Even though comedy is said to be the most difficult genre (due to the subjective nature of what people find funny), a good number of comedies have earned their spot as some of the most laughter-inducing experiences in the lives of audiences worldwide. Filmmakers able to combine a powerful, emotionally touching story with relatable comedic characters and scenarios can take this to an even greater level by taking us on a rollercoaster ride with two of the most powerful human emotions – extreme joy and deep emotional pain.
In this article, we revisit six ageless comedies that have made audiences laugh out loud and cry tears of sadness and joy for nearly 100 years looking back, featuring some of the most beloved actors to grace the silver screen.
6
Charlie Chaplin: City Lights
Charlie Chaplin's 1938 masterpiece City Lights tells the story of a lonesome tramp who falls in love with a blind flower-seller played by Virginia Cherrill. After finding out that the woman and her mother are to be evicted from their home, the tramp goes on a series of misadventures to help them out of their financial struggle. Having saved a drunken millionaire's life in the process, the kind-hearted tramp is able to change the woman's life for the better.
City Lights is an everlasting tale of true love between two simple people trying to survive the hardships of life. It contains a strong number of extremely funny scenes, including Chaplin's famous boxing match, as well as tear-inducing moments, the most powerful one being the final interaction between the tramp and the flower lady at the very end. City Lights stands unshakably to this day with a Rotten Tomatoes score of 97% from critics and 96% from audiences.
5 Mrs. Doubtfire
Starring Robin Williams (as Danniel Hillard/Mrs. Doubtfire), Sally Field (as Miranda Hillard), and Pierce Brosnan (as Stu Dunmeyer), Mrs. Doubtfire is a moving tale of a desperate father who disguises himself as the new housemaid so he can be close to his children after his wife takes custody of them.
Filled with gentle moments of smart comedy, Mrs. Doubtfire also features a few heartbreaking scenes, which stand as a testament to Williams's applause-worthy skills as a dramatic performer. As noted by The Independent, director Chris Columbus also found himself having to remove two additional scenes from the movie as they were going to be "too heartbreaking for families."
4 The Bucket List
Directed by Rob Reiner (The Wolf of Wall Street, This is Spinal Tap), and starring Jack Nicholson and Morgan Freeman, The Bucket List is a tragic yet uplifting buddy comedy/drama that follows the journey of two cancer-diagnosed men who set out on a bucket list adventure as their lives move closer to their finale.
Despite some of its shortcomings, and with a not particularly pleasing Rotten Tomatoes score, The Bucket List carries a meaningful message that speaks to human beings on a universal level: At the end of the day, our loved ones are more important than all the riches in the world.
3 Planes, Trains and Automobiles
Known as one of John Candy's and Steve Martin's most successful motion pictures, Planes, Trains and Automobiles (1987) is a winter holiday comedy that tells the story of a stuck-up marketing executive (Steve Martin as Neil) and a curtain ring salesman (John Candy as Del) who find themselves having to team up to get home in time for thanksgiving after their flight is diverted.
Directed by John Hughes, the master of soul-touch family comedies, the movie is packed with fun, adventurous scenarios, as well as tear-inducing moments, shared between Neil and Del as they fight and reconcile during their harsh journey. The movie culminates with a heartwarming ending where Nail invites his newfound friend to celebrate thanksgiving with his family after finding out that he has no one to go home to and that his wife, whom Del speaks of fondly throughout the movie, has in fact, been dead for years. Planes, Trains and Automobiles has received high praise from audiences and critics worldwide, with renowned film critic Roger Ebert sharing that it is "the only movie our family watches as a custom, most every Thanksgiving."
2 Grumpy Old Men
Released in the distant 1993 and starring classic Hollywood sweethearts Jack Lemmon (as John Gustafson), Walter Matthau (as Max Goldman), and Ann-Margret (as Ariel Truax), Donald Petrie's Grumpy Old Men tells the story of the feud between two elderly long-time neighbors and their war for the heart of a mesmerizing female professor who moves across the street.
Grumpy Old Men has many memorable fun moments, including the ice fishing fight, the two men's adorable attempts to outsmart each other to win Ariel's heart, and the heartbreaking moment in which John talks to his old pop on a day out fishing, not realizing that he has died in his sleep. Three decades later, the worldwide success of Grumpy Old Men has ignited a theater musical and has been rumored to have a possible remake starring Eddie Murphy, according to The Hollywood Reporter.
1 My Girl
Directed by Howard Zieff in 1991, My Girl tells the story of a troubled pre-teen girl (Anna Chlumsky as Vada Sultenfuss) whose life changes after she befriends an unpopular boy who suffers from various allergies (Macaulay Culkin as Thomas Sennett). On the threshold of experiencing love for the first time in her life, Vada's world turns upside down after her new friend gets stung by bees and dies as a consequence of his allergy.
My Girl is a deeply moving cinematic experience, which features one of the most saddening tear-jerking scenes in the history of the coming-of-age story genre — the moment Vada goes through an emotional breakdown after seeing a lifeless Thomas lying in his coffin. TVGuide.com describes My Girl as "a fine example of compassionate and tasteful filmmaking."