Amy Adams is an actress well-known in the film industry for both her successful comedic and dramatic movie roles. However, in her early days, this artist's true passion had nothing to do with acting, but rather with dancing: Adams worked very hard for several years in order to become a dancer, and even got to work in live theater restaurants. Coming from a rather modest family, the actress had to work several odd jobs to support herself while she was studying, such as GAP and Hooters. Yet, upon coming of age she realized that she would not be talented enough to pursue a career in ballet, so she decided to lean towards a somewhat similar art form, musical theater, which shortly led her to take a chance on the silver screen.
Although her film debut was as a minor character in Drop Dead Gorgeous, the first role that earned her some recognition was as Brenda Strong, the nurse in Steven Spielberg's 2002 film Catch Me If You Can. After this role, Adams faced some difficulties when it came to receiving job offers. The ones that she did get were uninteresting and stereotypical characters, so she made a decision that would influence her career: she dyed her hair red. After that small modification, the deals kept on coming, and in 2005 she had her first big starring role in the movie Junebug. Among her best productions are the dramas American Hustle, Big Eyes, and Arrival, though she has been involved in more than 40 films. Adams also ventured into the children's genre, playing Giselle in Disney's Enchanted, to which a sequel, Disenchanted, is expected in late 2022. This production will also feature some of the actors from the original cast, such as Patrick Dempsey, James Marsden, and Idina Menzel.
Adams' acting roles over more than 20 years have been quite diverse, transitioning successfully from dark and tragic characters to funny and refreshing parts in musical comedies. While most of the awards nominations this actress has had were for her dramatic roles, many of her comedic performances are worthy of recognition as well. Therefore, here is a review of the best comedy movies featuring Amy Adams, ranked.
8 Night at the Museum: Battle of the Smithsonian
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The first Night at the Museum sequel was released in 2009, and once again revolved around Larry Daley (Ben Stiller) and the figures at the American Museum of Natural History. Following some renovations to the facility, all the exhibits were sent to the Smithsonian Institution, known to be the largest museum in the world. Once this museum is brought to life, Larry has to team up with old and new friends in order to stop four of the worst villains in history from taking over Ahkmenrah's tablet and dominating the world. In Battle of the Smithsonian, Adams starred as Amelia Earhart, the airplane pilot famous for being the first woman to fly across the Atlantic Ocean. Over the course of the film, Amelia explores her feelings for the leading man, and they both engage in several romantic moments.
7 Drop Dead Gorgeous
The 1999 satire is included in this ranking for marking Adams' cinematic debut. Featuring an all-star cast including Kirsten Dunst, Denise Richards, Allison Janney, Elle Barkin, and Brittany Murphy, Drop Dead Gorgeous is a comedy mockumentary centered on a beauty pageant in Mount Rose, a small town in Minnesota. Amber Atkins (Dunst) and Becky Leeman (Richards) sign up for what would be the pageant of their lives. However, the Sarah Rose Cosmetics Mount Rose American Teen Princess Pageant is not going to be as they expected, as, in the days leading up to the event, a few tragedies occur that shape these young contestants' performances. Adams plays Leslie Miller, a cheerleader who also enrolls in the beauty pageant and, even though she seems to stand no chance against the two biggest competitors, she ends up wowing the crowd with her performance.
6 Talladega Nights: The Ballad of Ricky Bobby
Will Ferrell, John Reilly, Sacha Baron Cohen, Gary Cole, and a few other famous actors star in this sports comedy, directed by Adam McKay and co-written by him and Ferrell. Talladega Nights: The Ballad of Ricky Bobby is precisely about Ricky Bobby (Ferrell), a man who, from the moment he was born in the back seat of a race car, seemed to be destined for a fast-paced life. Becoming a NASCAR driver has always been his dream, and eventually he succeeds. But with the arrival of French driver Jean Girard (Baron Cohen) to Bobby's team, his career and personal life are turned upside down in a tragic twist that only he can reverse. Adams starred as Susan, Bobby's assistant who eventually develops a romance with him.
5 Miss Pettigrew Lives for a Day
Frances McDormand and Amy Adams co-star in this 2008 romantic comedy directed by Bharat Nalluri. Miss Pettigrew Lives for a Day is inspired by Winifred Watson's 1938 novel of the same name and features Guinevere Pettigrew (McDormand), a governess who can't seem to keep any of her jobs. After being unfairly fired, Miss Pettigrew manages to land a job that was not meant for her: secretary to singer and actress Delysia Lafosse (Adams). Yet, this governess quickly discovers that the job would not be quite what she expected, and that Lafosse was living a whirlwind lifestyle and dating several men among whom she can't decide. Wrapped up in the festivities and events of a high society to which she does not belong, Miss Pettigrew tries to help Delysia, with whom she quickly establishes a friendly relationship, to solve her hesitations regarding her suitors, while at the same time she has to face some romantic situations that may change her destiny.
4 Julie & Julia
Nora Ephron wrote and directed this 2009 biographical comedy-drama based on two books, Julia Child's My Life in France and Julie & Julia: 365 Days, 524 Recipes, 1 Tiny Apartment Kitchen by Julie Powell. The film is inspired by two related true stories, that of Julia Child (Meryl Streep), a woman who makes her way through the 1950s culinary industry to become an iconic chef, and Julie Powell (Amy Adams), a young woman with a boring and demanding job, who embarks on a year-long challenge to cook all the recipes in Child's book and blog about it. Although Powell and Child never cross paths, the cook becomes an essential part of Powell's life, and her book causes her to rethink many aspects of her life, work, and marriage. In addition to Streep and Adams, the cast also features Stanley Tucci, Chris Messina, Jane Lynch, and Linda Emond, to name a few. Julie & Julia was acclaimed by both critics and audiences, garnering many nominations and even some awards, such as Best Actress for Meryl Streep at the Golden Globe Awards, Boston Society of Film Critics Awards, and New York Film Critics Circle Awards.
3 Catch Me If You Can
In 2002, Steven Spielberg offered Adams one of the first major roles of her career in the biopic Catch Me If You Can. This production is inspired by the life of businessman Frank Abagnale Jr., who was embodied by a young Leonardo DiCaprio. After running out of money by fleeing his home due to his parents' divorce, Frank needs to find a way to keep making ends meet. Therefore, he starts swindling banks and even pretending to be a pilot, doctor, and lawyer so successfully that no one is suspicious of his fraudulent activities. However, his good run is short-lived, as agent Carl Hanratty (Tom Hanks) is keeping a close eye on him and takes on the mission of busting him. Adams plays Brenda, a nurse who ends up in a romantic relationship with the main character and is the first one to discover the truth about him.
2 The Muppets
Jason Segel writes and stars in this film about the well-known and beloved Muppets. Directed by James Bobin, The Muppets is the seventh musical production of the franchise, and it narrates the struggle of Walter, the Muppets' biggest fan, in order to re-unite the group and save the Muppet Theater from evil Tex Richman, a businessman who is planning to demolish it. This task is not going to be easy, but fortunately Walter is supported by his brother Gary (Segel), his lovely girlfriend Mary (Adams), and the efforts of Kermit and his friends, all of whom will do everything they can to deliver the best telethon in history. This movie was notable for its large number of celebrity cameos, among them: Emily Blunt, Whoopi Goldberg, Selena Gomez, Dave Grohl, Neil Patrick Harris, and John Krasinski.
1 Enchanted
Enchanted ranks at the top of this list as one of Adams' most iconic comedic roles. With an excellent reception from both critics and audiences, this 2007 movie combines animation with live-action in order to create an homage and a parody of Disney's own princess movies. Enchanted follows the story of Giselle, a young girl from Andalasia, whose dream is to meet a prince and have her happy ending. When she finally falls in love with Prince Edward (James Marsden) and decides to marry him, the wicked Queen Narissa (Susan Sarandon) steps in and banishes Giselle through a well, causing her to take human form and end up in the middle of New York's Times Square. From this moment on, Giselle has to undertake a mission assisted by Robert (Patrick Dempsey) and his daughter Morgan (Rachel Covey) to get back to her kingdom. However, the princess is about to encounter a reality that may be more to her liking than her very own. Disenchanted, the sequel to this movie, will be released later this year, per Digital Spy, and it promises a lot more singing and musical numbers than Enchanted.