Top Ten Movie Comedies of the 1990s

Okay, so I am part of Generation Y (those born after 1980) and I have seen my fair share of funny movies. Below is the list of the top 10 comedies of the 1990’s.

NOTE: I have limited the amount of Adam Sandler movies because I’d like the list to canvass a broad spectrum.

10. My Cousin Vinny-(1992)

This movie’s plot is almost overshadowed by the stunning beauty of Marisa Tomei (“Mona Lisa Vito”). Two fellas from New York, Bill Gambini (Ralph Macchio) and Stan Rothenstein (“Mitchell Whitfield”), traveling through Alabama neglect to pay for a can of tuna. The clerk at the store ends up being shot and the two are brought in to custody. Thinking they are detained for shoplifting, they fail to take the situation seriously. Bill ends up being charged for murder. He ends up hiring a member of his family to represent him. Vincent LaGuardia, played by Joe Pesci, is actually a personal injury attorney and really isn’t qualified to handle the murder charge. I’ll save the ending but a particularly acute eye of Mona Vito plays a key role in the plot twist.

9. Groundhog Day-(1993)

People know of my glowing fondness for Bill Murray. His acting prowess spans the gamut and his talent is on display in this movie. From the onset of the movie, you become immersed in the plot. His character, Phil Connors, becomes stuck in a seeming vortex where the same day occurs day after day. He awakens to the sound of his alarm clock playing the tune “I Got You Babe” by Sonny and Cher. In fact, one could argue that the song is so well known because of this movie. His actions have no long-term consequences and he continually tests the bounds of this going through a series of adventures and mis-adventures. I won’t reveal the entire plot for those who have never seen the comedy, but it is a great movie and one for the ages.

8. Office Space-(1999)

This movie is one of the greatest business themed comedies of all time. The main character, Peter Gibbons, is a disenfranchised computer programmer that hates his job and his boss. Many of us young 20-somethings have had a boss like “Bill Lunbergh” and really relate to Peter. One of the most memorable scenes is the destruction of the malfunctioning fax machine by Peter’s friends, Michael and Samir. Almost twelve years have passed since the making of this movie and the problems still plague office equipment. I had an issue with a piece of office equipment at one of my summer internships. The movies uncanny ability to reflect the realizations of the workplace and provide a comical approach to the workings of inner-office politics make this movie a “must see” for any young person entering or currently in the workforce.

7. Meet the Parents (2000)

Okay, so this movie was made in 2000 and some people are going to argue that it doesn’t “count” as a 90’s comedy. Well, it’s my list, and I’m going with the argument that the new decade doesn’t actually commence until 2001. Anyway, this movie combines the star power of Robert Deniro (“Jack Byrnes”) and Ben Stiller (“Greg Focker”). The many antics of Greg are a vain attempt to impress his future father in law, Jack. Jack, a former CIA agent masquerading as a florist carries a fearful imposing demeanor that terrifies Greg at every turn. He is at the home for the wedding of his girlfriend Pam Byrne’s sister. The movie is a non-stop side splitter that continuously brings unexpected plot turns that have Greg getting into bigger and bigger precarious situations. One of the funniest scenes occurs with Greg on the roof of the house having a cigarette in an attempt to relieve stress from the weekend from hell at the Byrne’s Long Island home. He ends up lighting the homemade altar (ironically built by his girlfriend Pam’s former boyfriend) on fire. This movie became a cult classic. You can always tell this when quotes from a movie become part of pop culture. Jack’s statement “Greg, I’ve got nipples, can you milk me?” has become a line almost on par with Harrison Ford’s “Get off my plane.”

6. Happy Gilmore-(1996)

This is one of the best Adam Sandler movies ever. His character, “Happy Gilmore”, embarks on a mission to save his grandmother’s home built by his grandfather. He does this by playing golf when he learns that he has an uncanny ability to drive the ball hundreds of yards on a single shot. I’d like to pause and mention that his form is totally horrible and my attempt to use it on the golf course as a gag made me hurt my back and resulted in me losing a few balls in the rough. Needless to say, the movie has him in frequent battles with a top PGA golfer, Shooter McCain (“Christopher McDonald”). This rivalry leads to one of the famous quotes in the movie: “I eat pieces of sh*t like you for breakfast” to which Happy responds “you eat pieces of sh*t for breakfast?” The movie is an hour and a half of jokes and fun with even Ben Stiller making a cameo as the retirement home manager. Does he save his grandmother’s home? You’ll just have to watch it to see.

5. There’s Something About Mary-(1998)

This raucous comedy includes heavy hitting actors Cameron Diaz (“Mary Jensen”), Ben Stiller (“Ted Streetman”), and Matt Dillon (“Pat Healy”). The movie commences with Ted attaining Mary as his prom date. Unfortunately, he would not make it to the prom due to a ‘wardrobe malfunction’ involving his zipper and a certain male organ. His obsession with Mary continues to the point that he hires a private investigator, Pat, to find her. Pat ends up developing a love for Mary and attempts to thwart Ted’s attempt to attain her. A series of hijinks ensues and one of the most famous lines in modern comedies was born: “Is that hair gel?” This movie grossed over $176 million dollars in the US and over $369 million worldwide. This movie was a hit by all standards of the definition. Does Ted get the girl? If you were not one of the millions to see it, rent it from your local library and find out.

4. Ace Ventura-Pet Detective (1994)

This movie is one of my favorites of all time but it comes up a bit short from the final three in the list. Ace Ventura played by Jim Carey became an instant hit because of his vibrant personality and slapstick endeavors. Ace Ventura is out to hunt for a missing dolphin, Snowflake, which belongs to the Miami Dolphin NFL franchise. Hilarity ensues when he goes on a chase for a man known as “Ray Finke.” In his search, he ends up discovering that one of the lead detectives in the Florida police department plays a key role in the kidnapping. How this movie plays out in the end? Let’s just say that Ray Finkle may no longer be the “man” he once was…..

3. Billy Madison-(1994)

Billy Madison is pure comedic gold. I saw it for the first time when I was around ten years old. I immediately was quoting the movie every chance that I could. One of my favorite lines was “If peeing your pants is cool, then consider me Miles Davis.” I would later learn through my reading comprehension passages for the LSAT that Miles Davis was a famous jazz musician. Billy Madison played by Adam Sandler was hysterical for the very reasons that make all of Sandler’s movies a hit to my generation: unparalled humor. Sandler’s uncanny ability to act like a complete goof ball really puts the movie in a class of it’s own. You could argue that absent Sandler’s crazy antics, the movie would not have become the success it was. Billy Madison’s second trip through the grade school education system is not only funny, but also makes you realize something not so subtle. The education system in this country needs some major revamping if the U.S. is going to compete economically in the 21st century. Or maybe not. It’s your call. A good movie through and through.

2. Dumb and Dumber-(1994)

I have probably watched this movie almost fifty times and I still get the same laughs out of it. As I write this, post Halloween 2011, I actually saw two guys wear the infamous blue and orange tuxedos that Lloyd and Harry wore in the movies. The movie quickly developed an almost cult like following due to the incompetence of both Lloyd Christmas (“Jim Carey”) and Harry Dunne (“Jeff Daniels”). Jim Carrey and Jeff Daniels deliver in a major way with this sidesplitting comedy. It’s almost unreal at how these guys could be so dumb and yet still manage to make it across the country to return a briefcase that Mary Swanson (“Lauren Holly”), Lloyd’s love at first sight, leaves behind. He meets Mary driving her to the airport and immediately becomes enthralled in her beauty. There are so many memorable scenes in this movie but one of my favorites is when Lloyd sells his dead bird, Petey the Parakeet, to the blind kid in 4 C. This movie literally has no boundaries and that is why it became one of the movies to define my generation. Years from now, we will talk about this movie much in the way that older generations talk about “Animal House.” Does Lloyd get his girl? You might be disappointed in the result for Lloyd but watch this movie for the first time (or again) and you’ll thoroughly enjoy it

1. Tommy Boy-(1995)

Chris Farley is one of my favorite, if not favorite, comedians of all time. His larger than life persona comes through this script like a hot knife through butter. He couples with David Spade to form a comedic duo that makes this cinema flick the top movie in this list. I have seen this movie hundreds of times and I will watch it a hundred times over. Chris Farley playing the role of “Tommy Callahan” graduates from college after seven years and is poised to co-run his dad’s auto parts business. His father, Tommy Callahan Sr. (Brian Dennehy) suddenly dies from a heart attack. Suddenly, the company is in trouble when the bank rescinds the loan for the new brake pad division. Tommy goes on a cross-country trip with Richard Hayden (Spade) in an attempt to sell half a million-break pads. Tommy’s initial failures are comical as he learns to find his own unique “sales pitch.” The best scene in the movie is the infamous “fat guy in a little coat” where he takes Richard’s jacket and rips it down the middle. I actually put this scene to life when I swapped coats with my friend during my first year of law school and made it a Facebook picture that received a series of comments and likes. Tommy ends up almost getting bought out by Wayne Zalinsky (“Dan Ackroyd”) an auto parts leader in the industry, but not before he crafts a genius ploy to convince Zalinksky to meet his quota in one shot.

You’ll have to rewatch this masterpiece if you want to know how he emerges successful.

These are my top ten comedy movies of the 1990’s. Many will agree, a few will disagree, and still others will call me a moron. Say what you will, these movies are staples in pop culture history and represent a significant portion of our childhood cinematic memory.