My Top 10 Other Favourite Comedies

   Well, since we are only a step away from Christmas, I should probably do a list of my top ten favourite Christmas movies or something. But I do have a pair of lists to finish. :)
   Last week, I listed my top ten favourite comedies in terms of sheer laughs. But just because a comedy isn't all that funny doesn't necessarily mean it's bad; sometimes they work in other ways. They could be intellectual, profound or just plain inspiring.
   So today I'm going to talk about my favourite movies categorised as comedies – again, excluding comedy adventures – that, while not as funny as the comedies on the other list, really stick in my mind for various other reasons.
   So here we go. These are my top ten other favourite comedies.

#10 = Meet the Parents (2000)

This is one of those movies that puts an exaggerated spin on an everyday, relatable occurrence. In this case, it's every man's worst nightmare: meeting your girlfriend's parents for the first time and being afraid they won't take to you – especially if you're hoping to marry their daughter. The scenarios that stem from Jack the father's dislike for Greg are, needless to say, completely ridiculous, but the humour comes from how much worse they keep making Greg's situation. Greg's attempts to impress the parents can get uncomfortably awkward at times, but this is still a funny and, more importantly, relevant film.

#9 = Easy A (2010)

It's kind of a modern retelling of The Scarlet Letter. It's about an insignificant girl in high school who, through one simple lie about losing her virginity, gets a reputation for being easy, which soon spirals out of control. But instead of letting the rumours bother her, she decides to have some fun with them, embracing her new slutty image. It's a funny and thoughtful look at finding an identity, and eventually taking responsibility for it. Of course there's also an honest, caring relationship thrown in, which only adds extra charm. And it's all topped off with a star-making performance by Emma Stone.

#8 = The Hangover (2009)

What I love about this movie is that it unfolds like a mystery. These guys just wake up in the morning and discover that, overnight, all this shit has happened. So we're right along for the ride with them as they try to piece the puzzle together. It's great how we discover more and more just how much trouble they caused under the influence. The lead trio, except for Stu, are completely unlikable assholes, so the reason the movie intrigues me so much is that they're trying to find Doug, the only truly decent one, to get him to his wedding in time.


#7 = Chasing Amy (1997)

If there's anyone who could make a romantic comedy that actually appeals to me, it's Kevin Smith! :) In his hands, sexual humour, which I usually find insufferable, actually is laugh-out-loud funny. But what really gets me about this movie is how well the romantic side of it works. You can understand Holden's mindset, willing for his relationship to work out – at least until the end, when even the movie knows he makes the wrong decision. The whole thing comes off as deeply personal, as demonstrated in the surprise speech by Silent Bob. It's a surprisingly heartfelt romance, and probably Kevin Smith's most mature movie.

#6 = Clerks (1994)

As much as I love Chasing Amy, I still think Kevin Smith's debut, Clerks, has yet to be topped. Much like Holden in Chasing Amy, Dante is the spokesman for the audience here. Even if you've never been in a dead-end counter job yourself, you can still understand him: being stuck there against his will, sometimes having to deal with impossible customers. You can share his frustration (as well as laugh) at how all this shit happens to him on just this one day – which is supposed to be his day off! Plus, the conversations the characters have are some fascinating small talk.


#5 = School of Rock (2003)

This is one of those movies that makes up for its thoroughly predictable story in just how well it's executed. The main character starts out acting selfishly, pretending to be a substitute teacher just for the money and really sucking at it, until the students' musical ability gives him a real goal. And from then on, we bond with the class the same way the teacher does. It certainly helps that they're bonding through rock-and-roll music – can't complain about that! :D And, of course, we have Jack Black giving a career-defining performance. What else can you say but, "School of Rock rocks?!" :)

#4 = The Full Monty (1997)

This is another story that we've seen many times before, but just works particularly well here. The story is simple: an unemployed man needs money to support his son, so he gets the idea to get his friends together and form a striptease act. And I think that's what makes the movie so inspiring: that it's all for such a personal goal. I especially love the character of Gerald and how he originally refuses, but ends up not only joining the group but becoming an integral part. Other than that, I don't really have much to say. An inspirational piece can't really be explained.


#3 = Groundhog Day (1993)

Everyone's been in a situation where they feel like they're living the same day again and again, be it a monotonous job or whatever. Well, here, that idea is taken literally. It's never explained why Bill Murray's character is living the same day in an endless loop; all that matters is how he deals with it. And he does exactly what most people in that situation would: at first he's freaked out, then he realises he can have all the fun he wants and starts to exploit it. Simply put, this is one of the most profound, thought-provoking movies I've ever seen.


#2 = Kind Hearts and Coronets (1949)

This is a black comedy classic, and one of the first black-and-white movies I ever saw. It's a tale told in flashback of how our hero went about murdering the whole D'Ascoyne lineage in order to secure his rightful place as Duke. I always simply enjoyed it as a straight-up tale of revenge, since I couldn't help but agree that the way the D'Ascoyne family disowned his mother in the past was pretty shameful, but I guess that's also where its dark humour comes from: the righteous sense of justice in our hero's murder spree. Either way, I truly love this film.

And my #1 other favourite comedy is… Dr Strangelove or: How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Bomb (1964)

This is one that I'm sure I love for completely the wrong reason. I never saw that much humour in this movie at all, not even black humour. To me, it always just seemed like a straight-up thriller. Yes, I know it's a Cold War political satire, but it's still about one unhinged man threatening to start a global apocalypse. And the various attempts to stop the bombers make for some truly nail-biting stuff. The tension from beginning to end has me on the edge of my seat. But maybe that's just because I can't grasp the satire. From a comedic standpoint, though, there is one line that always cracks me up: "Gentlemen, you can't fight in here! This is the War Room!" :D So I may view it as more of a thriller than a comedy, but, either way, it's one of my favourites.

   So, merry Christmas, happy Hanukkah, happy Kwanzaa – whatever. Happy holidays. :)