Thursday, August 21, 2008

Tropic Thunder v. Pineapple Express

My husband thought that Tropic Thunder was one the funniest movie he's ever seen and I know what he means. The movie is smart, fast, deft, and knowing. I would certainly give it a thumbs up. Great characters, good acting, and even some pretty astute observations on Hollywood and other war movies.

Although we laughed last week too at Pineapple Express, it wasn't in the same league because it's humor was based solely on boys behaving badly. And the last thirty minutes of non-stop warfare was excruciatingly boring.
Big deal, you can blow things up. TT did it too but in far quicker fashion.

But I am yearning for a movie where witty dialog and women take center stage. Comedies with women are always romantic comedies, which is fine, but why? Are women not inherently humorous? Do we only find women funny when they play it crude and mean like Sarah Silverman, Sandra Bernhart or Roseanne Barr?

What's the funniest movie you can name where women played a prominent part? I bet you have to go back twenty years or more. And I bet you can't name many if any that aren't romantic comedies. Is that all women want? Not me.

13 comments:

Travis Erwin said...

Nice points. Now you have me trying to come up with the funniest move led by a female cast. I'll get back to you on this one.

Anonymous said...

First Wives Club?

pattinase (abbott) said...

Yes, except it's all about men even if they're not the main players. Women were nonexistent in Tropic Thunder and just an annoyance in PE. Is there any comedy with mostly women that is not about men?

Sandra Scoppettone said...

Thelma and Louise

pattinase (abbott) said...

Definitely the strongest movie with two women ever probably, but would you consider it a comedy? Maybe early on...I need to see it again.

Linda McLaughlin said...

Miss Congeniality was hilarious and I wouldn't say it was all about men. Yes, there was a romantic subplot, but it was mostly about the pageant and was it positive for women or not. That's my choice and I'm sticking with it, LOL.

Was Tropic Thunder totally politically incorrect? That's the impression I got. (Which is okay with me since I generally enjoy politically incorrect movies.)

Linda

pattinase (abbott) said...

Oh, yes politically incorrect but they were able to defuse it fairly cleverly.

Juri said...

You should watch more European movies.

pattinase (abbott) said...

Juri-I watch lots of European movies on Netflix especially. Women play a much larger part but still I don't see many comedies where they dominate the plot.

Okay, I thought of one that would almost qualify. Private Benjamin.

Juri said...

Have you seen 8 Women? I haven't, but there are only women in the lead and it's a comedy (also a musical). And von Trier's films, even though I personally hate them, could be seen as comedies. Dancer in the Dark and Breaking the Waves are dominated by women.

And what about Ingmar Bergman? Tarkovsky's humorous scenes are almost always dominated by women. And the films are not primarily about men.

Claude Chabrol's The Cousins.

pattinase (abbott) said...

Eight Women. Bingo. The best example yet. I did see it and liked it. Thanks, Juri.

Anonymous said...

Robert Downey Jr. cracks me up... he's got a knack for not taking himself too seriously

pattinase (abbott) said...

But at the same time, taking his craft very seriously. A complex figure.