Until the last decade, the greatest comedies came out the late 1970s and early 1980s. "The Jerk" (1979), starring Steve Martin, was the first, and arguably better, version of the 1900s hit, "Dumb and Dumber." It was a well-written character piece, highlighting Martin's unique style of acting as his career was steadily rising. Production values, cast and direction didn't really matter: It was all Martin and that's all the film really needed. However it was overshadowed the following year by "Caddyshack," the first great comedy of many great Harold Ramis comedies to come. Ramis (best known to the public as Egon from Ghostbusters) deserves the legendary status of Mel Brooks and Woody Allen, and will no doubt receive it in legacy. "Caddyshack" took the ensemble cast to a new level, with simple yet hilarious scenes, incredible one-liners and complex characters expounding on their bizarre philosophies about life... and golf. Ramis's second film, "National Lampoon's Vacation," is just as funny, if not a better film in general. It thoroughly explores ideas and themes with which the average viewer can identify, like family vacations we have all been on in various and fantasies that play into the everyday decisions of a family man--namely, Christie Brinkley flirting with you in a red Ferrari.
The 1990's weren't exactly a bad time for comedy, but the movies of that decade seemed more shtick-based then anything else. Martin and Chevy Chase were in the twilight of their comedy careers, giving rise to Jim Carrey's brilliant elasticity and Mike Meyers' multiple personalities. Story and character development took a back seat: audiences wanted to see Carrey talk out of his butt (which, one could argue, has quietly plagued him over the course of his career) and Meyers play over-the-top characters--a Canadian Eddie Murphy. Even Murphy himself, whose comedy career dominated the '80s, seemed to play more roles in each film than roles he played in the whole of the prior decade. Sure it was an incredible display of acting ability, but how did it serve the story? Comedy movies became comedy movies again--not films.
But the 2000s has been a different decade. Sure, Todd Phillips' gut-busting and shocking comedies like "Old School" and "The Hangover" are fraternized versions of Harold Ramis and John Landis classics. But the real dominating force in the comedy world in the first decade of the new millennium is writer, producer and director Judd Apatow, who has had his hand in a number of hits. From "Anchorman" and "The 40-Year-Old Virgin" to "Superbad" and "Knocked Up," Apatow's team--as the actors, writers, directors and crew on these films are imperative to each film's success--churned out comedies that are instant classics year after year, transforming comedy movies back to comedy films. This raises two questions in Hollywood. First: How much longer will this go on? And second, as many young, hungry talents on the brink are wondering: What's next?