Audiences have been laughing at onscreen antics ever since the first Lumiere film – a short – flickered to life late in the 1890s. Because early filmmakers had yet to figure out how to attach sound to their moving pictures, comedy was initially confined to physical humor such as pratfalls, food fights, silly stunts and wacky chase scenes. By the 1930s, such sight gags began to be replaced by snappy repartee and the emergence of comedic teams like the Marx Brothers, the Three Stooges, and duos such as Stan Laurel/Oliver Hardy and Bud Abbott/Lou Costello. Movies today have expanded the definition of comedy to include star-crossed romance, parodies/spoofs of other genres and prior films, fish out of water and dramadies (comedies that incorporate dark or unconventional themes).
As broad a genre as comedy encompasses, however, it’s also the most subjective in terms of audience response. The reason is that an appreciation of things that are funny is based on more factors that just the lines and visuals. A writer has to take into account the viewers’ age, gender, ethnicity, IQ, and his or her frame of reference to the subject matter itself. How many times, for instance, have you come home from school with what you thought was a rip-snorting knee-slapper about Kenny Oglethorpe dropping his algebra book on Missy Purdue’s egg salad sandwich and the gross sound it made when squished? Pretty funny stuff. Then again, I guess you had to be there.
Humor is also interpreted differently across diverse cultures. Even in the United Kingdom, the fact that everyone speaks English doesn’t translate to automatic enjoyment of American jokes, slang or allusions to contemporary pop culture.
The following films provide good study examples of some of comedy’s sub-genres.
o Parodies and Spoofs: Spaceballs, Young Frankenstein, Blazing Saddles, Not Another Teen Movie, Robin Hood: Men in Tights
o Romantic Comedy: While You Were Sleeping, Alex and Emma, When Harry Met Sally, Sleepless in Seattle, Bridget Jones’ Diary, A Lot Like Love
o Fish Out of Water: Big, 13 Going on 30, Dave, Moon Over Parador, The Inspector General, Freaky Friday
o Dramadies/Black Humor: Harold and Maude, Fight Club, Lemony Snicket’s A Series of Unfortunate Events, Bad Santa, Being There
o Slapstick: Animal Crackers, Duck Soup, The Bellboy, Abbott and Costello Meet Frankenstein, There’s Something About Mary, Who’s That Girl?
Answer ONE of the questions below in complete sentences.
1. What kind of movies make you laugh? Make a list of the ten funniest films you have ever seen. What elements do these ten movies have in common?
2. Ask the following people to tell you what they think are the ten funniest films they’ve ever seen: (1) a parent; (2) a grandparent; (3) your best friend; and (4) a family member who’s younger than you are. How do their replies compare to yours? What do you think accounts for these differences in opinion? How will you apply these observations to your own comedic stories?
3. Which movies does Hollywood think are the best comedies? See for yourself at www.afi.com. On the right hand side of the screen, click on “AFI’s 100 Year Series” which will then take you to their list of “100 Laughs.” How many of the films that you would consider top are named on the list?
Screenwriting for Teens, (Hamlett) pp. 157-158