Mar 23
Coolidge Corner Theatre Brookline, MA
Erin Hecht
Scientist and Faculty Member, Harvard University; Director, Canine Brains Project
Best in Show— Breeds on the Brain: How We Shaped Dog Behavior
Program Description
Take a journey into the neuroscience of man’s best friend, examining how different breeds see the world and the science behind the quirks we see on screen.
Presented At
Coolidge Corner Theatre Brookline, MA
Film Synopsis
A behind-the-scenes look into the highly competitive and cut-throat world of dog shows through the eyes of a group of ruthless dog owners.
At the prestigious Mayflower Dog Show, a "documentary film crew" captures the excitement and tension displayed by the eccentric participants in the outrageously hilarious mockumentary Best in Show.
This biting send-up exposes the wondrously diverse dog owners who travel from all over America to showcase their four-legged contenders. Mild-mannered salesman Gerry Fleck (Eugene Levy) and his vivacious wife, Cookie (Catherine O'Hara), happily prepare their Norwich Terrier, while shop owner Harlan Pepper (Christopher Guest) hopes his Bloodhound wins top prize.
As two upwardly mobile attorneys (Parker Posey and Michael Hitchcock) anxiously ready their neurotic Weimaraner and an ecstatically happy gay couple (Michael McKean and John Michael Higgins) dote on their tiny Shih Tzu, inept commentator Buck Laughlin (Fred Willard) vainly attempts to provide colorful tidbits about each breed.
Now, with the championship at stake, the owners and the canine competitors strut their stuff for the judges in hopes of taking home the ultimate prize... Best in Show.
Photo credit: Warner Bros.
About the Speaker
Erin Hecht is a scientist and faculty member at Harvard University, where she directs the Canine Brains Project. Her research focuses on the evolution of brains and behavior, using non-invasive MRI scans to understand how the selective breeding of dogs has altered their neural anatomy. She studies everything from the working minds of service dogs to the neural origins of domestication, working to uncover how dogs became the diverse and socially skilled species we know today.