I’m a big fan of comedies and there have been some great ones lately. The Hangover was an instant classic that instantly catapulted into one of the top 3 spots on my list of all-time favorite comedies. Aughts had greats like Wedding Crashers and Old School. And of course the ’90s was a couple of my favorites in The Big Lebowski and Swingers.
But for my money, no other decade rivals the ’80s in comedy films; It was the golden age of comedy. The amazing thing about the ’80s was the sheer depth of great comedy as well as the creativity of the writers. Do not believe me? Keep in mind that on my personal list of the 30 Best Comedies of the ’80s, Airplane! Sixteen candles do not appear until the numbers 20 and 21. This is depth.
Because of the field of deep comedy from the ’80s, it’s fun to browse through all the member ratings for this category because they vary so widely. Using all members’ ratings, we’ve compiled a weighted average composite rating of the 35 best comedies of the 1980s. However, to accommodate our ever-shrinking attention spans, we present the top 15 from that list with short, Twitter-like descriptions.
1. Ferris Bueller’s Day Off
Combine 3 high school seniors with Chicago spring fever, toss in dad’s old Ferrari convertible, and you end up with an epic adventure that’s the envy of every sport-hunting teen.
2. Caddyshack
It often lands at the top of lists for both sports and comedy films. This funny movie about golf carts really shines because of the great performances by Bill Murray and Ted Knight.
3. Airplane!
It’s not one of the favorites on the list, but many consider it one of the 10 best comedies of all time. This is the grandfather of the spoof film that parodies the disaster films of the 1970s. “And don’t call me Shirley.”
4. The Blues Brothers
“Chicago is 106 miles away, we’ve got a tank full of gas, half a pack of cigarettes, it’s dark and we’re wearing sunglasses. Hit it!” Thus begins one of the cleverest and most devastating car chase scenes in movie history.
5. Fast times at Ridgemont High
Jeff Spiccoli! That’s all you really have to say because this movie has one of the greatest comedic characters ever created for a movie – and it’s played by a non-comedian. Wow!
6. Ghostbusters
“Boy, I’ll be super grumpy!” This is one of the many great lines from this sophisticated classic. I still remember the boys who went to David Letterman before the movie came out and pulled it off so well that I honestly couldn’t tell if they really believed in ghosts or not.
7. The Breakfast Club
Some purists might say TBC was a drama rather than a comedy, but it’s still one of the funniest movies I’ve ever seen. Great characters, a classic story about stereotypes and a fun weekend detention setting, what more could you want. And kudos to John Hughes for having two of the top 7 comedy series.
8. This is Spinal Tap
Before there was reality TV or memorials like the Blair Witch, there was Spinal Tap. Talk about authenticity. This fictional story of the rise and fall of a heavy metal rock band is fascinating. Nigel’s description of his amplifier going to eleven in size is one of my favorite scenes.
9. Big
This story has been reworked many times over the years but this is the original story – as far as I know. The man caught up in the rat race becomes a child again and, in the process, rediscovers what is important in life. Although funny at times, I preferred Hanks to Splash, which unfortunately didn’t make the top 35 list.
10. Paul Durham
One of the best sports comedies out there, Bull Durham is the story of two players struggling to deal with life in the minor leagues. This also ends up at the top of many sports fan lists and is generally a must-see comedy.
11. Breeding Arizona
Part dark comedy in the other, part slapstick comedy, and a non-stop adventure overall. We got Goodman’s first great comedy role, as Holly Hunter and Nicholas Cage blossomed as the Coen Brothers comedians launched a stellar comedy career with this classic.
12. Planes, trains and automobiles
Steve Martin and the late John Candy are brilliant in this story of business travelers trying to get home for the Thanksgiving holiday. This is right up there with Roxanne, as one of Steve Martin’s best comedic roles. While the laughs are great, the movie is also touching and touching. A true gem.
13. Vacation
Definitely Chevy Chase’s best movie role, unfortunately most of it was downhill from there for Chase. Road Trips has been great comedy fun over the years and this is the grandfather of them all.
14. Spaceballs
This is a Mel Brooks parody of the Star Wars series. I must admit I’ve never seen this movie so it’s hard to comment on it. However, I’ve heard that everyone loves John Candy as Chewbacca.
15. Revenge of the Nerds
This is the original version after which all of the Michael Cera and John Heder films were made. It’s a hilarious college comedy about a young guy who beats the BMOC. I loved Napoleon Dynamite and Superbad, but you have to watch the original to really enjoy this newer geek flick.