Female driven funny features are often overlooked when it comes to almost arbitrarily piecing together lists of people’s favourite comedies. The truth is that over the past few years female-based farces have once more become incredibly smart, sophisticated and above all hilarious. Here are a few of the best.
BRIDESMAIDS (2011)
In what promised to be a female-driven version of hit comedy ‘The Hangover’ yet turned out to be oh so much more was Kristen Wiig’s incredibly hilarious ‘Bridesmaids’. The movie even earned Wiig a Best Original Screenplay Oscar nod and found her in the lead role as Annie going through a tough time dealing with her own life during the challenging role of becoming a maid of honour for the upcoming wedding of her best friend. A great script and some excellent supporting performances made this a modern-day comedy classic that’s even managed to spawn spin-offs and online casino games like Bridesmaids slots.
JUNO (2007)
Penned by script writing newcomer Diablo Cody and filled with a verbal barrage of pop culture references was 2007’s unusually quirky comedy drama ‘Juno’. Ellen Page plays the title role as a pregnant teenager looking to seek out a suitable family to adopt her child. There’s a fantastic supporting cast of rich characters and there’s plenty to enjoy all round even if the 16-year old Juno’s comments and references are far removed from the reality of most modern day high school students.
THE DEVIL WEARS PRADA (2006)
Aside from being another perfect platform for veteran star Meryl Streep to show her worth as one of the greatest living actresses it was also a terrific showcase for younger newcomers Anne Hathaway and British star Emily Blunt. Based on the novel by Lauren Weisberger a new college graduate manages to land her perfect job as assistant to an overly demanding fashion magazine editor, played by Streep. Filled with hilarity and memorable one-liners it’ll certainly stand the test of time.
MEAN GIRLS (2004)
During former Disney star Lindsay Lohan’s less outrageous era of movie stardom she popped up in the Tina Fey penned high school comedy ‘Mean Girls’. In typical fish out of water styled amusement Lindsay played new girl Cady Heron whose first experience of public school results in the complicated world of student cliques. The mirth-filled movie also starred the likes of Rachel McAdams and a 19-year old Amanda Seyfried.
ELECTION (1999)
As high school comedies go this slice of satirical pleasure was far removed from what we’d typically expect from the usual slapstick school-based sub-genre. Matthew Broderick returns to school this time in a teaching capacity to deal with a barrage of incidents in his personal life during an election surrounding the next student government president. This becomes all the more complicated when he finds himself becoming less than supportive of the rather scary and overachieving student candidate Tracy Flick, played by the wonderful Reese Witherspoon.
