Romantic Comedies Laugh Audit: Extended Web Edition
CLASSICS
Notting Hill (1999)
In a British invasion just as dominating as the ’60s rock & roll one, the mid-’90s saw everyone’s favorite Old World-ers make the Nora Ephron formula, well, funny. Notting Hill is probably the best of the Brits’ romcom onslaught, taking a high concept (movie star falls for ordinary guy) and mining a laugh a minute.
Verdict: Say what you will about any man who, like our President, acts confused for a living, but that Hugh Grant sure is a charmer. The film plays to its star’s strengths, allowing Grant to do his nervously stammering thing in the face of Julia Roberts’ cool and in-charge movie star (though it should be noted that the film does suffer from the fact that, though believable, Roberts is never quite likeable). Notting Hill
Audit Fact: While Notting Hill may rock, it also offers one of the worst films within a film that has ever been put on screen: while Grant is courting her, Roberts is doing publicity for a film in which she plays the lead in a love story set in space.
The 40-Year-Old Virgin (2005)
Judd Apatow’s film about Steve Carell’s nerdy virgin on a quest to get laid achieved instant classic status two summers ago. While the log line sounds like it could have turned into creepy middle-aged version of American Pie
Verdict: Carell takes a character that could have come off as a serial killer candidate (as the script hilariously acknowledges in the climax) and turns him into a warm, likable guy that you want to identify with despite the whole never-having-touched-a-vagina thing. The film also boasts a tremendous supporting cast—Paul Rudd, Romany Malco and Seth Rogan bring fresh angles to the typically thankless roles of “horny guys on the prowl.” To see just how poorly the role of “horny guys on the prowl” can be executed, check out TBS’ atrocious sitcom, My Boys. It’ll give you a whole new respect for what The 40-Year-Old Virgin’s supporting cast accomplishes.
UNDERRATED
Love Actually (2003)
What critics called a saccharin mosaic, we call a flat out enjoyable romantic comedy. What turns your brain into an unquestioning mush of warm feelings more than British romcoms? How about a dash of the ol’ Christmas spirit? This movie covers all the heartstring bases, and while its makers’ minds were very clearly on autopilot when making it, sometimes a sure bet isn’t the worst thing in the world.
Audit Fact: When Hugh Grant announced last year that he was thinking of taking a break from acting, the British economy spiraled into a Depression.
OVERRATED
As Good As It Gets (1996)
In this film, Jack Nicholson thankfully plays himself and Helen Hunt unfortunately plays a supposedly attractive blue-collar waitress trying to care for her sick son. While the movie could have focused on the engaging misanthropic lunacy at the heart of one of Nicholson’s finest characters, it wanders off into the realms of heartstring tugging, cute puppies and “you complete me” pabulum.
She’s All That (1999)
This formulaic commercial success tells the story of an unlikable asshole who bets his equally unlikable friend that a really hot girl who wears glasses might be hot enough to win prom queen if he convinces her to take off her glasses.
Audit Fact: The filmmakers knew that they wanted to name the film after an outdated slang term, but had a tough time deciding between She’s All That, and Talk to the Hand, Freddie Prinze Jr.
TOTAL CRAP
I Love Trouble (1994)
A pair of zany newspaper reporters (the appallingly matched Julia Roberts and Nick Nolte) gets into zany hi-jinks in this tale of a convoluted conspiracy that might as well be lifted from a Police Academy movie. If you can think of two actors better suited to bring out the laughs, well sir, you’re a better filmmaker than Charles Shyer. Also, you’re a better filmmaker than Charles Shyer.
Verdict: Imagine All the Presidents Men if Woodward and Bernstein were sexually involved: there are fewer laughs in I Love Trouble and the thought of the two main characters having sex is about 100 times more revolting.
Audit Fact: Julia Roberts has a rare sexually transmitted disease that makes everything around her less funny. When she has sex with movie producers in order to convince them to put her in their movies, she passes the disease on to them, which explains why she continues to be put in comedies and why her comedies tend to be devoid of anything resembling a joke.
