Editing Waiting for Guffman (section)

==Release and reception==
After being shown at the Toronto and Boston film festivals in late 1996, it received a US theatrical release, playing in roughly 50 theaters beginning on January 31, 1997.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://charlierose.com/videos/12988 |title=Christopher Guest |publisher=Charlierose.com |date= |access-date=February 2, 2021}}</ref> The only other country it received a theatrical release in was Australia, during September 1997.<ref>''[[The Age]]'', September 26, 1997, p. 55</ref> It had earlier been shown at the [[Melbourne International Film Festival]] on August 4, 1997.

To promote the film, Guest made appearances on ''[[Late Night with Conan O'Brien]]'' and the [[NBC]] talk show ''[[Later (talk show)|Later]]'' during February 1997.

As of 2024, ''Waiting for Guffman'' has a 91% approval rating on [[Rotten Tomatoes]] based on 55 reviews, with an average rating of 7.80/10. The site's critical consensus reads, "This riotously deadpan mockumentary about aspiring community theater performers never stoops to ridicule oft-ridiculous characters."<ref>{{cite web |title=Waiting for Guffman |website=[[Rotten Tomatoes]] |url=http://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/waiting_for_guffman/ |access-date=November 11, 2020}}</ref> The film also received a score of 71 out of 100 on [[Metacritic]], based on 19 critics, indicating "generally favorable reviews".<ref name="Metacritic">{{cite web |title=Waiting for Guffman |website=[[Metacritic]] |url=http://www.metacritic.com/movie/waiting-for-guffman/critic-reviews |access-date=December 27, 2011}}</ref>

Owen Gleiberman of ''[[Entertainment Weekly]]'' gave the film a grade A and called it "A madcap gem."<ref>{{Cite magazine |url=https://ew.com/article/1997/02/14/waiting-guffman-3/ |title=Read EW's 1997 review of 'Waiting for Guffman' |magazine=[[Entertainment Weekly]]}}</ref> Peter Travers of ''[[Rolling Stone (magazine)|Rolling Stone]]'' called it "Priceless".<ref>{{cite magazine |date=January 31, 1997 |last=Travers |first=Peter |title=Waiting for Guffman |url=https://www.rollingstone.com/movies/movie-reviews/waiting-for-guffman-102754/ |magazine=Rolling Stone}}</ref> It got two thumbs up on the February 1, 1997, episode of ''[[At the Movies (1986 TV program)|Siskel and Ebert]]''.<ref name="atthemovies">{{cite book |last1=Ebert |first1=Roger |last2=Siskel |first2=Gene |title=''Shadow Conspiracy''/''Waiting for Guffman''/''Star Wars: Special Edition''/''Gridlock'd''/''Prisoner of the Mountains''/''Walkabout'' |date=February 1, 1997 |publisher=Buena Vista Television}}</ref> In his review for the ''[[Chicago Sun-Times]]'', [[Roger Ebert]] gave the film three out of four stars and wrote: "Attention is paid not simply to funny characters and punch lines, but to small nudges at human nature."<ref>{{cite web |last=Ebert |first=Roger |author-link=Roger Ebert |title=Waiting For Guffman movie review (1997) |url=https://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/waiting-for-guffman-1997 |website=[[Chicago Sun-Times]]}}</ref> Maitland McDonagh of ''[[TV Guide]]'' called the film "Frequently funny -- sometimes very funny indeed."<ref>{{cite web |title=Waiting For Guffman |url=https://www.tvguide.com/movies/waiting-guffman/review/131291/ |website=TVGuide.com}}</ref>

{{Anchor|Box office}}
During opening weekend, the film made $37,990. The film earned $2.9 million at the US domestic box office, against a production budget of $4 million.<ref name="numbers">{{cite web |title=Waiting for Guffman (1997) - Financial Information |url=https://www.the-numbers.com/movie/Waiting-for-Guffman#tab=summary |website=The Numbers}}</ref>