I saw this movie the night AFTER the Oscars which raised some interesting questions. It was a scathing if hilarious indictment of the entire Hollywood system in general and the Oscars in particular. It was obvious why the Academy completely ignored the movie, but I wondered why host Ellen D. couldn't have gotten in at least one mention of it, as a dig at the system.

The dramatic arc of the film concerns Catherine O'Hara's character, who begins as a well-respected, serious actor who in late career has been reduced to taking minor parts in mediocre movies, and who ends as a botoxed, pompous, frankly insane drama coach because of her obsession with getting an Oscar nomination. The final scene is not only NOT humorous, but is really quite devastating.

Of course the whole thing, like all the other Chris Guest films, is a mostly improvised riff on some American institution with many laughs and bizarre yet recognizable characters. "For Your Consideration" is probably more surreal, dark and cruel than the others, which is appropriate for any movie about movies and the "dream factory," but for me had just as many funny bits as Guest's stock company find the intrinsic humor in their characters. And in O'Hara's case, her performance runs even deeper and sadder than the rest, and should be a lasting icon of Hollywood movie movies like Norma Desmond, whom she greatly resembles by the end.