Top Ten Comedies of the 2000s

Alrighty, time for everyone to pony up their lists.




1. Amélie (2001 - Jean-Pierre Jeunet)
"No, I'm nobody's little weasel."

via YouTube



2. Wonder Boys (2000 - Curtis Hanson)
"Trust me, James, when the family pet's been assassinated,
the owner doesn't want to hear one of her students was the trigger man."

via YouTube



3. Shaun of the Dead (2004 - Edgar Wright)
"Well, they were a bit... bitey. "

via YouTube



4. Best in Show (2000 - Christopher Guest)
"And to think that in some countries these dogs are eaten."

via YouTube



5. BORAT Cultural Learnings of America for
Make Benefit Glorious Nation of Kazakhstan (2006 - Larry Charles)
"My moustache still tastes of your testes!"

via YouTube



6. The Royal Tenenbaums (2001 - Wes Anderson)
"Anybody interested in grabbing a couple of burgers and hittin' the cemetery?"

via YouTube



7. OSS 117: Cairo, Nest of Spies (2006 - Michel Hazanavicius)
"You're sweet, but do you know how much a million is?"

via YouTube



8. High Fidelity (2000 - Stephen Frears)
"What came first, the music or the misery? People worry about kids playing
with guns, or watching violent videos, that some sort of culture of violence
will take them over. Nobody worries about kids listening to thousands,
literally thousands of songs about heartbreak, rejection, pain, misery and
loss. Did I listen to pop music because I was miserable, or was I miserable
because I listened to pop music?"

via YouTube



9. The Hangover (2009 - Todd Phillips)
"I didn't know they gave out rings at the Holocaust."

via YouTube



10. Thank You for Smoking (2005 - Jason Reitman)
"My other interviews have pinned you as a mass murderer, bloodsucker,
pimp, profiteer and - my personal favorite - Yuppie Mephistopheles."

via YouTube



11. The 40-Year-Old Virgin (2005 - Judd Apatow)
"You know what? I respect women! I love women! I respect them so
much that I completely stay away from them!"

via YouTube



12. In the Loop (2009 - Armando Iannucci)
"'Climbing the mountain of conflict'? You sounded like a Nazi Julie Andrews!"

via YouTube


And others (in no particular order) including O Brother, Where Art Thou?, I ♥ Huckabees, State & Main, Stranger Than Fiction, Knocked-Up, The Saddest Music in the World, Anchorman: The Legend of Ron Burgundy, The Savages, Tadpole, Pineapple Express, The Wedding Crashers, Goodbye Lenin!, Juno, School of Rock, Intolerable Cruelty, A Mighty Wind, Elf....



Also check out the threads for the previous three decades HERE, HERE and HERE.

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"Film is a disease. When it infects your bloodstream it takes over as the number one hormone. It bosses the enzymes, directs the pineal gland, plays Iago to your psyche. As with heroin, the antidote to Film is more Film." - Frank Capra

Great list, Holden. I'll see if I can work one up, though I'm actually surprised at how many we have in common, at least if your "And others..." addendum is included.

Here is a long if far from complete list of some of the big screen comedies (and would-be-comedies) released between 2000 and 2009....

Meet the Parents, What Women Want, Scary Movie, Big Momma's House, Miss Congeniality, Me Myself & Irene, Road Trip, The Whole Nine Yards, Shanghai Noon, Dude Where's My Car, O Brother Where Art Thou?, Little Nicky, Bedazzled, Return to Me, Keeping the Faith, High Fidelity, Almost Famous, Nurse Betty, The Adventures of Rocky & Bullwinkle, Best in Show, Wonder Boys, Small Time Crooks, Drowning Mona, The Next Best Thing, The Ladies Man, State & Main, Lucky Numbers, What Planet Are You From, The Tao of Steve, But I'm a Cheerleader, Legally Blonde, Zoolander, Rat Race, Rush Hour 2, American Pie 2, America's Sweethearts, Bridget Jones's Diary, Shallow Hal, Down to Earth, The Royal Tenenbaums, Heartbreakers, Amélie, Snatch, Jay & Silent Bob Strike Back, Joe Dirt, Saving Silverman, Josie & the Pussycats, Freddy Got Fingered, Osmosis Jones, The Curse of the Jade Scorpion, Town & Country, One Night at McCool's, Bubble Boy, Monkey Bone, Pootie Tang, My Big Fat Greek Wedding, Scooby-Doo, The Santa Clause 2, Mr. Deeds, Sweet Home Alabama, Maid in Manhattan, Two Weeks Notice, Barbershop, About Schmidt, Jackass: The Movie, Orange County, Big Fat Liar, About a Boy, Undercover Brother, 40 Days and 40 Nights, The Hot Chick, I Spy, Analyze That, The Banger Sisters, National Lampoon's Van Wilder, Super Troopers, Kung-Pow: Enter the Fist, The Good Girl, Confessions of a Dangerous Mind, Stealing Harvard, Juwanna Man, Kissing Jessica Stein, Death to Smoochy, The Adventures of Pluto Nash, Bruce Almighty, Elf, Cheaper by the Dozen, Bringing Down the House, Something's Gotta Give, How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days, American Wedding, Daddy Day Care, Legally Blonde 2: Red, White and Blonde, The School of Rock, Old School, Bad Santa, Kangaroo Jack, Love Actually, Just Married, Agent Cody Banks, Head of State, Malibu's Most Wanted, Intolerable Cruelty, Stuck on You, Calendar Girls, Dumb and Dumberer: When Harry Met Lloyd, Dickie Roberts: Former Child Star, The In-Laws, Down with Love, Looney Tunes: Back in Action, A Mighty Wind, View from the Top, Alex & Emma, How to Deal, Duplex, Meet the Fockers, 50 First Dates, Mean Girls, Along Came Polly, Starsky & Hutch, Anchorman: The Legend of Ron Burgundy, Garfield: The Movie, White Chicks, Without a Paddle, Christmas with the Kranks, In Good Company, 13 Going on 30, The Ladykillers, Team America: World Police, Garden State, The Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou, Ella Enchanted, Harold and Kumar Go to White Castle, Mr. 3000, Envy, The Whole Ten Yards, I Heart Huckabees, Saved!, Chasing Liberty, First Daughter, Before Sunset, Wedding Crashers, Hitch, The Longest Yard, The Pacifier, Fun with Dick & Jane, The 40-Year-Old Virgin, Monster-in-Law, Are We There Yet?, Guess Who, The Dukes of Hazzard, The Family Stone, Napoleon Dynamite, Bewitched, Kicking and Screaming, Be Cool, Must Love Dogs, The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy, Shaun of the Dead, Rumor Has It, Fever Pitch, The Ringer, In Her Shoes, The Wedding Date, The Producers, Deuce Bigalow: European Gigolo, Kung Fu Hustle, Son of the Mask, Waiting, Night at the Museum, Talladega Nights: The Ballad of Ricky Bobby, Borat: Cultural Learnings of America for Make Benefit Glorious Nation of Kazakhstan, The Devil Wears Prada, The Break-Up, Failure to Launch, The Pink Panther, You Me & Dupree, Nacho Libre, RV, Madea's Family Reunion, Little Miss Sunshine, Little Man, The Benchwarmers, John Tucker Must Die, Last Holiday, Deck the Halls, Thank You for Smoking, My Super Ex-Girlfriend, School for Scoundrels, Larry the Cable Guy: Health Inspector, American Dreamz, Let's Go to Prison, Trailer Park Boys: The Movie, Strangers with Candy, Looking for Comedy in the Muslim World, The Simpsons Movie, Wild Hogs, Knocked-Up, Juno, Hairspray!, I Now Pronounce You Chuck and Larry, Blades of Glory, Evan Almighty, Norbit, Superbad, The Bucket List, Dan in Real Life, Music & Lyrics, License to Wed, No Reservations, The Heartbreak Kid, Balls of Fury, Good Luck Chuck, Hot Fuzz, Mr. Bean's Holiday, Reno 911!: Miami, Waitress, Death at a Funeral, Kickin' it Old School, Aqua Teen Hunger Force Colon Movie Film for Theaters, The Brothers Solomon, The Ex, Eagle vs. Shark, Mamma Mia!, Sex and the City, Marley & Me, Pineapple Express, Tropic Thunder, Get Smart, Hamlet 2, FRorgetting Sarah Marshall, Step Brothers, Yes Man, You Don't Mess with the Zohan, Beverly Hills Chihuahua, 27 Dresses, What Happens in Vegas, Role Models, Burn After Reading, The House Bunny, Welcome Home Roscoe Jenkins, Harold and Kumar Escape from Guantanamo Bay, Semi-Pro, Definitely Maybe, Nick and Norah's Infinite Playlist, Leatherheads, Mad Money, My Best Friend's Girl, Last Chance Harvey, Swing Vote, Meet Dave, Soul Men, Miss Pettigrew Lives for a Day, Be Kind Rewind, In Bruges, The Rocker, Witless Protection, How to Lose Friends and Alienate People, The Hangover, The Proposal, Paul Blart: Mall Cop, Couples Retreat, He's Just Not That Into You, Madea Goes to Jail, The Ugly Truth, Zombieland, I Love You Man, Hotel for Dogs, Observe and Report, Brüno, Bride Wars, 17 Again, Year One, Old Dogs, The Men Who Stare at Goats, All About Steve, The Invention of Lying, Adventureland, I Love You Beth Cooper, Sunshine Cleaning, Away We Go, My Life in Ruins, Everybody's Fine, Taking Woodstock, Up in the Air, In the Loop and Whatever Works.



Again, this is not a comprehensive list, but should give you all a reminder of the width and breadth of movie comedy this past decade and hopefully jogs your memories for your own lists.

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1. Kiss Kiss Bang Bang (2005)
2. High Fidelty (2000)
3. Snatch (2000)
4. Almost Famous (2000)
5. O Brother, Where Art Thou? (2000)
6. Best in Show (2000)
7. Love Actually (2003)
8. Juno (2007)
9. Sideways (2004)
10. Anchorman (2004)

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"Those are my principles. If you don't like them I have others."- Groucho Marx

1. 24 Hour Party People (2002)
2. Shaun of the Dead (2004)
3. Bunny and the Bull (2009)
4. The Royal Tenenbaums (2001)
5. A Cock and Bull Story (2005)
6. Napoleon Dynamite (2004)
7. Mean Girls (2004)
8. Hot Fuzz (2007)
9. Wedding Crashers (2005)
10. Lucky Break (2001)

I'm sure some people might question whether a few of these are comedies or not, oh well.

Ghost World (2001)
The Royal Tenenbaums (2001)
American Splendor (2003)
Shaun of the Dead (2004)
Thank You for Smoking (2005)
Borat (2006)
Little Miss Sunshine (2006)
Hot Fuzz (2007)
Superbad (2007)
My Winnipeg (2008)
In Bruges (2008)

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"Don't be so gloomy. After all it's not that awful. Like the fella says, in Italy for 30 years under the Borgias they had warfare, terror, murder, and bloodshed, but they produced Michelangelo, Leonardo da Vinci, and the Renaissance. In Switzerland they had brotherly love - they had 500 years of democracy and peace, and what did that produce? The cuckoo clock."

Anchorman
Black Dynamite
Borat
Broken Flowers
Hot Fuzz
In Bruges
In the Loop
Shaun of the Dead
Superbad
Team America

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In no order:

1. I Love You Man
2. Borat: Cultural Learnings of America for Make Benefit Glorious Nation of Kazakhstan
3. Bad Santa
4. Superbad
5. Talladega Nights: The Ballad of Ricky Bobby
6. Anchorman: The Legend of Ron Burgundy
7. Napoleon Dynamite
8. Little Miss Sunshine
9. O' Brother Where Art Thou?
10. Pineapple Express

Honorable mentions:

The Hangover
Shaun of the Dead
Harold and Kumar Go to White Castle
Harold and Kumar Escape from Guantanamo Bay
The Royal Tenenbaums
Meet the Parents
Undercover Brother
Heartbreakers
Me, Myself, and Irene

My faves:

10. The Whole Nine Yards (2000)
Bruce Willis maximizing his smirking tough-guy persona, Matthew Perry demonstrating his talent as the Jerry Lewisesque bumblin' guy next door with a heart of gold, & Amanda Peet walking around naked in all her comedic glory.

9. Little Miss Sunshine (2006)
A family with a carload of sunshine, which is just the right amount to provide this big yellow vehicle with the push it needs to make this list.

8. Superbad (2007)
Back in the day, Michael Jackson may have been the skinny guy who was bad,
but here in the present, the new skinny king for bad is named McLovin. And he's not just bad. He's supe....
well,
you get the picture.

7. Snatch (2000)
When it comes to flim-flam flicks speckled with heavily slanted British accented wit & just a touch of over-the-pond mob humour, I gotta admit,
I luvs me some Snatch.

6. Anchorman: The Legend of Ron Burgundy (2004)
A film that documents the behind the scenes of war that can only happen in Southern California, whether it be the battle of the sexes spilling into the 1970's newsroom, or the brutal violence of an anchormen street rumble.


5. Borat (2006)
Basically a documentary of the Cultural Learnings of America for Make Benefit Glorious Nation of Kazakhstan
....not.

4. Knocked Up (2007)
Judd Apatow follows up 40 Year Old Virgin, a comedy that explores the ups & downs of trying to get laid, with Knocked Up, a film that explores the ups & downs that can come after getting laid.

3. Me, Myself & Irene (2000)
Ahh, I just can't help myself. When it comes to romantic comedies,
I'm just a sucker for love triangles.

2. Bad Santa (2003)
If you ever got a visit from this Santa, then that could only mean that not only have you been naughty that year, but even worse, that you've probably committed a crime, physically, morally or spiritually, of heinous proportions.

1. The 40-Year-Old Virgin (2005)
The Apatow train keeps rolling with this high level comedy tale of a "late bloomer" that is handled not just intelligently, but even more importantly, with a genuine heart.

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Right now, all I'm wearing is a mustard-stained wife-beater T-shirt, no pants & a massive sombrero.

10. Love Actually

This is the ultimate Rom-Com - simultaneously following the stories of many very different people whose lives are all entwined in some way - and sports a start-studded cast.



9. How to Lose A Guy In 10 Days



I know some of you are probably rolling your eyes at this one, but it's actually a very fun movie.

8. Juno



A very funny movie, but it is hampered a little bit by the overly-quirky dialogue. Still it's an entertaining watch and is well acted by the whole cast (though the role of Pauly Bleaker is basically a carbon copy of EVERY SINGLE role Michael Cera has ever played. Boy has zero range).

7. Wedding Crashers



Vince Vaughn at his fast-talking, over-the-top best (for this decade, anyway).

6. Burn After Reading



The Coen brothers are in top comic form in this crazy, confusing movie. Also in top form is its star studded cast including a show-stealing Brad Pitt and hilarious John Malkovich. Even George Clooney - who I normally cannot stand - is pitch perfect in his role of paranoid oddball.

5. A Mighty Wind



Comedy and folk music, what a wonderful combination. Great laughs (especially from Eugene Levy) and great music. This film's soundtrack is also a particular favorite of mine and features some really wonderful songs not found in the movie - including a cover of "Start Me Up" by the Rolling Stones.

4. Saved!



Short of The Breakfast Club, this is to my mind the ultimate High School comedy. Tackling the issues of cliques, teen pregnancy, homosexuality, self image, and religion, this movie preaches a lesson of tolerance while delivering some great laughs.

3. Tropic Thunder



Ben Stiller, Jack Black and Tom Cruise - now there's a lineup that would normally prevent me from watching a movie. Couple that with the fact that it's about a bunch of actors trying to make a war movie, and this was one flick I did not want to see. Needless to say, I was more than a little bit pleasantly surprised by the result. Hilarious.

2. Death to Smoochy



I'll never understand why so many people dislike this one. It's got a great cast and lots of sight gags and quotable lines.

1. Bubba Ho-Tep



You just can't beat this Bruce Cambpell classic about a retired Elvis impersonator who takes it upon himself to go up against a soul-sucking mummy in cowboy duds that has begun picking off the residents of a Texas retirement home.

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1. Girls Will Be Girls (2003 - Richard Day)
"Hi! Jeff? You rammed into me today and I want seconds!"


2. Observe and Report (2009 - Jody Hill)


3. Bruno (2009 - Larry Charles)
"Clooney's got Darfur, Sting's got the Amazon - and Bono's got AIDS!"


4. Superbad (2007 - Greg Mottola)


5. Little Miss Sunshine (2006 - Jonathan Dayton, Valerie Faris)


6. I Heart Huckabees (2004 - David O. Russell)


7. The Good Girl (2002 - Miguel Arteta)


8. The OH In Ohio (2006 - Billy Kent)


9. Party Monster (2003 - Fenton Bailey, Randy Barbato)


10. Ghost World (2001 - Terry Zwigoff)

oh```just now,i find i lost many classice...

1. The Incredibles (Brad Bird, 2004)

I find The Incredibles to be near the "top" of many lists, including Disney films, Pixar films, action flicks, family films, and most-assuredly, comedies. Besides the actual verbal "jokes", there is an enormous amount of visual and musical wit to the entire movie.

2. The Importance of Being Earnest (Oliver Parker, 2002)

The supporting cast is wonderful, Oscar Wilde's 24k dialogue is preserved intact and even the modern twists, such as the inclusion of a tattoo, are good for laughs.

3. Hairspray (Adam Shankman, 2007)

Joyous, raucous musical comedy which builds on John Waters' original in many ways, making this a film everyone should love if they see. Of course, trying to get certain people to see a musical with John Travolta playing a fat mom may be an uphill battle for some.

4. In Bruges (Martin McDonagh, 2008)

Wonderful character dark comedy involving mourning hitmen, dangerous dwarfs and crazy mob bosses becomes something more when set in one of Europe's quietest, most-picturesque cities.

5. Amélie (Jean-Pierre Jeunet, 2001)

Amélie is a gorgeous souffle of a romantic comedy, overflowing with visual and verbal humor as well as a fair share of surrealism. Some might find it too dense for something so light, but it's definitely able to produce non-stop smiles.

6. The Squid and the Whale (Noah Baumbach, 2005)

Something akin to The Graduate for a new century, this is a pointed comedy of pain which isn't any less funny because it's about the destruction of a family and involves several less-than-likable characters.

7. The 40 Year Old Virgin (Judd Apatow, 2005)

Solid romantic comedy which has as much sensitivity as it does gross-out moments. True, it's a little long, which is a slight problem with many of these kinds of current comedies, but it still delivers big laughs for all age groups.

8. Shaun of the Dead (Edgar Wright, 2004)

The most-successful of the comedy/horror hybrids provides plenty of seemingly-straight romantic and family comedy moments; in fact, it does it so well, that you almost forget that those flippin' zombies are on the loose.

9. How to Kill Your Neighbor's Dog (Michael Kalesniko, 2000)

Complex, surprising dark comedy with a hilarious Kenneth Branagh performance as a struggling L.A. playwright who seems to have everything go wrong all at once. Unheralded film is crammed with big laughs and big plot twists. Check it out.

10. My Winnipeg (Guy Maddin, 2008)

This is the kind of flick which screams out "One-of-a-kind!", but since it's actually just the latest of Maddin's insane comedies, you can only say that if it's the first Maddin film you've watched. This one is a love poem to his place of birth, but there is probably far more weirdness and ennui than many viewers can handle. Me? I love it and laugh like crazy. Maddin is David Lynch for people who actually like movies and have a sense of humor. (Sorry to all you Lynch fans. Honestly. )

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It's what you learn after you know it all that counts. - John Wooden
My IMDb page

I was thinking of putting My Winnipeg on my list also. I do like it more than half of the films I listed there. Dang it, my list is now eleven.

I think it's the right thing to do.

Wonder Boys
Amélie
Tropic Thunder
The Royal Tenenbaums
Garden State
Superbad
Kiss Kiss Bang Bang
Almost Famous
Me Myself & Irene
The Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou

Others that could make the list

American Psycho
An Everlasting Piece
O Brother Where Art Thou?
Drowning Mona
State & Main
Zoolander
Orange County
The School of Rock
Old School
Bad Santa
Mean Girls
Harold and Kumar Go to White Castle
I Heart Huckabees
The 40-Year-Old Virgin
Shaun of the Dead
Waiting
Nacho Libre
The Simpsons Movie
Juno
Hot Fuzz
Pineapple Express
Semi-Pro
Be Kind Rewind
Bad News Bears
Bubba Ho-tep
Snatch
The Terminal