Celebrate fictional Missouri small towns, another of Parker Posey’s great on-screen accents and the notion that the show must go on when Ragtag Cinema “rewinds” to screen the ensemble comedy “Waiting for Guffman” June 4 at Missouri Theatre.
The 1996 mockumentary was the first film Columbia’s indie moviehouse ever played, and this special engagement doubles as a fundraiser.
From the mind of co-writer, director and co-star Christopher Guest (“This is Spinal Tap,” “A Mighty Wind”), “Guffman” looks in on the fictional town of Blaine, Missouri, where a truly ragtag group of community players aim to honor the town on its anniversary with an original work of theater.
Co-writer Eugene Levy, Fred Willard, Catherine O’Hara and Posey bring magic and life to the cast.
The film is a “hilarious and heart-warming ode to small town life, the power of community and pursuing your passion,” Ragtag notes on its website.
The theater has tied aspects of its personality to Guest’s work and that initial screening, naming two tiers of its membership for the film: Guffman and Mega Guffman.
The fundraiser comes at a key moment for Ragtag Film Society, the parent organization of the cinema and the annual True/False Film Fest. RFS was among the organizations nationwide affected by the withdrawal of NEA funding by the Trump Administration; RFS was hit with the loss of $30,000.
More: How the loss of NEA grants affects Ragtag, ‘We Always Swing’ Jazz Series
Ragtag suggests a $25 donation for the screening; “Waiting for Guffman” is rated R. Learn more at https://ragtagcinema.org/film/waiting-for-guffman/.
Aarik Danielsen is the features and culture editor for the Tribune. Contact him at adanielsen@columbiatribune.com. He’s on Twitter/X @aarikdanielsen.
This article originally appeared on Columbia Daily Tribune: Ragtag Cinema ‘rewinds’ for special screening of ‘Waiting for Guffman’