Wow I did not realize how insanely late I am.
The most important thing I came to realize from Best in Show is the relationship dogs have with their owners. I think the reason this came to mind more than anything else is that my ex was one of the best dog trainers in the country and I saw her relationship with her dog was absolutely incredible. When I saw the way she interacted with her dog, I tried to catch glimpses during the movie of how the owners on screen interacted with their dogs.
Imagine the neurotic couple trying to have awkward, and in some eyes, ridiculous sex. Picture their obsession with the one toy the dog preferred. They could not keep their cool and when the moment to shine came, neither they nor their dog acted properly. They yelled at each other and the dog misbehaved in front of the judge. How about the poodle and it’s lesbian owners? One of them is the “alpha” of their pair and the other is a silly nitwit. The alpha taught the dog to put on a perfect performance so that at the end it was entirely up to the judges whether or not they liked it. There were no slip ups or mistakes. I can already picture the grueling practice routines the dog had to run hundreds of times to make sure that the proper procedure was learned. How about the flamboyant gay couple? It was pretty clear that they loved and treasured each other and their dogs so they had a lot of love in their relationship. From what I saw, I can’t imagine their defeat to even really upset them because they are in such a good place that hiccups like that do not even affect them. You could see it during their photoshoot in the end that they have so much going for them and they are so happy that even when they fail, it does not stop them. I can picture the redneck and his dog as really easy going and really relaxed. While watching the movie, nothing suggests that they practiced for the show or even truly cared about winning. In my mind, they are just living a good life and are each others best friend. Same thing with the adorable terrier belonging to the loving couple. They are just full of love and acceptance so that even though their dog may not truly be anything special, he is a strong contender for the title of “Best in Show”.
I think the most important lesson in this movie comes from the neurotic couple. When they got the new dog and accepted who they truly are, they found a calm not witnessed in previous depictions of them. Instead of being awkward and weird, they looked really at peace with themselves and each other during the last interview and now, their outside world (mainly their dog) fits into their new self-image.
