Genre Research Project

   Why are Comedy films so Compelling?

  Comedy films have captivated audiences for generations. A reason for this could be because it has been found to improve your mood, or because they have a broad spectrum of viewers. They appeal to various age groups, and cultures making it a popular genre. The audience of this genre depends on the context of the movie but is usually targeted at late teens and young adults.

Ex: The “Barbie” film, a comedy with a broad target audience of women of all ages, is the highest-grossing comedy film with over a billion dollars.

   Humor is the main convention of comedy. But, It can be shown in many forms whether it's ridiculous situations, dramatic acting, or clever jokes. Characters in these films are usually quirky and different which creates comical situations. These movies are also intended to be relatable as audiences tend to connect more with characters and films when they see things that mirror their life. Directors also utilize timing in these films, as comedic timing is always important in making or breaking a joke.  

Ex: “Catch me if you can”, a classic comedy, has quirky yet relatable characters, and ridiculous situations.

 Comedy also has conventions in its production techniques.

   Directors commonly utilize visual humor, a form being slapstick comedy in movies like “Ted” directed by Seth MacFarlane, and auditory components like a movie’s soundtrack to create a successful and entertaining film. The music in the production is most likely light-hearted and funny unless done on purpose to add comedic effect.

   Institutional conventions in comedy are the building blocks upon which amusement is built. Marketing for comedy films usually entails, memorable characters, slapstick humor, and eye-catching material, all used to intrigue the audience. Some films use famous actors to attract an audience. 

Ex: The directors of “Jumanji” used Kevin Hart, Dwayne the Rock Johnson, Jack Black Karen Gillan, and Nick Jonas to attract an audience to their comedy. 

   Comedy trailers are usually fast-paced and have comical moments, funny characters, catchy music, and sometimes narrations. 

An example of this is the trailer for “The Wolf of Wall Street” directed by Martin Scorsese. This trailer is fast-paced and has narrations, funny moments and characters, catchy music, and more conventions of a comedy trailer.

Film Samples:

“There's Something About Mary” is a classic comedy film that displays the characteristics of the genre through its mix of humor, quirkiness, and relatable characters. Released in 1998 by the Farrelly brothers, the film revolves around a lovable yet awkward boy, Ted Stroehmann, who is played by Ben Stiller, as he tries to reconnect with his old high school crush, Mary Jensen (played by Cameron Diaz). One of the most popular scenes in the film is a scene where Ted is getting ready for his date with Mary and gets his genitals stuck in his pants zipper. The film is a mixture of ridiculous situations, cringy moments, and slapstick comedy. The film uses endearing and relatable characters which is another reason why it falls into this category. The poster shows “Mary” (Cameron Diaz) because at the time she was very popular and it was most likely used to get a larger audience.

“Mrs. Doubtfire,” released in 1993 and directed by Chris Columbus, is a classic comedy starring Robin Williams. The film follows Daniel Hillard, who is a talented but irresponsible voice actor, who goes through a divorce and loses custody of his children. To solve this problem, Hillard created a new persona, Euphegenia Doubtfire, who is supposed to be an elderly British nanny and gets the job as their nanny. This movie has an extra layer of comedy that most films don't have which is that the main character is pretending the be the opposite gender. The film has aspects of relatability, comedy, quirky characters, and extreme situations. The poster shows Daniel Hillard or Mrs. Doubtfire, most likely because of the importance of the character, but also because of the popularity of Robin Williams.