The Funniest American Comedies

Dirty Work
      1998 | USA | Laughs: 7.0 (Laugh and Smile) | imdb: 6.5
      wikipedia | who was involved?

Desperate to raise cash for a surgery, two friends set up a business that helps customers get revenge. This comedy was a great surprise. There isn't much of a plot, but I smiled throughout and had some good laughs. At times the pacing was terrific: you come to a great punchline, and just as it hits you and makes you want to laugh, the action carries on as if nothing had happened, which makes the gag even funnier. (Last viewed: April 2016)

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Borat Subsequent Moviefilm
      2020 | USA | Laughs: 7.0 (Laugh and Smile) | imdb: 6.7
      wikipedia | who was involved?

I wasn't sure I was in the mood to watch a sequel to Borat but confess that despite the recurring cringe the adventures of the Kazakh journalist in the United States made me laugh more than the vast majority of comedies released in recent years. In fact I recommend not eating while you watch it — I almost choked on my chickpeas after an unexpected joke.

Having picked up a bit of Hebrew over my travels, hearing Borat speak that language when he's supposed to speak Kazakh was a nonsensical touch that added to the comedy. The fact that most people who appear in the movie are unknowing participants being fooled by an unlikely character (the tried-and-true Ali G formula) adds to the performance.

(Last viewed: November 2020)

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Tour de Pharmacy
      2017 | USA | Laughs: 7.0 (Watch Once) | imdb: 7.1
      wikipedia | who was involved?

This forty-minute mockumentary alleges to document the 1982 Tour de France and the widespread use of performance-enhancing drugs on that event. It's uneven—sometimes fairly subtle, sometimes awfully crass—but there should be enough in there to keep you entertained for the length of this short film. (Last viewed: September 2017)

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The Heartbreak Kid
      2007 | USA | Laughs: 7.0 (Laugh and Smile) | imdb: 5.8
      wikipedia | who was involved?

On his honeymoon to Mexico, a man who rushed into marrying his girlfriend after dating her for two months comes to realize what a nightmare she is and becomes drawn to a single woman who is vacationing with her entire family. Comparing it with other Ben Stiller movies, this film is closer to There's Something About Mary than Meet The Parents: it has adult moments that won't appeal to the more prude viewers. I found it delightfully funny and would watch it again. (Last viewed: October 2014)

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Bad Santa
      2003 | USA | Laughs: 7.0 (Laugh and Smile) | imdb: 7.0
      wikipedia | dmoz | who was involved?

Each year, a depressive drunk and his little accomplice work as Santa and the elf in a department store, only to run away with the content of the safe. This is not a story for nice kids—expect crude language, which delights in the context of Christmas. This is a great movie to watch when you're in a bad mood: Santa is in a such worse mood that you that he's guaranteed to bring you a smile. With good acting all-around, this movie is a winner. (Last viewed: March 2013)

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Bruce Almighty
      2003 | USA | Laughs: 7.0 (Laugh and Smile) | imdb: 6.8
      wikipedia | dmoz | who was involved?

Bruce, a man who complains that God is persecuting him, finally meets God, who gives him the job of being God to see if he can do it better. After playing with his super powers, Bruce, who is only given a small section of Buffalo (New York) to start with, finds out that the job is not as easy as it sounds. This movie makes me chuckle a lot. The one scene that made me laugh out loud actually features Steve Carell in the lead, but Jim Carrey does a great job. For my taste, the ending scenes are a tad on the exalted side, but given the theme it could have been a lot worse. (Last viewed: Feb 2004 September 2012)

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Idiocracy
      2006 | USA | Laughs: 7.0 (Watch Once) | imdb: 6.6
      wikipedia | who was involved?

Humanity is getting dumber by the day, the opening sequence proposes. A "average man" who takes part in an experiment expects to be frozen for one year. When he wakes up 500 years later, he turns out to be the smartest man alive. The so-called "morons" of the future are frighteningly reminiscent of our contemporaries, of course, so this very funny film may have more of the documentary than of science fiction. (Last viewed: April 2012)

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Anchorman: The Legend of Ron Burgundy
      2004 | USA | Laughs: 6.9 (Watch Once) | imdb: 7.2
      wikipedia | dmoz | who was involved?

In the 1975, The king of San Diego's TV news and his all-boy team are challenged when the network hires a female reporter. This movie had a few laughs for us, but I'm just not in love with the lead actor (Will Ferrell), who I tend to find a bit loud. Some people swear by this movie, though. Definitely worth a watch. (Last viewed: November 2011)

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Caddyshack
      1980 | USA | Laughs: 6.8 (Watch Once) | imdb: 7.3
      wikipedia | dmoz | who was involved?

A slice in the crazy life of a golf club. Fun throughout, but real laughs are few. The funniest scene—surprise?—is the one time when Chevy Chase and Bill Murray come face to face. It used to puzzle me why some people (especially men born in the late 1960s) consider this the funniest comedy ever. When I watched it again, it all became clear: what these men probably enjoyed most, when they first watched Caddyshack in their teens, was the nudity. It's the same principle that earns "American Pie" the status of funniest movie ever with many men of the next generation. (Last viewed: Aug 1991 October 2009)

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Just Friends
      2005 | USA | Laughs: 6.8 (Watch Once) | imdb: 6.2
      wikipedia | who was involved?

A young man whose best woman friend in high school was romantically unavailable to him as he was then dramatically overweight returns to his home town ten years later with a successful career and a model figure. When I got up after twenty minutes to pour a cup of tea, I commented to my companion that the movie was on the fast track to the "just awful" list, which disappointed me as every comedy with Ryan Reynolds I'd watched so far had made me laugh. However, around the thirty minute mark, the movie started making a spectacular come-back thanks to a number of situations with considerable comical power, such as a display of romantic rivalry straight out of Owen Wilson's humble display of exuberant skill in Meet the Parents. If they re-cut the movie, it might become a classic. It's really good value for watching once, and I might even forget about the awful first twenty minutes and decide to watch it again someday. As a side-note, it was a treat to see Hank from Corner Gas as the main character's best friend. (Last viewed: November 2012)

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There's Something About Mary
      1998 | USA | Laughs: 6.8 (Laugh and Smile) | imdb: 7.1
      wikipedia | dmoz | who was involved?

Hankering for "what could have been", a thirty-year-old man (Ben Stiller) hires a private investigator to track down his high-school flame, Mary. The investigator finds Mary but falls for her. Ben Stiller made me chuckle with the same charming awkwardness that made him shine in Meet the Parents. A particular treat for me was his best friend Dom (Chris Elliott), whom I recognized from his role as Larry the cameraman in Groundhog Day, one of my favorite comedies. The first half had some good laughs, the second half was entertaining.

EDIT: In 2022, twelve years after the previous viewing, this movie still works for me. Laughed and smiled. At the rate of once every ten years, I may be able to watch this film twice more before I die. Looking forward to it.

(Last viewed: Sep 2010 October 2022)

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Coming to America
      1988 | USA | Laughs: 6.7 (Watch Once) | imdb: 7.0
      wikipedia | who was involved?

This Eddie Murphy film may not be a roarer, but it had a few good laughs and a delightful premise. It might even be devoid of profanity (though I cannot vouch for that). An African prince delays his arranged marriage for forty days and travels to New York with his valet in the hope of finding a bride he can truly love. Insisting to live in a run-down room in Queens so that no one will know his royal status, he takes a job cleaning up at a fast-food restaurant. Not only did I find pleasure in the fairy-tale plot and the actors' performances, I also enjoyed the extravagant decor of the palace in the African scenes—the studio must have thrown a bit of money at this. Well worth a watch, just don't expect your jaw to cramp from too much laughing. (Last viewed: July 2012)

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I Now Pronounce You Chuck & Larry
      2007 | USA | Laughs: 6.7 (Watch Once) | imdb: 5.9
      wikipedia | who was involved?

A widowed fireman worried that his kids won't get his pension if he dies pulls a favor and gets another straight fireman to marry him under Canadian law. Back in New York, a city council official becomes suspicious, forcing the two to keep up the pretense. I couldn't bring myself to watch this for a long time, but it turns to be much better that it sounds. In fact, it's pretty funny—a few laughs and lots of chuckles. There's none of the exaggerated effeminate acting you've come to expect from comedies that mine the gay theme. Adam Sandler and the rest of the cast do a surprisingly good job given the challenging task at hand. Worth a watch. (Last viewed: January 2013)

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Meet the Parents (original)
      1992 | USA | Laughs: 6.7 (Laugh and Smile) | imdb: 6.7
      wikipedia | who was involved?

This movie is the original Meet the Parents, from which the 2000 film featuring Ben Stiller was later adapted.

It's delightfully similar to yet different from the remake. Some characters are rougher around the edges and the plot is more cruel. It was made on $100,000, but it made me laugh more than the vast majority of big-budget comedies.

If you're a fan of the 2000 movie, don't miss this little jewel.

(Last viewed: September 2022)

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Happy Gilmore
      1996 | USA | Laughs: 6.7 (Watch Once) | imdb: 7.0
      wikipedia | dmoz | who was involved?

Happy Gilmore has always dreamed of becoming a professional ice hockey player, and although he has formidable power when shooting the puck, he cannot skate. When the IRS threatens to auction his grandma's house, Happy unwillingly enrolls on the pro golf circuit after discovering that he can drive the ball over an exceptional distance. Cute and often funny, but not tight enough that I'd want to watch it again. (Last viewed: September 2010)

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