The top 10 movies to watch if you're a Catherine O'Hara fan

Not liking Catherine O'Hara is first date grounds for dismissal. She is comedy royalty and I won't hear otherwise. O'Hara has been stealing the show for decades from SCTV to the more recent smash hit Schitt's Creek and her film career is no different. From forgetful mother to psychic rag doll, O'Hara is a star in any role. If you love O'Hara (of course you do), here's a top ten list of movies to watch. 

1) Best In Show (2000)

Best In Show places you into the wild world of American dog shows. O'Hara plays Cookie, the owner of a terrier and partner to Gerry, played by Eugene Levy. O'Hara does not stop bringing laughs and gives a masterclass in physical comedy. 

2) Beetlejuice (1988)

Beetlejuice is the height of Tim Burton's style and the first movie that made me a O'Hara fan. Delia (O'Hara) is an eccentric, self-obsessed stepmother in a house actively being haunted. The dinner party scene alone proves that O'Hara is comedy royalty. 

3) A Mighty Wind (2003)

A Mighty Wind is arguably the most heartfelt comedy in the mockumentary lineup. Mickey and Mitch (O'Hara & Levy) are an old folk music duo who split up years prior due to a romantic falling out. The memorial concert sparks an emotional performance between the two that makes you forget you're watching a comedy.

4) The Nightmare Before Christmas (1993)

This is the perfect Christmas movie for people who prefer Halloween. The Nightmare Before Christmas has cult status for good reason; it's incredible. O'Hara voices Sally, a rag doll woman with a proficiency in mixing poisons and the occasional psychic vision. The soft voice O'Hara gives Sally makes the film all the more magical.

5) Waiting For Guffman (1996)

Cameras follow a community theatre production trying to make it to Broadway. O'Hara plays a real estate agent/amateur theatre performer alongside her husband, played by Fred Willard. It's hard to pick O'Hara's best scene in this movie because she pulls out laugh after laugh. 

6) After Hours (1985)

O'Hara doesn't appear until late in this film and she is still a highlight. The role: Gail, an on-edge ice cream truck driver that leads a vengeful mob after Griffin Dunne, a man having the worst night of his life. This movie is full of chaos and O'Hara is, as always, perfectly executed chaos. 

7) Home Alone (1990)

Who doesn't like to curl up with a hot chocolate and watch the Christmas delight that is Home Alone? I may be suffering from nostalgia blindness but I think this movie is too charming not to hold up. O'Hara plays a mother who goes to great lengths to get back to her youngest child after he's accidentally left at home when the family leaves for vacation. 

8) For Your Consideration (2006)

This round of Christopher Guest directs serves up a cast and crew working on a film that catches Oscar fever. There is no doubt that O'Hara is the shining performance in For Your Consideration. She plays an actor slowly unravelling after whispers of her possible nomination. 

9) The Life Before This (1999)

Catherine O'Hara won a Genie for her performance in this Canadian indie movie. The Life Before This begins with the violent massacre of a cafe full of patrons and rewinds to show what led them to this moment. Admittedly this is the heaviest watch on the list. 

10) Home Fries (1998) - A Guilty Pleasure 

I doubt this movie has ever made it on a top ten list but hear me out: I think it's a romp. O'Hara plays the villain, a manipulative mother using her two sons to do her dirty work that just keeps getting darker. Is this a great movie? Probably not. Is O'Hara great in it? Absolutely.