Admittedly not the biggest year for comedy movies, fans of the genre have still been delivered plenty to smile (and laugh) at this year. Daniel Radcliffe has been particularly prolific in the genre appearing in the hilarious spoof Weird: The Al Yankovic Story biopic and as the nefarious villain in the action adventure parody The Lost City, alongside Sandra Bullock, Channing Tatum, and Brad Pitt. The Jackass crew reunited for a long-awaited new movie, as did both old favorites Beavis and Butt-Head and The Rescue Rangers. If you like your comedy a little darker, Martin McDonagh’s The Banshees of Inisherin has been raking in award wins and has created quite the Oscar buzz (per Variety). Elsewhere, we’ve seen Nicolas Cage parody himself in The Unbearable Weight of Massive Talent, and Chris Hemsworth reprise his role as Thor in Love and Thunder.

If we were to jump into a time machine and head back 20 years, we would find ourselves in an equally exciting time for the comedy genre. Sacha Baron Cohen made his first big screen appearance as the now-iconic Ali G, and Jack Nicholson gave one of the greatest performances in his already impressive career. Jackass made its first movie, Adam Sandler flexed his dramatic acting chops, and Steven Spielberg proved, yet again, that he is the master of any genre. Below, we take a look back at six comedy movies that turned 20 this year.

MOVIEWEB VIDEO OF THE DAY

6 Catch Me If You Can

     DreamWorks Pictures

Directed by the legendary Steven Spielberg, Catch Me If You Can, sees Hollywood heavyweights Tom Hanks and Leonardo DiCaprio joined by the likes of Christopher Walken, Amy Adams, and Martin Sheen in this light-hearted crime caper. Loosely based on the true story of Frank Abagnale, it follows the prolific con man and master forger, who had deceived his way into numerous job roles including that of a doctor, lawyer, and pilot all before his 21st birthday, being apprehended around the globe by a determined FBI agent. While not as serious as other Spielberg titles, his brilliance still shines through as he injects a healthy dose of comedy into this genre bending thriller that had critics raving and audiences hitting the theaters in droves.

MOVIEWEB VIDEO OF THE DAY

MOVIEWEB VIDEO OF THE DAY

MOVIEWEB VIDEO OF THE DAY

5 Ali G Indahouse

     Universal Pictues

Already a national treasure in his home country of the United Kingdom, 2002 marked the first time Sacha Baron Cohen brought one of his characters to the big screen. Now somewhat revered in Hollywood as a comic legend, Ali G Indahouse sees him finding his way, and despite a few misfires, it is still a fun comedy with plenty to enjoy. Unlike the television series and his follow-up Borat movie, Ali G Indahouse is entirely scripted, which some may argue detracts a little from what makes his earlier characters so good; the response they evoke from the unsuspecting public. Nevertheless, if you’re a fan of Cohen’s brand of crude humor and bombastic performances, his performance as British ‘wannabe’ gangster Ali G is sure to delight.

4 About Schmidt

     New Line Cinema

Upon accepting the Golden Globe for Best Actor in a Drama for his role in About Schmidt, Jack Nicholson stated, “I’m a little surprised. I thought we made a comedy.” The truth is, it is both. The humor is apparent throughout; whilst not always laugh out loud, and often a little more subtle, Nicholson’s character and his interactions, at times, will make even the most humorless of us crack a smile. On the flip side, his touching portrayal of an aging man who, on the surface, can appear emotionless but is actually completely overwhelmed and desperate to make the most of life following the death of his wife, is enough to melt the coldest of hearts. His performance here remains, to this day, one of the greatest performances of his career.

3 Jackass: The Movie

     Paramount Picture / MTV Films 

20 years already? After a celebrated comeback this year with Jackass Forever, it’s hard to believe that it was 20 years ago that this wild bunch of pranksters made their first big screen appearance. Between the years 2000 and 2002, Jackass was one of the most popular shows on TV. Based around the simple premise of a group of friends trying to outdo each other with more and more unbelievable, dangerous, and ridiculous stunts and pranks, millions of people lapped up the content in a sort of voyeuristic, masochistic frenzy. As popularity hit fever pitch, taking the concept to the big screen seemed the next logical step.

Jackass: The Movie, in an attempt to be even bigger (and stupider) than the series, saw cast members eating urine-soaked snow cones, putting a live alligator into their parents’ kitchen, getting beaten up by the world woman boxing champion, snorting wasabi, and tricking members of the public into thinking they were defecating themselves. It’s definitely an acquired taste, and if the examples here sound puerile and unenjoyable to watch, be forewarned that it doesn’t get any better. The movie was a commercial hit, however, and spawned multiple sequels.

2 Punch-Drunk Love

     Columbia Pictures

Comic legend Adam Sandler actually released two movies in 2002, one being the poorly received but commercially successful Mr. Deeds, and the other being the universally acclaimed, box office bomb Punch-Drunk Love. Whilst Mr. Deeds stuck far closer to the comedy formula that fans of Sandler would have grown to expect, Punch-Drunk Love sees the actor exploring paths previously untraveled. Written and directed by renowned auteur Paul Thomas Anderson, the movie, whilst certainly a comedy at heart, falling more into the category of absurdism, sees Sandler given the opportunity to showcase his acting range as he takes on a far more dramatic role. He plays an entrepreneur with social anxiety, who falls in love with his sister’s co-worker. With Sandler now seemingly more willing to take on dramatic roles from time to time, with Uncut Gems, Hustle, and The Meyerowitz Stories all being fine examples, it would be well worth checking out Punch Drunk Love for early evidence of this ability for anyone that doubted his versatility.

1 My Big Fat Greek Wedding

     Gold Circle Films

The biggest surprise hit of 2002 definitely goes to My Big Fat Greek Wedding. With a relatively unknown cast and a humble budget of just $5 million, it went on to gross a massive $368.7 million worldwide and became the highest-grossing romantic comedy domestically of all time, a distinction it held onto for 14 years. Not only did audiences love it, but its story of the Portokalos family and how they deal with coming to terms with the fact that their daughter, after years of singlehood, has fallen for a man who happens to be non-Greek (and vegetarian!!), still enchants them to this day. A wonderful sweet-hearted romp that captured the hearts of millions, it went on to spawn a short-lived TV spin-off and a sequel, with another reportedly in the works.