Levy, Fred Willard, Catherine O'Hara) to perform his masterwork. But, when Corky reveals that theater agent Mort Guffman will attend the opening, things really kick into high gear.

Director: Christopher Guest
Producer: Karen Murphy
Screenwriter: Eugene Levy
Distributor: Sony Pictures Classics
Production Co: Castle Rock Entertainment, Sony Pictures Classics, All Night Productions, Pale Morning Dun
Rating: R (Brief Strong Language)
Genre: Comedy
Original Language: English
Release Date (Theaters): Jan 31, 1996, Wide
Release Date (Streaming): Feb 3, 2014
Box Office (Gross USA): $2.9M
Runtime: 1h 23m
Sound Mix: SDDS, Dolby SR, Dolby Digital, Surround, DTS, Dolby Stereo
Aspect Ratio: Flat (1.85:1)

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