“Mascots, they don’t die. They just hang in a closet.”
From Parker Posey and Jane Lynch to Fred Willard and John Michael Higgins, director Christopher Guest has a deep arsenal in which to pull from when he is crafting his characters. Though his newest creation Mascots isn’t quite up to par with the best of his previous work, it is another satisfying entry into his growing portfolio of deadpan mockumentaries - even if it does offer up a new outlook on its players.
Mascots is a Netflix original and Guest’s first film in a decade (since 2006’s For Your Consideration), and while time has passed the director’s prominent outline remains intact. Guest begins by steadily rotating through sit down interviews with his array of ensemble players, all of which accumulates into a single affair that connects everyone. In this film that event just so happens to be the 8th World Mascot Association Championships, where 20 participants (out of hundreds who applied) will compete for a coveted “Fluffy” award.
The cast, in all its glory, plays a rather diverse set of characters including competitors, judges, team owners, team coaches and television producers. Their interactions are priceless as they rely heavily on their improv skills. But at the heart of every discussion you find a trait that Guest is not known for: sincerity.
While the comedic genius director often gives his characters a heart and soul, he is never afraid to poke fun of their faithfulness to their particular craft - Waiting for Guffman had community theater, Best in Show the dog-show circuit, and professional folk music was at the center of A Mighty Wind. But in Mascots we see a unique outlook at the group of misfits as Guest appears to be taking the characters seriously in regard to their obsession.
Guest newcomers Zach Woods and Sarah Baker serve up many of the film’s best lines as a faltering married couple who attempt to utilize the benefits of mascoting to assist in their personal relationship. Their deadpan delivery is downright hilarious as they passively critique and belittle one another while playing hard to the camera.
They aren’t the only relatable characters. Parker Posey wants a final shot at establishing her legacy before passing the torch after seven years of service. Tom Bennett’s Owen Golly, Jr. is anxiously looking to escape his controlling father who served as the same mascot before him, while Chris O’Dowd’s bad-boy persona merely wants to make a name for himself (other than the notoriety stemming from the six restraining orders filed against him).
All of this is said in an effort to drive home a single point: unlike before, with these characters we care.
Guest handles the final moments in the competition well, but he fails to explore the possibilities that come with the made up competition. The situation alone merits a world of potential, but for the first time the iconic director appears to play things safe. It becomes quite clear that we miss both Catherine O’Hara and Eugene Levy, who have a way of carrying a film during its trite moments, and that the cast lacks a bona fide star to root the story.
The characters themselves aren’t snarky enough to stir uncomfortable laughs, and the jokes that do stick fail to materialize thoroughly. Mascots isn’t a bad film; however, it is a safe one. And in the world of Christopher Guest, that just isn’t what we have come to expect.
