There sure are a lot of horrible buddy movies. Ever since “The Odd Couple,” it seems that getting two hot Hollywood stars together to bicker and fight is an easy way to guarantee box office success. Hell, “The French Connection” and “The Sting” even won Best Picture trophies! This is not always the case, however. In fact, for every “Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid,” it seems like there are a thousand movies like Sly and Kurt Russell in “Tango and Cash” or Larry Fishburne and Stephen Baldwin in “Fled.” Here are our lists of our favorites. And if some of them don’t necessarily fall under the traditional cop/odd couple mold of buddy flicks, then that may just be a reflection of the quality of this particular genre.
Eric’s List
“Strange Brew” (1983) : Loosely based on Shakespeare’s “Hamlet,” Rick Moranis and Dave Thomas wrote, directed, and starred in this bizarre, brilliant, and hilarious tale of two beer and donut-lovin’ Canadian brothers who unknowingly stop a maniacal plot by Brewmeister Smith (Max Von Sydow) to control the world through mind-altering beer. Completely absurd and vastly underrated, this comedy, based on the duo’s ” SCTV”-created characters, introduced the terms “hoser” and “eh?” to the world.- “Midnight Cowboy” (1969) : John Schlesinger’s controversial movie featuring big city fink Ratso Rizzo (Dustin Hoffman) and country boy wanna-be hustler Joe Buck (Jon Voight) is the only Best Picture winner to receive an X-rating. (It was later changed to an R.) The unlikely bond that develops between this very odd couple overflows with pathos, and the film’s blunt depiction of sexuality was a harbinger of things to come.
- “Clerks” (1994) : Sure, it looks crappy, and some of the acting is below sea level, but Kevin Smith’s directorial debut is frothing at the mouth. Smith set the bar pretty high for clever bad language and this ultra low budget black-and-white feature is where he first showed his knack for writing unabashedly frank dialogue. Through it all, lead actors Brian O’Halloran and Jeff Anderson actually develop a pretty strong bond, though neither of their characters would want to admit it, of course, for fear of being called gay.
“Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas” (1998) : Raoul Duke (Johnny Depp) and Dr. Gonzo (Benicio del Toro) are based on the counterculture buddy team of Hunter S. Thompson and Oscar Acosta. Apart from putting more drugs in their systems than Maria Full of Grace, these two hellraisers alternately threaten and save each other’s lives. Now that’s a true buddy, through thick and mescaline.- “The Blues Brothers” (1980) : John Landis makes an appearance on my list, too, for making the only truly great film ever based on “Saturday Night Live” characters. (And, no “Office Space” doesn’t count; Milton was animated and didn’t become the main character!) Belushi and Aykroyd saunter through this frenetic movie with all necessary cool, and the car chase at the end is still tops.
“Made” (2001) : Wedding Crashers, Wedding Schmashers! Vince Vaughn is really testing the limits of his hyperactive asshole routine in Jon Favreau’s directorial debut. I’m like those skaters and snowboarders who drink Mountain Dew, I guess, because both this movie and “Fear and Loathing,” are EXTREME buddy relationship. This ain’t your mommy’s buddy movie! Who-hoo! And it’s way funnier than “Swingers.”- “Midnight Run” (1988) : Charles Grodin and Robert Deniro. Another odd couple pairing like Samuel L. Jackson and Eugene Levy in the new smash hit “The Man.” Oh, I jest! Seriously, this is a buddy film classic if there ever was one (see J.D.’s list).
“48 Hours” (1982), which is the blueprint for all buddy movies since then. There would be no “Lethal Weapon” without hard-nosed cop Nick Nolte and wise-cracking criminal Eddie Murphy in “48 Hours.” There would also not be “Another 48 Hours,” but that’s a whole different son of a bitch, let me tell you.- “Ghost World” (2001) : Thora Birch and Scarlett Johansson are way cooler than Thelma and Louise in this post-high school, what-the-fuck-am-I-gonna-do-with-my-life-now movie. It gets all the attitude and scary details of growing up with lots of big question marks just right, and also illustrates the natural dissolution of high school friendships perfectly. As a bonus, Steve Buscemi’s best performance ever is in this overlooked gem of a film.
- “Deliverance” (1972) : They say that your relationship with a buddy gets stronger after you go through a big, terrifying event together. Well, what if you are all a bunch of macho men and that terrifying event included ALL forms of physical harassment? Some of these buddies, played by Ronny Cox, Ned Beatty, Jon Voight and Burt Reynolds, got to know each other way more than they wanted to.
J.D.’s List
“Midnight Run” (1988) : This is one of my all time favorite movies, and it gets better every time I watch it. DeNiro is amazing as Jack Walsh, a bounty hunter attempting to return “The Duke” (Charles Grodin) to L.A. before the cops, the mob or the competition catch up with them. This isn’t a traditional buddy flick, but the chemistry between DeNiro and Grodin is spectacular and rare in film. I’m always blown away when people tell me they’ve never even heard of “Midnight Run.” Director Martin Brest also directed the first “Beverly Hills Cop” and more recently handled the embarrassment that was “Gigli.”- “Real Genius” (1985) : This movie falls on my top ten all-time favorite movies list. No, it’s not important filmmaking, but this movie was absolutely illuminating for me as a geeky teenager looking for any hope that things would eventually turnout okay. Val Kilmer and Gabe Jarrett star as an unlikely pair of super smart science fair overachievers who accidentally design a interstellar weapon system for their maniacal professor and have to, well you know, fix it. Laslo Hollyfield, the guy in the closet, played by Jonathan Gries (Napolean Dynamite’s video taping uncle) is one of the all-time greatest bizarro side characters and Kilmer proves that we should talk about him for more than just Tombstone. Val, come on, what happened?
“Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade” (1989) : This isn’t a “Rush Hour” or “Tango and Cash”-style buddy flick, but Harrison Ford and Sean Connery are so good together in the last of the Indiana Jones series (so far), that it fits the bill perfectly. They play father and son, an unlikely duo forced together by circumstance who team up to win the day. Why don’t they make them like this anymore?- “Coming To America” (1988) : Eddie Murphy’s best movie and at the height of his powers as funniest man alive. Murphy and Arsenio Hall are so memorable in John Landis’ first of two entries on my top ten, that I am positive this is one of the most quotable classics of the era. An African prince Akeem (Murphy,) and Semi his trusty side-kick (Hall) literally come to America in search of an Akeem’s true love.
“Lethal Weapon” (1987) : Directed by Richard Donner, this classic is more along the lines of a conventional buddy cop flick. It is the original that launched a by-and-large all-good franchise of pictures. Danny Glover and Mel Gibson’s undeniable onscreen magic even captivated us for three more movies. The darkest of the “Lethal Weapons,” it’s got good dialogue, great villains, and Gibson at his best, on the verge of explosion at all times.- “Top Gun” (1986) : Come on, you know I had to do it. I watched this movie so many times that I think I could close my eyes and play it back complete. Tom Cruise, fighter planes, Kelly McGillis naked, that Berlin song, Tom Skeritt grumbling about something, and cool lingo– what’s there not to like? Well, there’s the shirtless volleyball match and a lot of Kenny Loggins. This movie is some good, some bad, but what can you do? It’s ridiculously badass, and Tim Robbins was Merlin.
“!Three Amigos!” (1986) : John Landis once again makes me laugh like crazy. Martin Short, Chevy “Why aren’t you funny anymore, you used to be so damn funny” Chase and Steve Martin have never been any more amusing than they were in “Amigos.”- “Bull Durham” (1988) : Kevin Costner and Tim Robbins are unforgettable in writer/director Ron Shelton’s classic. Sports movies are not usually this funny or well written. Here, it is a struggling minor league pitcher who receives guidance and an appropriate amount of hazing from old school master on his way out. Genius. And from this movie, you’d think Costner could act. He didn’t use an accent, so that may have something to do with it.
“Big Trouble In Little China” (1986) : John Carpenter and Kurt Russell have a long and sometimes great history. “Big Trouble” teams them again in a supernatural kung-fu mystery that is silly and full of what now look like cheesy special effects. But as a kid, this one was played every Saturday morning until I killed the video tape. “Sex and the City’s” Kim Cattrall does her best to ruin this one, but even her amazing power of annoyance can’t derail the movie’s over-the-top sweetness.- “Men In Black” (1997) : While it’s not too cool to admit liking this sci-fi buddy flick from Barry Sonnenfield, it appeals to my uncontrollable love of space shit. Will Smith, Tommy Lee Jones and Rip Torn star. Don’t think, just have a good time and be entertained. What?…It’s funny.
Ghost World and Deliverance, well remembered. Tough I would not consider Ghost World to be a bud movie. Nor is MIB a bud movie. (And I actually don’t like it as a movie at all.) But good lists!
Oh, and what about Toy Story? That’s a great bud movie!
Long live “Detroit Rock City”!
I’ve actually seen all of these movies. Probably because all of the movies on the list were made before 2001.( Is that so you can leave out that Chris Tucker/Jackie Chan movie/s?)
*Strange Brew is one of the most original movies I have ever seen. I love it. It has it’s foot in the door of a lot of Top Tens. I always say “‘an I’ve got these two soakers” to my son when we’re changing his diaper. He’s never seen the flick and he thinks it’s funny.
*Three Amigos. Brilliant.
*Midnight Run is great. (me thinks it must have been on HBO a million times as a kid. I watched it a hundred times. not as much as Red Dawn though.). I love Grodin. Where is our Grodin?! Where is this generations Grodin?
Does the selection “Buddy Movie” mean a strictly male duo’s?
Because (and I suppose Again), I will site Rosland Russell & Cary Grant in ‘His Girl Friday’. Their dialog and banter are exactly what “buddy movies” are all about. Baby makes Three? That’s some good “buddy comedy” stuff if you ask me.
Another mention would be Butch Cassidy & the Sundance Kid and any Laurel & Hardy, Abbott & Costello films. (Eric, I know you’ve put Abbott & Costello films in the top of other list. Halloween movies I think.)
Thanks! I love your list making.
I heart scene-stealers.
CT
I seem to have missed the Butch & Sundance in the intro paragraph. Still, it deserves to be on the list more than Real Genius. I love that movie too, but it’s not really a buddy movie for me.
-ct
just watched you guys film out downtown in atx. surprised to see no lebowski on these lists
What, no “Young Guns” Melin? “Rancid Beef Crawling with Worms….”
Did you see the size of that Chicken!?!