This film stands apart from Guest's other films. Not only is it not framed as a mockumentary, but it also feels like it digs far deeper into human nature and comentary, and ends up as a funny film but also a deeply affecting one.
Marilyn Hack (Catherine O'Hara) is on the set of Home for Purim, a story about a Jewish family falling apart while the holiday draws them together. Marilyn's not too excited about the movie, but she and her agent misinterpret an amateur blog post excited about the film as a serious rumor about it being Oscar gold, well before it's even finished. We see from that point on how the rumors blow up and how the film starts to take on prestige as the crew believe their own hype...while simultaneously, numerous issues like an outdated melodrama script and directorial, production, and marketing fiascos foretell disaster. The story turns into a brutal commentary about the perils of losing sight of your art and working for the reward, and comes across as unsettlingly poignant for such a funny film.
The cast is good, the usual Guest crew, and there are some great funny moments that often lean well into the satire of the movie business. But in the end, this is the Guest film that leaves me with the most emotional affect. It's the film from him I'd consider to be narrative-first, and done well.
As Catherine O'Hara would later say in her Schitt's Creek role, her favorite season is "awards". This film instead features her offering a compelling look into a similar diminished actor whose favorite season might be anything but.
An Oscar-season movie that would have deserved one.
This film stands apart from Guest's other films. Not only is it not framed as a mockumentary, but it also feels like it digs far deeper into human nature and comentary, and ends up as a funny film but also a deeply affecting one.
Marilyn Hack (Catherine O'Hara) is on the set of Home for Purim, a story about a Jewish family falling apart while the holiday draws them together. Marilyn's not too excited about the movie, but she and her agent misinterpret an amateur blog post excited about the film as a serious rumor about it being Oscar gold, well before it's even finished. We see from that point on how the rumors blow up and how the film starts to take on prestige as the crew believe their own hype...while simultaneously, numerous issues like an outdated melodrama script and directorial, production, and marketing fiascos foretell disaster. The story turns into a brutal commentary about the perils of losing sight of your art and working for the reward, and comes across as unsettlingly poignant for such a funny film.
The cast is good, the usual Guest crew, and there are some great funny moments that often lean well into the satire of the movie business. But in the end, this is the Guest film that leaves me with the most emotional affect. It's the film from him I'd consider to be narrative-first, and done well.
As Catherine O'Hara would later say in her Schitt's Creek role, her favorite season is "awards". This film instead features her offering a compelling look into a similar diminished actor whose favorite season might be anything but.