Everyone knows that the Oscars have always been a terribly serious affair. The last real comedy that won Best Picture was Annie Hall in 1977, and before that there were only a handful of others throughout the ceremony's history. (I am not counting Shakespeare in Love, because that's more of a "wave fans and giggle" period comedy, which are never actually funny.) This year was a great one for comedy, boasting everything from the crass chuckles of Knocked Up to the quirkfest that is Juno. Sadly, these comedic achievements will probably go largely unrecognized during awards season, despite often unanimous critical acclaim. Hot Fuzz has the same Rotten Tomatoes rating as Sweeney Todd, The Simpsons Movie has the same rating as There Will Be Blood, and Superbad has a slightly higher rating than Atonement - the latter example in each pairing being the Oscar bait (check out http://www.rottentomatoes.com/ if you want to do your own sleuthing). So, until the Academy wakes up, I will make it my duty to honor the movies and people that brought the funny this year.
BEST FUNNY PERFORMANCE, FEMALE: Ellen Page as Juno MacGuff in Juno
Is there any contest here? It's sad that funny female performances seem so rare (or good female performances period). I can die happy the day a female Superbad comes out, because I know girls who talk and act like that (I'm one of them!). That being said, I'm not trying to downplay Page's excellent work in this film. She's kind of like a typical best friend - but with substantially better one-liners.
RUNNER-UP: Keri Russell as Jenna Hunterson in Waitress
A different kind of funny in a movie you can watch with your mom. Jenna's sweet and Southern, but also spunky enough to refuse her obstetrician's offer for a coffee date with, "I can't have coffee, it's on the bad food list you gave me. What kind of doctor are you?" She also names homemade pies after how much she hates her husband, which is amazing.
FUNNIEST PERFORMANCE, MALE: Jonah Hill in Superbad (and Knocked Up)
Is it fair to include someone with two movies? Maybe not, but the fact remains that Jonah Hill is one funny bastard. His vulgar and profane tirades and comments in Superbad are nothing short of hysterical, and he proved to be a repeat scene stealer in Knocked Up. The best part is, you can tell that he's improvising most of what he says, and that he's just a funny person in real life. (Note to Jonah fans: check out the bonus features on the Knocked Up DVD to see his character complaining about the lack of man-on-man action in Brokeback Mountain.)
RUNNER-UP: John C. Reilly in Walk Hard: The Dewey Cox Story (and Year of the Dog, briefly)
The funniest thing about Reilly's role in Walk Hard is that he actually plays it completely straight. While the other cast members are clearly just goofing around (see the "Beatles" cameo below), Reilly almost makes you believe that Dewey Cox is real. Having said that, he perfectly embodies a parodied version of several decades in American music, ranging from a mumbly and Dylan-esque Cox to a LSD-fueled Cox who needs indigenous chanting in all his songs. He's also great in Year of the Dog, as Molly Shannon's hunting-obsessed neighbor.
BEST RUNNING JOKE IN A MOVIE: Beard mockery in Knocked Up
Who knew something so simple could produce so many laughs? Ben (Seth Rogen) and his roommates spend the entire film teasing pal Martin (Martin Starr) about his beard, trying to persuade him to shave it so that he will lose a bet. The insults include, but are not limited to "Robin Williams' knuckles," "Martin Scorsese on coke," "Matisyahu" and of course, a vagina. There's even a deleted scene on the DVD where Jonah (Jonah Hill) just torments Martin for a solid three minutes about the beard.
RUNNER-UP: The sink gag in Walk Hard: The Dewey Cox Story
Remember in Walk the Line, where Johnny Cash (Joaquin Phoenix) tears a sink off a wall out of rage and despair? Well, Dewey Cox does that EVERY time he's upset, culminating in ripping off all the sinks in a public restroom.
BEST MOMENT OF UNINTENTIONAL HILARITY: "Bad" Spider-Man in Spider-Man 3
I remember the uncomfortable wave of laughter that swept across the audience when I saw Spider-Man 3. Peter Parker gets possessed by the evil goo from space, which causes him to do such evil things as get an emo haircut, give suggestive looks to women, and...dance? Was this supposed to be funny? I don't know.
RUNNER-UP: Everything Billy Mitchell says or does in The King of Kong
Billy Mitchell would seem like the world's most poorly written character if he wasn't a real guy. His mannerisms and delusions of grandeur in this ridiculously entertaining documentary make you wonder how people like that exist functionally in this world.
BEST COMEDIC DUO: Michael Cera and Jonah Hill in Superbad
These two are like funnier versions of every adolescent male I know. Just when you thought the funny fat guy and skinny straight man pairing was getting old, Cera and Hill give it a fresh and raunchy spin.
RUNNER-UP: Simon Pegg and Nick Frost in Hot Fuzz
Pegg's overachieving and devoted cop Nicholas Angel and Frost's slacker slob Danny are - hey, it's a fat and skinny guy again!
FUNNIEST CAMEO: Jack Black, Paul Rudd, Jason Schwartzmann and Justin Long as Paul, John, Ringo and George (respectively) in Walk Hard: The Dewey Cox Story
One of the main reasons I wanted to see this movie in the first place was from the oh-so-brief clip of this Beatles cameo in the trailer, and it was even funnier in context. The four guys all play their own Beatle with a fair degree of accuracy, but at the same time act utterly absurd.
RUNNER-UP: Sacha Baron Cohen as Pirelli in Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street
I guess this isn't technically a cameo, since he's billed fifth. But then again, he's in and out of the story pretty quickly. His role would be hilarious even if he didn't open his mouth, because his hair and outfit are sublimely ridiculous. The icing on the cake, however, is his outrageous singing voice and demeanor. Plus, in the back of your head, you're definitely saying, "OMG it's Borat!"
THE WES ANDERSON AWARD: Mike White, for writing and directing Year of the Dog
No offense, Wes, but I think it was all downhill after Rushmore. The person I believe most fit to carry on your legacy at this point is Mike White, creator of Year of the Dog. The film was saturated with your influence - right down to squarely framed shots of random objects - but had actual emotion instead of just hipster music. And doggies!
RUNNER-UP: Jason Reitman for directing Juno
Juno doesn't have a whole lot in common with the typical Anderson output, save one thing: the music. The soundtrack kicks in at unorthodox moments and features a slew of fresh, quirky artists and songs that define the tone of certain scenes.
FUNNIEST MOVIE OF THE YEAR: Superbad
I didn't say best movie, or best-written, or most likely to change your life. I said funniest. Sheer volume of laughter. And that title, my friends, goes to Superbad. Finally, a film that acknowledges how funny teenage boys can naturally be. No stupid subplots, no contrived love stories, no moralizing. Just hilarious, rowdy, clever, and even a little touching comedy. All written by a pair of 14-year-old boys (a young Seth Rogen and Evan Goldberg). If that isn't a smack in the face to all other comedies, I don't know what is.
RUNNER-UP: Hot Fuzz
More people need to acknowledge the genius that lies in the triumvirate of Simon Pegg, Nick Frost, and Edgar Wright. Together they do great things, such as the top-notch British cop spoof Hot Fuzz. Their brand of comedy is hard to classify - it's British but accessible, lowbrow but smart, gruesome but funny, honoring but parodying. It's like nothing else. And accents make everything funnier.
I acknowledge that this list is incomplete, because I have not yet seen four films I believe would have a place on here: The Savages, Ratatouille, The Simpsons Movie, and Lars and the Real Girl. What do you think? What are your picks for the funniest of 2007?
44 comments:
First off I just want you to know how much I enjoy reading your blog. It is the best movie blog I've ever read.
(and I've read a lot due to my love of surfing the web for movie based sites as well)
I have to agree 100% about Superbad being the funniest movie of the year, and it is scary how I too saw Dewey Cox purely because of The Beatles cameo.
Looking forward to reading more great stuff from you in the coming year.
:)
I personally think Michael Cera was funnier than Jonah Hill. He's such a great reactor. It is great that Jonah can improv so well, though.
After a repeat viewing, I think Hot Fuzz is the funniest that I saw this year.
And I think there should be a category for most intentionally funny moment on a non-comedy. This would go to the scene in Transformers where Shia Lebeouf's parents think he's been masturbating. Overued gag? Apparently not, because it was one of the best laughs I had at a theatre this year.
Honestly, Bentley, it was a tough choice between Cera and Hill. Cera is very talented and hilarious in his own right. But speaking as a girl, his scenes in both Superbad and Juno made all the girls in the audience go "Awww!", myself included. So for me, Hill caused more pure belly laughs, while Cera caused laughs combined with pity and a little crush. That being said, Cera's "Blair Witch Project on TV" diatribe in Juno was the funniest part of that movie.
Spot on! Superbad was indeed super funny and the best comedy Hollywood has produce, thus far.
After reading your comments about Dewey Cox Story, I am def going to watch it now.
Spidey 3 was simply a lame excuse for a movie. The one with him dancing the mumbo was simply too painful to watch and lets not forget the crying scenes. The only character that didn't cry was the butler and he has the best line in the movie.
A fan
Armand
I also really liked Superbad and Knocked up, but I laughed my butt off in Blades of Glory. I thought Ferrell and Heder were magic, and Will Arnett and Amy Poehler were the perfect antagonists for them. Brilliant all around!
I also liked Hot Fuzz, but i didn't really think it was funny until my second viewing(on HD DVD). Weird, huh?
No Amy Adams? I thought she was hilarious!
no Alan Tyduk (sp?). He was superb in Death at a Funeral
Good topic, good choices. Comedies get short shrift come Oscar time ... perhaps because Oscar carries with it a regal air, and "Superbad" is anything but regal.
You might as well have just called this "Honouring Judd Apatow's wildly overrated movies/actors."
Knocked Up was one of the most painful movie experiences for me this year, and I saw a buttload of movies. There was way funnier stuff than that.
I thought Ratatouille and Hot Fuzz were the 2 funniest movies of the year. The scene where Anton Ego takes that first bite of ratatouille is one of the funniest moments I've ever seen in a movie. The only good things about Superbad were Michael Cera and Joe Lo Truglio. The only good thing about Knocked Up was Paul Rudd. Both movies suffered from Judd Apatow disease, which results in the same joke being repeated over and over again and Jonah Hill yelling a lot. Judd Apatow really needs an editor, and needs to stop having so much influence in the movies he produces.
Thank You. We needed a list like this. Oscars have always been tear-heavy but these days even the golden globes have become too damn serious.
I enjoyed reading your blog. Cheers.
I think Superbad was not just the funniest movie of the year, but also the best.
As for the films you haven't seen:
The Savages was fantastic, but I didn't find it to be humorous at all.
Ratatouille was great! If you can still find it at a theater, I recommend seeing it on a big screen. Far too beautiful to see for the first time on a tv.
The Simpson's Movie is fine on a small screen. It's really just a long episode of the show. Not that that's a bad thing.
Lars is great, but I'm not sure why Ryan Gosling's performance is getting so much attention. But then, I don't understand why people think Atonement is anything more than a piece of soap opera writing with pretty people in it.
Love your blog!
Downhill after Rushmore? Sheesh. Jonah Hill best comedic performance? SHIT. Fat Kid+Dirty BEard+Cursing + Jewish = HILARIOUS. He will be a forgotten one in a couple of years. THe next Horatio Sanz.
i just had the time of my life reading this post. the beard jokes were so utterly great!
I remember seeing spiderman and not giggling, but seriusly laughing hard, so hard we almost got kicked out of the theater (there were only 5 other people besides me and my 2 friends), terrible movie, great moment.
Kudos, the post is just acurate with every movie.
yeah, I too was looking for Amy Adams... she was amazing! Great list though.
Anything that goes out of thier way to acknowledge Hot Fuzz this past year is worth reading. And I'd like to be with you at the Apatow altar to commence with the virgin sacrifises, but not after Walk Hard. You mentioned most of the funnier parts in your blog. But being clever . . . not the same as being funny. A fine line, and when you can get a smile and not a laugh, that's not good enough. Not with the films you mentioned. Even Transformers was better at the laugh out loud (intentional); the scene of the Autobots trying to "blend" at Shai's yard- funny.
Anyway, Walk Hard is getting the attention it deserves. Which means, not much and not at the expense of say, Juno. Or even say, Charlie Wilson's War, an entertaining milquetoast film.
I think you would LOVE Anna Faris' performance in "Smiley Face."
Faris is one talented comedienne, who is consistently the funniest person in any movie she's in.
She wouldn't have been out of place in 30s screwball comedies, that's what I think.
Watch Smiley Face as soon as you can! Mark my words, you will add an addendum to your best actress list!
:)
I have not seen "Superbad;" but Michael Cera quietly walks away with "Juno." It isn't necessarily because he's funny (though he is), but because he is so emotive with his face (and rest of his body, too). The film, as a whole, is uneven - ESPECIALLY the script, upon which many have laid kudos, but that is a mistake.
"Lars and the Real Girl" is probably the most inventive, moving film I saw from 2007. A comedy? I guess, if you think of it as a weird, quirky, curiously warm comedy - with yet another outstanding performance from Ryan Gosling. And what about "Sweeney Todd?" Your basic dark, disturbing comedy with only three colors and intentionally bad hair (well, it must be cut, after all). Ultimately, it does not matter since it, too, was imaginatively handled by the usually reliable Burton & Depp who, like Gosling, seems capable of handling any role thrown his way.
Ratatouille was the second worst movie of the year so I'd stay away (second only to Evan Almighty).
And for you to give Sasha Baron Cohen runner-up for best Comedy Cameo (or whatever category it was) in a HORROR-MUSICAL (note: NOT COMEDY) when he played a straight character the whole time, just because he is Borat, makes me wonder why you're writing this article. Your reasoning is ironically the same that the Academy uses when it never acknowledges comedians even in drama categories.
Adrien Brody in The Darjeeling Limited and Steve Carell in Dan in Real Life would be my choice.
The scene is Spiderman 3 was supposed to be funny. If the audience was laughing, they were reacting in the right way. The look on Toby McGuire's face is a dead giveaway.
I believe that 'Hot Fuzz' is under appreciated with this list, and 'Walk Hard' is over appreciated. I agree with everything else, especially the fact that comedies are very under appreciated by the film community.
"Hot Fuzz" was a lot funnier (and better executed) than "Superbad". I really wanted to like "Superbad", but it was a bit of a disappointment. Certainly does not live up to its hype.
Are you kidding? Juno was very Wes Anderson-y. Yes, the soundtrack, but also the "uniforms", the pipe, the quirky pacing, the oddball literary names.
Juno had fresh quirky artists? they have Velvet Underground, The Kinks, Buddy Holly, Belle and Sebastian, Sonic Youth, Cat Power, Moldy Peaches, Mott and The Hoople... all of which have been around for a while, not really fresh. The music is amazing, but I wouldn't say "Fresh" or "quirky".
Also, Spiderman 3 was intentionally funny. It was written by Sam and Ivan Raimy, the people that when they last wrote together came out with Army of Darkness, one of the funniest low budget "horror" movies ever made.
Great post...I've always thought the Academy left out some great performances by seemingly dismissing straight-up comedies...
That said, you should check out SMILEY FACE. Anna Faris does the best straight-up comedic performance of the year, bar none (love Ellen Page's work in JUNO but it's more of a dramedy).
Superbad as funniest movie of the year? I watched it and REALLY wanted to like it because I, too, love Cera. However, I found myself cringing for the first 10 or 15 minutes of the movie (language) and found very little else to laugh at. A movie CAN be funny without using vulgarity and profanity like this! Sorry - guess maybe I'm too "old" (30) to appreciate it but I don't think I would have laughed at it ten years ago either.
However, I was happy to see Waitress made your list (or Keri Russell's performance in Waitress). I don't even like her that much as an actress and thought she did a fine job in this.
Year of the Dog blew unbelievably hard. John C. Reilly and Peter Sarsgaard were criminally wasted in that piece of trash. Molly Shannon was annoying, plain and simple, never even coming close to reaching the sympathetic level it seems they were striving for. That aside, it just plain wasn't funny. So even if the rest of it wasn't so abhorrent (and it was, mind you),it still wouldn't be worth a rental.
I'm not usually fired up about movies to post on a blog, but when you praise something so terrible, while suggesting that the director of this awful film is heir to Wes Anderson's throne (especially when his output this year was so great), it breaks my heart and angers me.
PS-The drug scenes were a funnier running gag in Walk Hard than the sink scenes, in my opinion.
Couldn't agree more on the analysis of Superbad, though.
Definitely Michael Cera was way better than Jonah Hill. All Jonah does is talk and talk and talk. He just gets bigger (verbally) and bigger. Michael Cera is so subtle in his performance. Not like pretentious subtle, but awkward subtlety. Michael Cera was genuinely hilarious. Jonah Hill... meh. More annoying. If I met his character, and he talked that much, I'd want to punch him out. So annoying.
I agree with most everything you wrote, and think your doing these movies a great service, as the acadamy will not. The only thing I take issue with is what you said about Wes Anderson. The Royal Tenebaums is his best, and I really enjoyed The Life Aquatic.
Well done. I'm glad that someone besides me hates that the Academy doesn't recognize comedic movies. Thanks for putting this up, it's a really good blog, and got me thinking about some great funny movies I've seen this year :)
I do not get all the Hot Fuzz love... i'd vote it Most Overated Film of the year. Incredibly boring until things FINALLY start blowing up. Where was the funny? Because they're British? Good lord that flick was boring.
Now last night i saw Shoot 'Em Up, and it WAS everything that Hot Fuzz CLAIMED to be. SEU is a very, very entertaining cumulation of every action movie ever made... and not a dull moment anywhere. it's a freaking ACTION movie, unlike HF.
Lars and the Real Girl isn't a comedy.
KNOCKED UP was a piece of drek...what is the bizarro fascination with this unfunny and unappealing film? The premise was stupid and the actors unattractive.
Now we're inundated by these infantile "comedies" from these fifth rate writers and directors, and the films are big hits.
SO SAD
you morons must all be 12 years old and have no taste at all... all these films mentioned here are SHIT
what a wonderful article!
i too get frustrated by the fact that the Acadamey Awards rarely celebrate the films which are the most fun, or at least the most enjoyable, from any given year. i suppose they reward for technical excellence rather than just something as simple and as straightforward as the best on show!
i am in the Hot Fuzz fan club, but i have not seen all that many of the other films you mention - thanks for the tips, however, i will be looking out for them.
hrm... a lot of interesting posts, but allow me to add my own:
Hot Fuzz was by far the most underappreciated comedy of the year, just compare box office receipts to DVD sales. i'll be transparent and admit i'm biased because i did actual hands-on guerilla marketing (not pretty, but very fun and exciting) for the movie, and even got to meet the tri-creators. hands-down, the brits are grossly underappreciated in our wonderful country. my theory starts with intelligence, but i dont want any hypersensitive people to start sending me hate-mail, so let's quote ving rhames from pulp fiction and say "...that's pride fucking with ya. fuck pride!"
furthermore, by comparison, shoot 'em up was a visceral tour de farce, but is quite lacking in quality, whereas the comedic gags most people missed in Hot Fuzz made me howl more and more everytime i PAID TO SEE IT AGAIN (2 additional times, out of my own pocket). i was even good and brought friends with me who otherwise would not have gone.
i would also definitely discourage people from being so awkwardly disrespectful and rude when responding to the comments of others. we dont all have to agree, but we must maintain a level of respect in order for all voices to feel comfortable enough to speak.
"speak your mind even if your voice shakes" -- maggie kuhn
lastly, julie, i'm concerned about your lack of inclusion of foreign films in your lists. i know it can be difficult to see them depending on ones location, but i highly believe foreign films, in large part, are much better than the usual american fare, with few exceptions. i'm a true indie at heart, but being of a foreign background (an immigrant), i have to ask for people to appreciate their roots, too.
edwin
I have to say, I love your list, but the Simpsons Movie truly belongs in contention... It wasn't the funniest movie of the year (as it was a bit slower than any given episode) ... but it was a sublime comic achievement in and of itself, perfectly fusing the essence of the show with the format of a film. It really is worth the watch.
Edwin, I'm super jealous that you met the Hot Fuzz guys. I went to a preview screening with the three of them in attendance, and was THISCLOSE to getting a picture with Simon Pegg but he was rushed off by stage people at the crucial moment.
As for your claim that I am not a foreign film buff, that is absolutely not true. I love foreign films from all different countries...China, Spain, France, Germany, Japan, Italy, Korea, you name it. Pedro Almodovar is one of my favorite directors of all time, and I rush out to see anything he's directed. I'm not sure what you mean about the lack of foreign films on my lists. Do you just mean this list? Because Hot Fuzz is arguably foreign. My other most recent list was about strong American female characters specifically. Beyond that, I just include whatever feels right in my lists. I berate customers at the video store I work at for "not wanting to sit through subtitles." Believe me, I'm with you on this, not against you!
You should really go see "Enchanted" before it disappears from the cineplex.
If there was such a category as "Most Valuable Player" at the Academy Awards, Amy Adams would win it hands down. She absolutely makes the movie. It wouldn't be nearly as charming without her stellar performance.
I do think Ellen Page was fantastic, and she'll probably win any award this year in which she competes with Amy Adams. But I do think Amy Adams is still worth mentioning.
Amy Adams was hilarious in Enchanted!
And I just saw the trailer for her next film, "Miss Pettigrew," and it looks like another fantastic comedic performance in store for us!
julie, no judement was intended in my comment about foreign films. i was just wondering where the love for other foreign films, Hot Fuzz notwithstanding, obviously, was. i read your other list, but may i encourage you to make a "top 10 foreign films you probably didnt see" list for 2007? i think others do this, but because i enjoy your writing, i want YOU to do one.
it's funny how so many people who have a profound appreciation for the medium of film have found, or find (*wink*), themselves working at a video store. in my humble opinion, the film buff who works at the local video store is often overlooked and disrespected. case-in-point, your mention of how you brow-beat people into (a good thing) watching subtitles. i'll go one step further and declare that i ENJOY subtitles on ENGLISH-SPEAKING movies, too. it just flows better for my brain, because the more i stimulate my senses (listening while reading? so much fun!) the better i will be able to use them.
you're right about Almodovar, too. i absolutely love his resolve to always use women, or the feminine spirit (see "bad education"), in his films. my personal reason for liking him is because my mom is my first and ultimate hero.
by chance, did you see "paris, je t'aime"? amazing piece of cinema which was absolutely missed by the general populace.
and just to make you even more jealous, i got the Hot Fuzz trio to sign a poster for me, and it absolutely rocks! Frost even made fun of me, because i told him i was supposed to be his "doppleganger" whilst promoting him. he's a funny bloke! he said "you're supposed to be me? but i'm sexier than you" (i'll say he was overstating his point, but i deeply appreciated his using me to make a joke. good comedians make you feel that way, and he is most certainly one.
edwin
I noticed that your comedic performance mentions were all for leading roles. What about all the great supporting characters, those hilarious sidekicks?
Then I realized that there weren't really any great comedic supporting performances this year. How terrible!
As an ensemble, the supporting characters in "Knocked Up" did a great job, but there wasn't one actor who REALLY stood out among the rest to make an incredibly strong impression. Compare them to the gang from "40-Year-Old Virgin," EACH of whom made an indelible impression.
John Travolta in "Hairspray" and James Marsden in "Enchanted" were both good.
But neither could compare with the past works of such recent supporting greats as Vince Vaughn, Steve Carell, Amy Adams, Will Farrell.
I guess the problem is that once a great supporting comedic actor is discovered, they are turned into leading actors. Not necessarily a bad thing, of course; it just doesn't seem like there are enough true talents out there to replace them.
And then of course there are the great female supporting actors, who simply turn 40 and disappear altogether (Dianne Wiest, Joan Cusack, Parker Posey in a couple years)
I guess the true greats of the genre have always been found on television anyway. The list could go on forever, but my current fave is Sock on "Reaper". A laugh-out-loud funnier supporting character hasn't been found in film in quite some time.
I just gotta say you are hilarious and if we ever met in real life i think we'd hit it off pretty well.
having said that i will now say how much i enjoy your blog! I love the way you write! Your thoughts are MY thoughts. And I love the topics you choose to write on. DOES JESUS HAVE ACNE? Fuck yeah he did, he was a teenage kid in the desert where he probably got hot and its not like the had neutrogena. but i guess you have to factor the whole "son of god" thing in there so you'd think he might have some magic powers to get rid of it?
superbad was hilarious. most of my female friends disagreed with me saying it had too many penis jokes but ummm....thats how teenage guys ARE. and i loved that they showed it! it was raunchy and dirty and FOUL MOUTHED but totally real. though none of my friends were ever THAT funny.
and um yeah, the beatles clip in dewey cox sold me on what was otherwise a movie parody that could have been done in like 84 minutes.
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