I'm David Farrier, a New Zealander who ended up accidentally marooned in America, and

I want to grasp what makes this country tick.

Like a lot of kids, I grew up loving American movies.

From Beverly Hills copped a die-hard, the goonies to Free Willie.

As I got older, I realized that most of what I understood about America I'd learned from

American films and TV shows.

I mean, at one point in the 90s I called my cat Chandler Bing.

That says all you need to know.

And there's probably one American movie that stuck with me more than most.

It came out during my last year of high school, Form Seven, what Americans would call my

senior year.

And it really left a mark on what I thought of American culture.

Live from Philadelphia, it's the 125th annual Mayflower Kennel Club Dog Show, 3,000 dogs

competing for Best in Show.

Best in Show was a mockumentary about dog shows.

You know, competitive dog shows.

That goal is that best in show ribbon actually called.

Even though the film wasn't real, it was a glimpse into a world I didn't know existed.

The world's of competitively showing animals.

It felt very real, which is the magic ingredient in all of Christopher Guest films, I suppose.

The competition in the egos captivated me.

Not to mention the complex politics of breeding pets that are meant to be genetically superior

...