Comedy: 488

Love Is All There Is (1996), a romantic comedy, was written and directed by Joseph Bologna and Renée Taylor, who also star in the film. It is a modern retelling of Romeo and Juliet set in the Bronx, following the Capomezzos, a local catering business owned by Bronx-born Sicilians. They develop a bitter rivalry with the Malacicis, recent immigrants from Florence who own a fine Italian restaurant. The story centers around the romance between Rosario, son of the Capomezzos, and Gina, daughter of the Malacicis. Their love is sparked when ...

Dear God (1996) is an American comedy film produced by Paramount Pictures and directed by Garry Marshall. Tom Turner, a con artist, finds himself in legal trouble for running scams to pay off his gambling debt to Junior, a loan shark. As punishment, the judge orders Tom to secure a full-time job within the week and keep it for at least a year, or face prison time. Desperate to avoid jail, Tom takes a job at the post office sorting mail in the dead letter office. Here, he meets some eccentric colleagues and learns about what happens to letters addressed to the Easter Bunny, Elvis Presley, and even God. One day, while ...

Project: ALF (1996), an American made-for-television science fiction film directed by Dick Lowry, picks up where the final episode of the sitcom ALF left off. The story follows Gordon Shumway, or ALF for short, as he is taken into custody by the US Air Force’s Alien Task Force (ATF) while trying to leave Earth. Colonel Gilbert Milfoil, head of security for ATF, has ordered that ALF be detained at Edmonds Air Force Base. Despite initial concerns, ALF is actually doing quite well in captivity. He spends his time hosting poker games with his guards and selling concessions to make some extra cash. His living ...

That Thing You Do! (1996) is an American musical comedy-drama film written and directed by Tom Hanks, making his debut as a feature writer and director. Set in 1964, the story follows Guy Patterson, a budding jazz drummer from Erie, Pennsylvania who works at his family’s appliance store. One day, his friends Jimmy and Lenny ask him to fill in for their regular drummer Chad, who broke his arm, at a talent show where they plan to perform a song Jimmy wrote. The trio practices the slow-tempo ballad ‘That Thing You Do!’ in Jimmy’s garage. In need of a band name, Jimmy’s girlfriend Faye suggests ...

Feeling Minnesota (1996), an American crime comedy film written and directed by Steven Baigelman, tells the story of Freddie Clayton, a former stripper who finds herself indebted to nightclub owner Red. In order to repay her debt, Freddie agrees to marry Sam. However, at the wedding she meets Jjaks, Sam’s brother, and their instant chemistry leads them to run away together and take refuge in a motel. Realizing they have no money, they decide to return to Sam’s house and steal some cash. But their plan goes awry when Sam catches Jjaks in the act and a physical altercation ensues. Wounded and on the run from ...

Multiplicity (1996) is a sci-fi comedy featuring Michael Keaton and Andie MacDowell. The film is based on Chris Miller’s short story published in National Lampoon magazine in Spring 1993. It follows the story of Doug Kinney, a hard-working construction worker in Los Angeles who struggles to balance work and family life. While working on a new project, he meets Dr. Leeds, a scientist who has developed a technique for cloning humans. Sympathetic to Doug’s situation, Dr. Leeds offers to clone him so that his duplicate can handle work responsibilities while Doug ...

3rd Rock from the Sun (1996–2001) is an American television sitcom created by Bonnie and Terry Turner that aired on NBC from January 9, 1996 to May 22, 2001. The show follows four extraterrestrials on a mission to observe human behavior on Earth, commonly referred to as the third planet from the Sun. Taking on the guise of a human family, they blend into society while conducting their research. Interestingly, this concept is not new for the Turners, as three years prior to the show’s premiere they had written Coneheads – a film with a similar premise of aliens ...

Freeway (1996) is an acclaimed American black comedy crime film, written and directed by Matthew Bright and produced by Oliver Stone. The story centers around Vanessa Lutz, a teenage girl living in Southern California. After her mother, Ramona, is arrested for prostitution and her stepfather, Larry, is taken in for drug and child abuse charges, social worker Mrs. Sheets arrives to take Vanessa away. However, she quickly devises a plan to escape by handcuffing the social worker to a bed and fleeing in her run-down car. Her destination: Stockton, where she plans to live ...

Mars Attacks! (1996), an American black comedy science fiction film, was directed by Tim Burton and co-produced by Larry J. Franco. When Earth is suddenly visited by a massive fleet of flying saucers from Mars, President James Dale addresses the nation. Among those following the developing story are talk show host Nathalie Lake and her boyfriend Jason Stone, who try to take advantage of the situation with an interview featuring Professor Donald Kessler, Dale’s scientific advisor. However, their plans are interrupted by a broadcast from the Martian leader. As the ...

The American buddy comedy film Swingers (1996) follows the story of unemployed actors living in the ‘eastside’ of Hollywood, California during the swing revival of the 1990s. Mike Peters, a struggling comedian who left New York in search of success in Los Angeles, is still reeling from his six-year relationship with Michelle ending six months ago. To cheer him up, his womanizing friend Trent and other aspiring actor buddies try to help him get back into the social scene. As they hang out, Mike confides in his friend Rob about how much he misses Michelle and how she hasn’t reached out to him. Rob explains that women have a way of knowing not to call ...

Bottle Rocket (1996), an American crime comedy film, marked Wes Anderson’s directorial debut. In Arizona, Dignan rescues his exhausted friend Anthony from a voluntary psychiatric unit. With an elaborate escape plan and a detailed 75-year strategy in hand, Dignan shares his ambitions with Anthony. They aim to pull off multiple heists and rendezvous with Mr. Henry, a landscape artist and part-time criminal known to Dignan. For their first trial run, they break into Anthony’s family home and steal pre-determined items from a list they agreed upon earlier. During the post-heist evaluation, Dignan casually ...

Jack (1996), an American coming-of-age comedy-drama film, was co-produced and directed by Francis Ford Coppola. At a costume party, Karen Powell unexpectedly goes into labor and is quickly taken to the hospital by her husband Brian and their companions. Strangely, Jack appears to be a full-term healthy baby despite being born in just the 10th week of gestation. Further medical examinations reveal that Jack suffers from a rare condition causing him to grow four times faster than average. By the time he is ten years old, Jack already has the physical appearance of a 40-year-old man. One day, some boys come to his house ...

The Sunshine Boys (1996) is an American comedy TV film, helmed by director John Erman and based on Neil Simon’s eponymous 1972 play. The story follows Al Lewis and Willy Clark, two cantankerous comedians who were once part of the famed duo ‘Lewis and Clark’, also known as the Sunshine Boys. However, after a successful 43-year run, they went their separate ways with a bitter falling-out and have had no contact since. Now, a major network is planning a reunion for a comedy history special.

Get Shorty (1995), an American gangster comedy film directed by Barry Sonnenfeld and written by Scott Frank, is based on Elmore Leonard’s novel of the same name. Ernesto ‘Chili’ Palmer, a loan shark and movie enthusiast from Miami, faces trouble when his leather jacket is taken by rival mobster Ray ‘Bones’ Barboni. In retaliation, Chili retrieves it and breaks Bones’ nose. However, Bones later tries to ambush him at his office, only for Chili to shoot first and graze Bones’ ...

Get Smart (1995), an American sitcom sequel to the original 1965–1970 NBC/CBS show starring Don Adams and Barbara Feldon as Maxwell Smart and Agent 99, aired on Fox for seven episodes from January to February 1995. In this installment, Max and 99 are joined by their son Zach, who is a newly-minted spy, and his partner Agent 66. With Max as Chief of Control and 99 as a Congresswoman overseeing Control’s budget, they must work together to prevent KAOS from taking over the world. Maxwell Smart, the head of CONTROL, works alongside ...

Mallrats (1995), an American buddy comedy written and directed by Kevin Smith, follows college student T.S. Quint as he plans a trip to Universal Studios Florida with his girlfriend Brandi Svenning. Unfortunately, things take a turn when Brandi reveals she cannot join him due to filling in on her father’s dating game show, Truth or Date. This was after the original contestant tragically passed away while swimming at the local Y.M.C.A following T.S.’s hurtful comment about her weight. The couple argues and ultimately splits up. In need of support, T.S. turns to his friend Brodie Bruce, who is also dealing ...

Glory Daze (1995) is an American independent comedy film written and directed by Rich Wilkes. The story follows Jack Freeman, a 22-year-old graduating from the University of California, Santa Cruz with a degree in art. Dealing with a recent breakup with his ex-girlfriend Dina, Jack shares a house nicknamed ‘El Rancho’ with four friends. Rob is also graduating and planning to move to Los Angeles with his girlfriend Joanie. However, he has concerns about settling down and living close to Joani’s mother. Dennis, on the other hand, is a perpetual student who has three degrees under his belt and will be ...

The American comedy film, Mighty Aphrodite (1995), written and directed by Woody Allen, also features him in a leading role. The opening scene takes us to ancient Greek ruins which serve as the backdrop for the introduction and narration of Lenny Weinrib’s story. Lenny lives in Manhattan and works as a sportswriter, while his wife Amanda is an ambitious art curator. They decide to adopt a baby boy who they name Max. As Lenny spends more time with Max, he realizes that the child is highly gifted. This piques Lenny’s interest and he becomes determined to uncover Max’s biological mother’s identity. ...

Four Rooms (1995) is an American black comedy film that combines elements of farce and anthology. The movie features a star-studded team of writers and directors including Allison Anders, Alexandre Rockwell, Robert Rodriguez, and Quentin Tarantino. Taking place on New Year’s Eve at the fictional Hotel Mon Signor in Los Angeles, the plot is centered around Ted, a bellhop who experiences four unique encounters with different hotel guests during his first night on the job. Honeymoon Suite. The Missing Ingredient (Allison Anders). Ted helps a unique group of ladies ...

Robert Altman wrote, directed and produced Ready to Wear (1994), an American satirical comedy-drama film. During Paris Fashion Week, a group of models, designers, industry insiders and journalists gather to work, argue and attempt to seduce each other. The fashion world is thrown into chaos when the head of the Fashion Council, Olivier de la Fontaine, dies from choking on a sandwich. He leaves behind a wife, mistress and a mysterious Russian companion who has since disappeared. As authorities investigate the death, Fashion Week continues. American television personality Kitty inserts herself among the designers to get ...