One of the most beloved sub-genres in all of cinema is the buddy comedy. Movies sometimes pair characters who are a perfect foil for each other, polar opposites in some way who find themselves in an unlikely friendship by the end of the film. Sometimes, the “buddies” begin the film as friends, whose bond is tested throughout its runtime.
But what all buddy comedies have in common is great chemistry between the lead characters, a great sense of humor, and a heartfelt appreciation for the importance of friendship.
Classic: Planes, Trains, And Automobiles
Some consider the 1980s to be the heyday of buddy comedies, and John Hughes’ Planes, Trains, and Automobiles is a big reason why. Steve Martin plays marketing executive Neal Page, who is trying to get home to his family for Thanksgiving. A series of unfortunate events, including a chance encounter with Del Griffith, an ill-mannered shower ring salesman played by John Candy, strands him in Wichita, Kansas.
The two of them decide to hit the road together, as Del and Neal are both headed to Chicago. The result is an instant classic of a film that still holds up to this day.
Underrated: Nothing To Lose
In 1997’s Nothing To Lose, Tim Robbins plays Nick, a businessman who discovers his wife is having an affair with his boss. When a carjacker played by Martin Lawrence tries holding him up, he instead takes him on a joyride. The two develop an unexpected bond and decide to take revenge on Nick’s boss.
The film was a bust with critics, but well-liked by audiences, which explains its 28% critics score but 68% viewer rating on Rotten Tomatoes. It’s funny throughout, and Robbins and Lawrence make for a likable odd couple.
Classic: Analyze This
1999’s Analyze This pairs Robert De Niro and Billy Crystal as a mobster and his psychiatrist who struggles to treat him. The film is directed by Harold Ramis, who co-wrote the screenplay with the acclaimed playwright and screenwriter Kenneth Lonergan, and it is still considered one of the great buddy comedies of all time.
Oddly enough, the film’s premise, a mobster who goes to therapy for his anxiety attacks, was also the main hook of the Sopranos pilot, which premiered just seven weeks before Analyze This came out.
Underrated: Father’s Day
1997’s Father’s Day stars Billy Crystal and Robin Williams as two completely different men who are both told they are the father of their mutual ex-girlfriend’s son, who has run away from home. They hit the road in order to find him, and of course, chaos ensues.
Father’s Day is one of the most notorious flops in modern movie history, despite being quite funny and entertaining. Crystal and Williams are of course both legendary talents, and despite a somewhat underwhelming screenplay, their banter and chemistry make Father’s Day well worth the watch.
Classic: Dumb And Dumber
The Farrelly brothers’ debut film, Dumb and Dumber, hit theaters in 1994, the year Jim Carrey became a superstar with roles in The Mask and Ace Ventura: Pet Detective. Carrey and Jeff Daniels star as Lloyd and Harry, two best friends who travel to Aspen, Colorado, to return a suitcase to one of Lloyd’s limousine passengers. Little do they know, the suitcase is part of a sinister kidnapping plot.
As off-color as much of the film’s humor is, Daniels and Carrey bring an endearing innocence to their roles, making Dumb and Dumber a big-hearted comedy that audiences still enjoy to this day.
Underrated: The Nice Guys
Writer-director Shane Black is most famous for writing the Lethal Weapon films, which are staples of the buddy cop genre. 2016’s The Nice Guys is a hilarious action-comedy about a private eye (Ryan Gosling) and a rambunctious enforcer (Russell Crowe), whose investigation leads them to infiltrate a world of violence.
Gosling and Crowe are terrific, and the film combines genuine thrills with big laughs. It was a modest success, but it deserved better box office numbers and more awards consideration.
Classic: Friday
Director F. Gary Gray’s feature debut, Friday, follows Craig Jones through a 24-hour period. He’s recently been fired from his job, his rent is due, and his best friend, Smokey, has debts he has to pay to some dangerous people.
Even though it’s a stoner comedy at heart, Friday is also known for a particularly intense fight scene between Craig and Deebo, the neighborhood bully. Ice Cube and Chris Tucker carry the film, which is still relevant 26 years after its release.
Underrated: The Heat
In 2013, Sandra Bullock and Melissa McCarthy were the two most popular actresses in Hollywood, and so pairing them together in a buddy comedy was a no brainer. The result: The Heat, in which Bullock and McCarthy play a level-headed FBI agent and a hot-tempered detective who must collaborate to bring down a local drug lord.
The film was a box office hit upon its release, but it hasn’t held up over time as much as it should have. Bullock and McCarthy are still A-listers, but they aren’t where they were in 2013, which may explain why The Heat has lost some of its cultural cachet. It’s a genre great nonetheless, and younger audiences who missed it eight years ago should definitely give it a watch.
Classic: Sideways
Paul Giamatti is still known to many as “the guy who hates Merlot,” thanks to his unforgettable performance in 2004’s Sideways. Giamatti plays Miles, a depressed teacher and struggling novelist who treats his friend, the soon-to-be-married Jack, to a week in wine country before the wedding.
Jack’s womanizing ways turn things, well, “sideways,” and their friendship is put to the test over the course of the tumultuous week. Sideways was nominated for five Academy Awards and won for Best Adapted Screenplay, though Giamatti was snubbed out of a nomination for this performance.
Underrated: Black Sheep
Chris Farley and David Spade parlayed their chemistry on Saturday Night Live into two feature films before Farley’s tragic passing in 1997. The first, Tommy Boy, is a minor classic in its own right, but the follow-up, Black Sheep, wasn’t nearly as well-received. Spade plays an assistant to Chris Donnelly, a gubernatorial candidate, who hires him to keep his brother Mike, played by Farley, from destroying his candidacy.
Though perhaps a lesser film than Tommy Boy, Black Sheep still more than delivers the goods as a slapstick buddy comedy, and deserves more attention than it’s gotten over the years.
