Best Buddy Movies - Part 12
Posted on 1 May 00:00
One of the most popular film genres is the buddy movie genre. These films feature various themes can that appeal to everyone. This article discusses seven films featuring some of the best of the buddy movies.
Plot: The plot of this movie features a murder that takes place on a train that is traveling from Los Angeles to Chicago. George Cadwell is an overworked book editor who begins a love affair with Hilly Burns while on a cross-country train ride. In the process, Cadwell witnesses a murder that interrupts their fun when he is suddenly accused of the murder. The the actual murderers cause Cadwell to be accidently thrown off the moving train. In desperation, he joins forces with Grover Muldoon, a car thief, to chase after the train and save Hilly while evading the police officers culminating in a number of hilarious situations.
Director: Authur Hiller.
Main Cast: Gene Wilder (as George Caldwell), Jill Clayburgh (as Hildegarde 'Hilly' Burns), Richard Pryor (as Grover T. Muldoon), and Patrick McGoohan (as Roger Devereau).
Critical Reception: This film was a tremendous commercial and critical success. It grossed $51.1 million on a $5.5 million budget. Many critics, including Roger Ebert, praised the movie for its greatness and the wonderful actors’ performance. On Rotten Tomatoes, it holds an 81% approval rating based on 21critics. Chicago Tribune’s Gene Siskel, however, felt different about the movie, and awarded it two out of four stars, and commented as follows about the film, ‘a needlessly convoluted mystery yarn, which calls everyone's identity into question except Wilder's.' He also added, 'the story isn't easy to follow, and, 'I'm still not sure whether Clayburgh’s character, secretary to Devereaux, was in on the hustle from the beginning. Hilly Burns was actually Professor Schreiner's secretary, not Deverereaux's.
Awards and Nominations: This film's critical success was further confirmed by the many accolades. The awards included the Academy Award nomination for Best Sound (Donald O. Mitchell, Douglas O. Williams, Richard Tyler, and Harold M. Etherington), the Golden Globe Award for Best Actor- Motion Picture Musical or Comedy- Gene Wilder, the Writers Guild of America nomination for Best Comedy Written Directly for the Screen (Colin Higgins). The movie was among those selected for the Royal Film Performance in 1977. Besides, the 2000 American Film Institute had it included in the film in AFI's 100 Years...100 Laughs – #95.
2. Jay and Silent Bob Strike Back (2001)
Plot: This film depicts two best buddies, Jay and Silent Bob. The duo discovers that an upcoming movie project has been created with a basis on their likeness. They, therefore, looked forward to being paid something. When this does not happen, and things take a completely different direction, the duo decides to sabotage the project at whatever cost.
Director: Kevin Smith.
Main Cast: Jason Mewes (as Jay/Chronic), Kevin Smith (as Silent Bob/Bluntman), Ben Affleck (as Ben Affleck/Holden McNeil/Chuckie Sullivan), and Jeff Anderson (as Randal Graves).
Critical Reception: Jay and Silent Bob Strike Back film is one of the movies with mixed reactions despite good creation. Rotten Tomatoes reviewed it based on 152critics, awarding it a 53% approval rating and a 5.60/10 average rating with the site’s consensus reading, ‘Fans can expect a good laugh as the cast from Smith's previous films reunite for Jay and Silent Bob's last bow. The loose plotting and crude language may be too much for others, though.’ Metacritic also awarded it 'mixed or average reviews based on 31reviews, translating to a 51/100 average rating. Chicago Sun-Times' Roger Ebert gave the film 3/5 out of 5stars and remarked as follows, 'whether you will like 'Jay and Silent Bob’ depends on who you are ... Kevin Smith’s movies are either made specifically for you, or specifically not made for you.’
Awards and Nominations: This movie won the 2001 Golden Schmoes Award for Coolest Character of the Year. It received the Golden Schmoes Award for Trachiest and the Golden Trailer Award for the Best Film of the Year. The Stinkers Bad Movie Awards nominated the film for the Stinker Award for Worst Supporting Actress (Shannon Elizabeth).
Plot: This film’s plot depicts Roy, an alcoholic ex-professional bowler who has lost his hand due to participating in a con game which ends badly. as he makes a transition in his life to being the manager of Ishmael, a promising Amish bowling talent. With the gangster’s girlfriend helping him, he is optimistic about scaling greater heights with Ishmail. Along the way, positive life changes occur in Roy.
Director: Peter and Booby Farelly.
Main Cast: Woody Harrelson (as Roy Munson), Randy Quaid (as Ishmael Bourg), Vanessa Angel (as Claudia), and Bill Murray (as Ernie ‘Big Ern’ McCracken).
Critical Reception: This movie received mixed reviews from critics. Rotten Tomatoes conducted its reviews based on 38reviews and awarded the movie a 50% approval rating and a 5.72/10 average rating with the site’s critical consensus reading, ‘Kingpin has its moments, but they're often offset by an eagerness to descend into vulgar mean-spiritedness.’ Chicago Sun-Times’ Roger Ebert praised the movie note-worthily, giving it 3.5 out of 4stars. Gene Siskel also found the film interesting and included it on his list of the ten best films for 1996.
Awards and Nominations: Bravo’s ‘100 Funniest Movies’ included the film in their list, ranking it 68th. In 2018, the movie was ranked 2nd in Vulture.com list of Woody Harrelson's best films. Nancy Gerstman also loved the movie, mentioning it as one of the nine most underrated films in the 1990s.
Plot: American G.I. Bob Johnson, on the way to Canterbury during World War II, mistakenly gets off the train in Chillingbourne. When he does, he encounters British Sgt. Peter Gibbs and the British ‘land girl’ Alison Smith, a shopkeeper's asssitant. Soon, they are confronted with a serial criminal who puts glue in women’s hair, and Alison is his newest victim. The three unite to find the culprit and solve this myster.
Director: Michael Powell and Emeric Pressburger.
Main Cast: Eric Portman (as Thomas Colpepe), Sgt. John Sweet, U.S. Army (as Acting Sgt. Bob Johnson, ASN 31036062), Dennis Price (as Sgt Peter Gibbs), and Sheila Sim (as Alison Smith), a shop assistant in a department store in London).
Critical Reception: Critics such as Rotten Tomatoes, Metacritic, and Chicago Sun-Times did not review the film.
Awards and Nominations: Records revealed no major awards or nominations for this film.
Plot: This movie depicts two former geeks, a college graduate residing in Salt Lake City and his friend who become punks in the 1980s. The duo party and go to concerts. They believe that this will help them decide what to do with their lives. The movie, though not autobiographical, is based on the director's real-life experience while living in Salt Lake City and the features characters that the director personally knew.
Director: James Merendino.
Main Cast: Matthew Lillard (as Steven ‘Stevo’ Levy), Michael Goorjian (as ‘Heroin’ Bob), Jason Segel (as Mike), and Annabeth Gish (as Trish).
Critical Reception: 'SLC Punk' received mixed reviews from critics. Rotten Tomatoes conducted its reviews based on 3 critcs, awarding the film a 63% approval rating. Metacritic conducted a weighted review using 21 critcs, giving the movie a 50/100 average rating, indicating ‘mixed or average rating.’ Chicago Sun-Times’ Roger Ebert awarded the movie three out of four stars while praising Lillard’s performance. Ebert recognized the film as a great work and wrote that it offered a little something there for all of us.’
Awards and Nominations: at the 1999 Mar del Plata Film Festival, Matthew Lillard won the Best Actor Award. James Merendino won the FIPRESCI Prize - Special Mention for Best Film. At the 1998 CMJ Music Marathon and Film Festival, it was nominated for the Audience Award for Best Film (James Merendino & Sony Pictures Classics, the director and distributor).
Plot: This film’s plot features four teenagers from Hell’s kitchen who almost kill a man and are consequently sent to detention, where the guards detain and brutalize them. Tommy and John, now full-grown hitmen, recognize their abuser and kills him. When taken to court, their prosecutor is their former gang member, now the DA.
Director: Barry Levinson wrote, directed, and produced the film.
Main Cast: Kevin Bacon (as Sean Nokes), Billy Crudup (as Tommy Marcano), Jonathan Tucker (as Young Tommy Marcano), Robert De Niro (as Father Bobby), and Ron Eldard (as John Riley).
Critical Reception: This movie received positive critical reviews. Rotten Tomatoes reviewed the movie based on 56 critics, awarding the film a 73% approval rating and a 6.60/10 average rating. Metacritic based its reviews on 18 critcs, awarding the film a 49/100 weighted average rating suggesting 'mixed or average reviews.'
Awards and Nominations: The Academy Award nominated John Williams for Best Original Dramatic Score. The London Film Critics Circle selected Minnie Driver as Best Supporting Actress.
Plot: This film’s plot portrays an incarcerated duo that comes up with a foolproof escape plan involving the prison rodeo. Hilarity ensues.
Director: Sydney Poitier.
Main Cast: Gene Wilder (as Skip Donahue), Richard Pryor (as Harry Monroe), Georg Stanford Brown (as Rory Schultebrand), and JoBeth Williams (as Meredith).
Critical Reception: 'Stir Crazy' received positive reviews from critics. Rotten Tomatoes conducted the Stir Crazy review based on 15 reviews and awarded it a 67% approval rating. On Metacritic, the film scored a 56% average rating based on reviews from 6 critics. Roger Ebert awarded the movie two out of four stars. He said this about it, ‘it starts strong, but once Wilder and Pryor are thrown into prison, it seems to lose its way, as the movie gets bogged down in developing its own plot. That is not always the best thing for a comedy to do because if we're not laughing, it hardly matters what happens to the plot.’
Awards and Nominations: The Razzie Awards nominated Georg Stanford Brown for Worst Supporting Actress.
Conclusion
There are tons of films available in the entertainment industry. Buddy movies belong to one of the popular genres that many movie-goers cherish. This article discussed seven of the best buddy films for movie buffs.
Movie Buffs Forever stocks classic movies on DVD from the 1940's to the early 2000's. Browse our vast collection of old, rare and out of print classic movies on DVD.
YOU MAY ALSO LIKE:
Why We Still Love DVDs