When Harry Met Sally (1989)Billy Crystal
Meg Ryan
Carrie Fisher
Bruno Kirby
When Harry Met Sally answers that age old question of “can men and women JUST be friends?” Harry Met Sally is probably the most intellectual comedy of this 80s bunch, but that doesn’t mean it’s not funny. Well written with a great cast, Billy Crystal and Meg Ryan just gelled as those unlucky in love friends who find their way into each other’s hearts. And it just works.
Raising Arizona (1987)Nicolas Cage
Holly Hunter
William Forsythe
John Goodman
Frances McDormand
There’s some dispute over whether this Coen brothers film should land on any best lists – some people flat-out hate it or rate it low on the rundown of Coen flicks. On our 80s list though, Raising Arizona shines for its unique comedy that only the Cohen brothers can deliver. Honestly, there’s little in the 80s comedy landscape that comes close to this kind of movie. H.I. (Nicolas Cage) is a fuck up criminal trying to do right by Ed (Holly Hunter) – but old habits die hard when a woman’s desolate wasteland of baby making territory leads the couple to steal a baby. Hilarity ensues, complete with yodeling soundtrack.
Beetlejuice (1988)Michael Keaton
Alec Baldwin
Geena Davis
Winona Ryder
Catherine O’Hara
Tim Burton does quirky like nobody else - add Michael Keaton when he was still funny (remember that?) as the ghost with the most and a young brooding Winona Ryder, paired up with newly dead ghosts learning the ropes Alec Baldwin and Gina Davis - and it’s comedy gold. Beetlejuice, Beetlejuice… well, I better not go for a third time… but bonus points for a sing-along of “Day-O” (check the video below).
Fletch (1985)Chevy Chase
Tim Matheson
Joe Don Baker
Dana Wheeler-Nicholson
Chevy Chase does funny well - almost as well as in Vacation and Caddyshack (see further down the list) - taking on numerous undercover personas to get the scoop as investigative newspaper reporter Irwin M. Fletcher. Fletch is so well written and expertly executed, we can’t wait to see what wise-ass Fletch will do next – John Cocktoston at the country club (put it on the Underhills’ bill) or talking wise as a fake airplane mechanic (investing $.49 in a pair of novelty teeth to go undercover). Too many funny Fletch moments to count.
Big (1988)Tom Hanks
Elizabeth Perkins
Robert Loggia
John Heard
A boy who just wants to be big gets his wish – and a shitload of grownup stuff he never would have counted on. Yes, another switcheroo comedy, but Tom Hanks plays the boy inside with perfection – from the giant piano in FAO Schwarz to the fancy dinner where he hilariously nibbles the baby ears of corn, Big is tender sweet and yes… very funny.
A Fish Called Wanda (1988)John Cleese
Jamie Lee Curtis
Kevin Kline
Michael Palin
A Fish Called Wanda is one of the shining moments of 80s film, and there are few movies that have pulled off an ensemble comedy that comes anywhere close to Wanda. With stellar comedic performances from Jamie Lee Curtis, John Cleese, Michael Palin and Kevin Kline, this comic caper is one of the best. I’ve always had a soft spot for Otto (Kevin Kline) taking offense to being called stupid and his distaste for Ken (Palin): “It’s K-K-K-Ken c-c-c-coming to k-k-k-kill me.”
Sixteen Candles (1984)Molly Ringwald
Justin Henry
Michael Schoeffling
Haviland Morris
Gedde Watanabe
Anthony Michael Hall
Seriously, John Hughes OWNED the 80s! It’s some of the little things in Sixteen Candles that make it such a great comedy though. Sure, you’ve got the teen angst of Samantha’s (Molly Ringwald) forgotten birthday and her pining for the popular guy at school… but you’ve also got gems like Anthony Michael Hall’s self-described “King of the Dipshits” getting trapped under a glass table and showing off panties in the bathroom, the foreign student “No more yankie my wankie. The Donger need food”… and Joan Cusack’s small role delivers big laughs.
Tootsie (1982)Dustin Hoffman
Jessica Lange
Teri Garr
Bill Murray
Dustin Hoffman had a whole lot to pull off in this 80s classic – including pantyhose and a wig. An unemployed actor discovers a way to break into a soap opera role… by playing a woman. Of course, a man in drag is funny enough, but Hoffman really delivers as Dorothy, fooling the older men falling for her/him, while trying to figure out how to get the girl when he’s a girl!
Better Off Dead (1985)John Cusack
David Ogden Stiers
Diane Franklin
Curtis Armstrong
Better Off Dead immediately brings to mind “I want my two dollars!!!” – but there’s plenty of funny in this kooky 80s comedy. John Cusack plays loser Lane Meyer so well that you feel for him in the worst way. The highlight of his parents’ Christmas gifts are a variety of frozen dinner, for shit’s sake! Throw in the ridiculous neighbor kid Ricky, pal Charles De Mar, ex-girlfriend Beth and jock asshole Roy Stalin, plus a French hottie… and oh, don’t forget the Howard Cosell drag racers… well there’s too many funny moments to sum up in one paragraph.
The Breakfast Club (1985)Judd Nelson
Molly Ringwald
Emilio Estevez
Anthony Michael Hall
Ally Sheedy
John Hughes strikes our list again… The Breakfast Club is so great it made our list of funniest high school movies too. Forced to sit in Saturday detention (seriously, do schools actually do this?), we get a funny look at a variety of characters that likely graced the halls of your high school… finding out that we all have our hang-ups, but we’re not so very different at the core.
This is Spinal Tap (1984)Rob Reiner
Michael McKean
Christopher Guest
Harry Shearer
No 80s greatest comedy films list would be complete without a mention of one of the most unique comedies of the era. This is Spinal Tap was a foray into the world of the mockumentary and paved the path for a slew of brilliant Christopher Guest mockumentaries to come. This is one you don’t have to turn up to 11 to appreciate.
Airplane! (1980)Robert Hays
Julie Hagerty
Leslie Nielsen
Robert Stack
Lloyd Bridges
Peter Graves
Airplane offers up some of the best one-liners of any comedy on film. Whether you fancy “Looks like I picked the wrong week to quit sniffing glue” or “Joey, have you ever been in a Turkish prison?,” the funny doesn’t stop with the dialogue. Airplane is also the king of site gags – from the shit literally hitting the fan or ex-fighter pilot Ted Striker sweating a virtual ocean of perspiration, there is no shortage of stuff to laugh at. And that’s no jive talk.
A Christmas Story (1983)Peter Billingsley
Darren McGavin
Melinda Dillon
A Christmas Story is everyone’s go-to hilarious holiday classic – forget White Christmas or that Jimmy Stewart thing… reach for your abused copy of A Christmas Story with the cautionary tale “You’ll shoot your eye out!” Heck, TBS devotes an entire day to A Christmas Story every holiday season – you can never get too much of Ralphie, his quest for the Red Ryder BB gun and his crazy f’d up family.
Ghostbusters (1984)Bill Murray
Dan Aykroyd
Sigourney Weaver
Harold Ramis
Who ya gonna call? A team of unlikely ghost exterminators get gig after gig in ghost infested New York City in this 80s gem starring Dan Aykroyd, Bill Murray and Harold Ramis. So many funny moments, including the BIG ending – when Ray says “I tried to think of the most harmless thing. Something I loved from my childhood. Something that could never ever possibly destroy us. Mr. Stay Puft!” Nice thinkin, Ray.
Fast Times at Ridgemont High (1982)Sean Penn
Jennifer Jason Leigh
Judge Reinhold
Phoebe Cates
You can’t round up the best comedies of the 80s without Fast Times at Ridgemont High making the list. This coming-of-age movie has all of the classic characters and life lessons you could ever want. And Spicoli. Oh, Spicoli. Sean Penn pulls off the stoner brilliantly – couldn’t you just see a glimmer of Sean Penn’s talented future career in Spicoli? Okay, so maybe you have to read between the lines. But seriously, “All I need are some tasty waves, a cool buzz, and I’m fine” about sums it all up.
Planes, Trains, and Automobiles (1987)Steve Martin
John Candy
John Hughes strikes again in an unlikely buddy comedy that teams up the comedic force of Steve Martin and John Candy as they cross paths and share rides to get home for Thanksgiving. Among the many great scenes is when the two end up spooning in the fleabag motel room they’re sharing – Martin asks where Candy’s hand is, and he replies “Between two pillows.” The horror when Martin exclaims, “Those aren’t pillows!!” is one of the funniest in movie history.
Back to the Future (1985)Michael J. Fox
Christopher Lloyd
Crispin Glover
Lea Thompson
Hello?? McFly?? This time travel comedy was awesome - the characters of Doc Brown, Marty McFly and hapless dad George McFly were genius. Seeing an 80s kid go back to the 50s while trying not to change the course of history too much offers up tons of laughs. With moments like Calvin Klein underwear, the Enchantment Under the Sea Dance and the notion that Marty could influence Chuck Berry… well, if that doesn’t get your Flux Capacitor fluxxing, nothing will.
Spaceballs (1987)Mel Brooks
John Candy
Rick Moranis
Bill Pullman
Daphne Zuniga
Mel Brooks is back at it with the always entertaining Spaceballs, a spoof on Star Wars/Star Trek-esque films. Whether you love Dark Helmet, Barf (“I’m a mog: half man, half dog. I’m my own best friend!”), Lone Starr or Princess Vespa, there is no shortage of great lines. Check out this video compilation of some of Spaceballs funniest moments:
Caddyshack (1980)Chevy Chase
Rodney Dangerfield
Ted Knight
Michael O’Keefe
Bill Murray
Be. The. Ball. Caddyshack tops our funniest sports movies list too, so it’s no surprise it lands in the top three of our 80s comedy list. Caddyshack is one of the undisputed funniest movies of all time. With an all-star cast that includes Chevy Chase, Rodney Dangerfield, Bill Murray and Ted Knight, Caddyshack is timelessly funny because of the great one-liners and characters.
Ferris Bueller’s Day Off (1986)
Matthew Broderick
Alan Ruck
Mia Sara
John Hughes hit another home run with Ferris Bueller, a role that really put Matthew Broderick on the map. Main character Ferris talking to the camera while showing us how he pulled off the ultimate school ditch with hot girlfriend Sloane and neurotic pal Cameron is brilliant. Throw in principal Edward Rooney for an extra dose of fun, as Ferris and friends run amok in Chicago, taking in a ball game, dining at a fancy restaurant (Abe Froman) and joining a parade – among other diversions - because “Life moves pretty fast. You don’t stop and look around once in a while, you could miss it.”
