As I am writing this month’s post, five of the top 20 movies are comedies or animated. It’s no surprise; it is also the first official weekend of spring. After a long hard winter, most of us are ready for a change of pace, we’re ready to have fun, be entertained, be foolish and just laugh. Robert McKee explains, “Simply put, a comedy is a funny story, an elaborate rolling joke.”[i]
Comedies usually rank in the middle of popular films and they tend to release in the spring or summer unless it’s a romantic comedy. Currently, A Madea Funeral is the top comedy in theaters, raking in a total of $65,881,232 in four weeks. There are plenty of other movies and genres to choose from this time of year.
- Adventure
- Action
- Drama
- Comedy
- Thrillers/Suspense
- Horror
- Romantic Comedies
- Musicals
- Documentary
- Black Comedy
Hollywood knows they can’t put all of their apples in one basket or genre. Everybody is different and has different tastes in entertainment; movie execs have been around long enough to know when to release what type of movie.
As the weather warms up, families and friends are more likely to head out to the theater instead of sitting home watching movies on TV. They know everyone likes to laugh and what better time to release comedies than in the spring?
Comedies?
Comedies have been around since the early days of film, in fact, slapstick comedy helped fuel audiences’ desire for movies. Back then comedies were rooted in slapstick humor.
Because at first there was no sound in film and the story was told through physical and visual actions. Slapstick was defined by exaggerated physical activity which overdramatized the visuals of typical physical comedy. You may recognize a few of the early comedians.
When sound was finally added to film comedies grew in popularity as many popular comedians joined in this new movement of entertainment. Below are a couple of my favorites which I watched as a child growing up.
I actually live about 20 minutes away from the Laurel and Hardy Museum and Harlem, Georgia, where Oliver Hardy was born. He is a local hero and the town has a festival and parade every fall.
With the addition of sound to film, comedies into many sub-genres: satire, romantic comedies, war, and political comedies and later science fiction comedies.
Thus, many comedies have defined eras in history; whether it was slapstick in the heydays of film, the golden age of comedies on TV, the political comedies like M*A*S*H, or the coming-of-age comedies of the 80s and 90s.
Robert McKee notes, “When society repeatedly experiences glossy, hollowed-out, pseudo-stories, it degenerates. We need both satires and tragedies, and comedies that shine a clean light into the dingy corners of the human psyche and society.”[ii]
As I began working on this post, Keanu Reeves and Alex Winters announced the production of the much anticipated third installment of “Bill and Ted’s Excellent Adventure.”
When I heard the news, I was innocently taken back to my high school and college years when the original movie came out with other silly modern comedies like the Dumb and Dumber and the Wayne’s World franchises began. Interestingly enough, most modern comedic movies had their roots in television first. Many of the Saturday Night Live cast go on to have major film careers.
Comedic stories are interchangeable between the big screen and little screen. Many TV shows and even cartoons have gone on to be major box office successes. The Looney Tunes and Scooby-Doo franchises are the two main slapstick comedies that have had major success on the big screen.
The main problem I personally have with comedies is that everyone’s sense of humor is different and it changes as we grow up. Then we pursue other adventures and entertainment.
MY ADVENTURES!
In my late teens, as I became more interested in the opposite sex, romance movies became my favorite. Again, we are all different and have varying tastes in movies; because we all have different reasons for going to the movies.
Currently, I’m looking forward to going to see the latest Marvel release, Captain Marvel with my best friend. For the last year, it has become our tradition to go see superhero movies for our guy’s night out.
- We do this for a couple of reasons, he lives in another town now and we don’t see each other often. Action/superhero movies aren’t good date movies but are great opportunities for guys get-togethers. Nothing bad, just enjoy the violence and action scenes. Because deep inside, most guys dream of being the superhero.
- I also like seeing the comic book stories I read when I was younger come to life on the big screen thanks to modern special-effects and more talented screenwriters of today.
- While there are some guys who enjoy silly mindless comedies, I don’t want to die laughing.
Martin Johnson survived a severe car accident with a (T.B.I.) Traumatic brain injury which left him legally blind and partially paralyzed on the left side. He is an award-winning Christian screenwriter who has recently finished his first Christian nonfiction book. Martin has spent the last nine years volunteering as an ambassador and promoter for Promise Keepers ministries. While speaking to local men’s ministries he shares his testimony. He explains The Jesus Paradigm and how following Jesus changes what matters most in our lives. Martin lives in a Georgia and connects with readers at Spiritual Perspectives of Da Single Guy and on Twitter at mtjohnson51.
[i] McKee R. (1997). Story: Substance, Structure, Style, And The Principle of Screenwriting (Kindle edition) pg 361.
[ii] McKee R. (1997). Story: Substance, Structure, Style, And The Principle of Screenwriting (Kindle edition) pg 13.
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