My Top 5 Favorite Comedy Movies?
Glad You Asked…
You probably read that title and thought, “but I didn’t ask.” Yes, that’s the joke. And as we all know, a joke is not funny if you have to explain it, and that’s why I did not write any of the movies I am going to mention below. But the people who did write them, in my eyes, are geniuses. And in a world where comedy is now mostly thriving in little 15 second videos on our phones, I think these creations will stand the test of time. Hell, I’ve even seen 15 second videos that are just snippets from these movies. We’ve, uh… we’ve come a long way. So what are my top 5 favorite comedy movies? Glad you asked…
I have to start by saying that I almost made this a top 7 list, because I would be remiss to not mention two absolute bangers: Superbad (2007) and Bridesmaids (2011). Both of these movies should be in my top 5, and it hurts me that they aren’t simply because there are 5 comedies closer to my heart. As I’m writing this I’m actually asking myself if either of these two should replace one in my list, but I’m sticking to my guns.
Superbad is the quintessential teenage comedy of its generation. It threw out cliches and gave us a real, honest, HILARIOUS look at high school life. Teenagers are awkward, they fuck a lot of things up, and their brains are below the belt. Superbad nailed that. Bridesmaids cemented Kristen Wiig as a comedy legend and launched Melissa McCarthy into stardom with consistent laughs throughout its run time. The airplane scene and the bridal shop scenes are nothing short of incredible.
For the sake of brevity I should probably stop talking about movies that ‘technically’ aren’t on my list, but the words are coming out of me like lava. I also had to write enough for that reference to make sense, but now it’s time for the top 5.
5. Meet the Parents (2000)
Director: Jay Roach, Screenplay: Jim Herzfeld, John Hamburg
It holds up. To me, that is a huge praise for a comedy movie, and after more than 20 years this movie still makes me laugh. I feel for Greg Focker (Ben Stiller) the entire time and Robert De Niro is perfect as the overprotective father / former CIA agent. Anything that could go wrong, does. Spray painting Mr. Jinx’s tail, spiking the ball into Debbie’s face, flushing the downstairs toilet, popping the champagne and breaking the urn… all of it is gold. The two scenes where Greg spars with the airline employee are the funniest take on how much airports SUCK that I’ve ever seen. Meet the Parents’s sequels leave a lot to be desired, but the fact that this movie got two sequels speaks volumes.
My favorite line: “Oh yeah, you can milk anything with nipples.” “I have nipples Greg, could you milk me?”
4. Mean Girls (2004)
Director: Mark Waters, Screenplay: Tina Fey
Perhaps the best set of characters I’ve ever seen in a comedy comes from Mean Girls. Every notable character has funny lines and there is a prolific set of minor characters with one or two lines each that make me laugh out loud (“Made out with a hot dog? Oh my God, that was one time!”). Tina Fey displays why she is a master of comedy as this movie hits every screenplay beat perfectly, and it remains the most quotable movie ever made to so many people. It’s hilarious from beginning to end, and it carries two very important messages: be yourself, and don’t be an asshole. There’s so much to say about this movie that I’d better just stop now. I promised myself I wouldn’t make a ‘fetch’ joke, so instead I’ll just say it’s perfect.
My favorite line: There are just too many to choose, but my gut is telling me it’s “SHE DOESN’T EVEN GO HERE!”
3. I Love You, Man (2009)
Director and Screenplay: John Hamburg
I Love You, Man is the greatest romcom of all time, and for a while it was my absolute favorite movie. It came out at the peak of Judd Apatow’s ‘bro comedy’ era (though Apatow was not involved in this one), and it’s one of the very few movies where cussing itself is funny. Paul Rudd and Jason Segel seem to absolutely adore each other, and it really sells the idea of this movie. Peter Klaven’s awkwardness would fit right in to Cody Ko and Noel Miller’s “That’s Cringe” YouTube series. Sydney Fife’s breakdown of a man trying not to fart in front of a woman is maybe the hardest I’ve ever laughed in a theater. I was 16, but still. Like Mean Girls, this movie sports an incredible cast of supporting characters, including Mr. Louis Ferrigno, the Hulk from television… and Hank Mardukas. But enough references, it’s time to move on to #2. Laters on the menjay.
My favorite line: “It was the taste… of betrayal… you fucking whore.”
2. 21 Jump Street (2012) and 22 Jump Street (2014)
Director: Phil Lord and Christopher Miller, Screenplay: Michael Bacall
Yes, I cheated. I took two movies for the price of one. But these movies, to me, really are a package deal. 21 is the funniest movie I’ve ever seen and 22 has to be the best comedy sequel ever, right? These movies made me love Channing Tatum, and before them I had completely written him off. He and Jonah Hill are the perfect duo. Some of the jokes are easy, they swing for some low hanging fruit with their character archetypes, but they pull it off to the point where I don’t even consider it a knock against them. The meta references to the fact that these are just movies and a reboot of a show are hilarious. Moving across the street from 21 Jump Street to 22 Jump Street while pointing to 23 Jump Street and saying “next year we’ll probably be over there” gets me every time, as does Nick Offerman’s deadpan explanation of how Jump Street is just a rehash of a program from the 80s because the department is out of original ideas. And lastly, the parking lot scene in 21 might be my favorite comedy scene ever… except for maybe the slam poetry scene in 22.
My favorite line:
(21) “We got a pound of coke!” “We’re trying to show them a good time, not ruin their fucking lives,” and also “That is really insensitive.” … and also “Clearly I wasn’t talking to you, big titties.” … and also “When I’m talking to him, I’m talking to him. When I say ‘shut the fuck up,’ I’m talking to you.” Ok, I’m done.
(22) "Slam... poetry. Yelling! Angry! Waving my hands a LOT! Specific point of view on THINGS! Cynthia! Cyn-thi-a! Jesus died for our sin-thias! Jesus cried. Runaway bride. Julia Roberts! Julia Rob... hurts! Cynthia! Oooooh, Cynthia. You're dead. You are dead. Bop boop beep bop bop boop bop. You're dead. That's for Cynthia... who's dead.”
1. Forgetting Sarah Marshall (2008)
Director: Nicholas Stoller, Screenplay: Jason Segel
Forgetting Sarah Marshall made me love comedies. It changed my taste in movies, and at 15 years old it made me wonder, “why do I still watch the Disney Channel” as I realized I had a brand new sense of humor. It got me to start watching How I Met Your Mother to get more Jason Segel in my life, and that then became my favorite show (besides the worst finale in TV history). It’s my comfort movie. I love every scene dearly, and as I’ve grown a bit older I’ve only come to love it even more. It’s more than just a comedy. It’s a great self-reflective story of a man coming to realize everything wrong with his seemingly perfect relationship, how awful his ex is, and ultimately the role he played in their demise and how he can improve himself. To me, there’s just nothing typical about it as it tells a character-driven story and somehow is still laugh out loud funny. I never expected to find such a relatable character and then hear him sing an original song like Dracula’s Lament, where the blatant sadness of it is hilarious just from the deep voice in which he sings it. But the song is like the movie itself. It’s sad, but in a lighthearted way that makes it funny and kind of beautiful.
My favorite line: “Did she see me?” Uh-huh. “Is she coming over here?” Yep. “I wish I wasn’t wearing this fucking shirt.”
So, do any of these movies crack your top 5? They all cracked mine! Are you furious that I left off Animal House, Airplane or The Hangover? Do you think I have the worst comedy taste of all time? Was this article way too long, but you still enjoyed it because you found my passion for the topic kind of endearing? Let us know what you think, and thanks for reading!