The Top Ten Best Comedies of All Time
Mar 23 '00
“It’s like looking for a needle in a stack of needles.”
This quote, from Saving Private Ryan -- clearly not a comedy, but a useful quote nonetheless – is the way I feel about putting together a list of the top ten comedies. Some of my favorite movies are positively hysterical -- Diner, Rushmore, The Graduate, Fargo, Midnight Run and Defending Your Life are just a few examples. But, none of these movies are, at their core, comedies. Can’t put them in the list.
The rest fall into a few distinct categories, and since I’m reluctant to actually deem one comedy as better than the next, I’ll instead just put them in groups:
STOP CALLING ME SHIRLEY: THE SLAPSTICK…
It’s no surprise to me that this category has the most films on my list. For one, they provide me with stupid lines I can repeat incessantly to the amusement of…well, certainly myself. Second, it’s just plain funny. Stupid can be funny.
Airplane! -- The blueprint for being stupid for stupid’s sake. A timely spoof of disaster films (remember The Towering Inferno?), the plot is absolutely irrelevant. Lloyd “Looks Like I Picked The Wrong Day To Stop Sniffing Glue” Bridges was never better. On the plus side, it inspired Naked Gun, a film that could have easily made this list. On the negative, however, it inspired a horde of copy-cat films that are too terrible to list.
Fletch -- Yes, it’s on TNT every other day. (Damn that nefarious Ted Turner!) It doesn’t make this film any less funny. Chevy Chase’s timing is dead-on, and the various characters he plays throughout are comic genius. (Don Corleone, Mattress Inspector pretty much says it all.) The plot is actually pretty good, and the film is a faithfully hilarious adaptation of the novel. A no-brainer for this list. Have you seen the records room?
Tommy Boy -- Holy shnikes, I miss Chris Farley. This is the hallmark film of Farley’s self-described comedy of “Fattie Fall Down.” I’ve probably watched this film twenty times – and repeated the lines with friends from it enough to count for several other complete viewings. Farley and David Spade play off of each other perfectly, and while the story isn’t going to test the limits of your imagination, it’s entertaining. Rob Lowe, Brian Denehey and Dan Aykroyd are all great in supporting roles. That’s gonna leave a mark.
Caddyshack -- I saved the best for last in this category. It’s stupid broad-based comedy that works at every moment. Rodney Dangerfield, Bill Murray, Ted Knight and Chevy Chase, all at their best. Murray’s Carl Spackler is perhaps the funniest comedic character ever, and there isn’t a scene in here that can’t be considered a classic. Plus, and this isn’t to be taken lightly, it’s about golf. Spackler’s speech about the Dalai Lama, his hedge clipping “It’s in the hole!” a thing of legend.
THE KNIGHTS THAT SAY “NEE!” – THE BRILLIANT…
These are the films that make you gasp in wonder at how clever the film is, with scenes that are indelible in ways you know you could never think of.
Monty Python and The Holy Grail -- That’s no ordinary rabbit. The film is so full of brilliant moments that I recognize a new thing almost every time I’ve seen it. The entire Python brand of comedy could fill this list completely, but this is the best (just nudging out Meaning of Life.) John Cleese and company are flat out brilliant, hysterical and so clever it almost hurts.
Austin Powers: International Man of Mystery -- Oh, this is clever. It’s been overplayed, people like me abuse things like dancing Austin icons, etc. It’s still pure genius. The first time I saw this film, I thought it was amusing. Each time thereafter, it gets funnier and funnier. Having Elizabeth Hurley in it doesn’t hurt things, to be fair, but Mike Meyers created a movie that will last the test of time. (The sequel’s pretty good, too…)
Pee Wee’s Big Adventure -- Talk about creating a new world, and painting indelible scenes, Pee Wee is so bizarrely wonderful it’s almost indescribable. His daytime television show was equally brilliant in dancing the line between being a kids show and keenly adult, and this film does the same thing. Whether it’s dancing to “Tequila,” his trip to The Alamo, or his fight in the giant pool with Francis, every scene here is priceless. You either “get” this film, or you don’t, and I’m just happy that I do.
HAVE FUN STORMING THE CASTLE! -- THE CLASSIC
These films are simply wonderful, through and through. Great plot, great acting, great writing.
The Princess Bride -- If you don’t like this film, this doesn’t necessarily mean I won’t like you, but you’re going to have to work a lot harder. The story, brilliantly adapted from the equally wonderful William Goldman novel, the timing and dialogue is so clever that I have a constant grin on my face when I watch this. The cast (Wallace Shawn, Cary Elwes, Mandy Patinkin, Robin Wright, Billy Crystal, Christopher Guest, just to name a few) is phenomenal, and the writing is unparalleled.
Animal House -- This almost went in the slapstick category, but the film is just too well done for that. Niedermeyer, dead! Whether you actually lived this life in college or not isn’t the point – the comedy is clever and it resonates with everyone. John Belushi is the heart of the film, but there are incredibly great performances by everyone. You guys playing cards? A timeless classic.
Swingers -- Vince Vaughn and Jon Favreau tag-teamed this film of pure genius. Presumably about young guys in Los Angeles, it’s also about Mikey’s (Favreau) ability to resolve the fact that his relationship with his ex-girlfriend is over. Vaughn is literally in a “star-making” role as Trent. The film perfectly captures the way guys talk to each other (not necessarily in the language, but the tone, cadence and heart), has scores of memorable scenes and dialogue, and is in almost continual rotation in my ideal library.
THESE GO TO ELEVEN.
This Is Spinal Tap -- Thank god for that line so I could put this in here. A “mockumentary” of a supposed former rock supergroup, Tap was so realistically brilliant that some people actually thought it was a real band. Christopher Guest as Nigel Tufnel is so hilarious it’s almost enough to soil oneself. Rob Reiner (who also directed The Princess Bride) directs a film replete with classic scenes. Hello, Cleveland!
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