Feminism aside, I think we call all agree that most funny films can be sorted into one of two categories: male comedy or female comedy. Since the turn of this decade, however, we have seen a significant decrease in the amount of female comedies that hit theaters.
You're probably reading this thinking, "But what about 'Trainwreck' and 'Spy' and 'Bridesmaids' and all of Tina Fey and Amy Poehler's movies!?" The difference is that the most recent female-centric comedies have been led by actresses famous for how funny they already are. Amy Schumer, Melissa McCarthy, Kristen Wiig and their contemporaries have all studied and perfected the art of comedy. What we're missing is the phenomenon of traditionally dramatic actresses taking on leading roles in unexpected comedies. In the past 5 to 10 years, we've been brainwashed into thinking that ladies in Hollywood must be either funny or dramatic with little-to-no wiggle room. Today's media would ridicule the Margot Robbies and the Brie Larsons for stooping below their previous roles to try their hand at carrying a funny film.
The year 2000 sparked an amazing renaissance of female comedy. There were of course iconic female-led blockbusters and cult classics to come out of the decades prior ("Heathers," "Clueless," "16 Candles"), but they primarily focused on the entire generation. It wasn't until the 2000's that we started getting one-off comedies from Hollywood's leading ladies. We finally got quirky yet iconic comedies from traditionally dramatic actresses like Reese Witherspoon, Anne Hathaway, Katherine Heigl, Brittany Murphy, and all the Jennifers (Aniston, Garner, Lopez).
The best part? There were no rules. Finally! Female-led comedies no longer had to make a commentary on why teenagers are depressed or why dating sucks. The genre became random, one-of-a-kind, and irreplaceable. Men had been doing it for years: Ferris Beuller and his insane day off, Bill Murray reliving the same day over and over in "Groundhog's Day," Robin Williams going undercover as a nanny for his own kids in "Mrs. Doubtfire." But it was finally time for women to break onto the scene with their left-field roles in inexplicably genial comedies.
In 2000, the funny side of Hollywood took a shot on superstar Sandra Bullock. Her previous feats such as "The Net," "28 Days," and "Speed" proved she had the power to rake in the big bucks on her dramatic roles. But "Miss Congeniality" was Bullock's chance to show the world that women can be funny! They can carry a movie all on their own! "Miss Congeniality" is especially important for its take on the seriousness and dedication pageant girls have for their craft, thus beginning the hilarious yet feminist take on female roles.
The following year, Reese Witherspoon delivered perhaps her most iconic role to date: the headstrong party-girl-turned-defense-attorny Elle Woods in "Legally Blonde." Witherspoon had previously brought her audience to tears and fears while watching her in "The Man in the Moon," "Fear," and "Pleasantville," but "Legally Blonde" was the blockbuster nobody saw coming from this talented dramatic actress. This film is undeniably a symbol of feminism. Elle never gave up her "girly" interests such as hair care and sense of fashion in the male-dominated court room. In fact, she used these strengths to solve her case. This film arguably made Reese Witherspoon a house-hold name as she staked her claim as one of the decades most versatile actresses.
This final example is the epitome of the bizarre, inexplicable, brilliant genre of 2000's-female comedy. "13 Going On 30" has perhaps the most ludicrous plot of any movie to come out of its decade: A girl makes a wish on her 13th birthday and wakes up the next day as a 30-year-old woman. But it was fabulous! Jennifer Garner completely nailed her role as a 13-year-old from the 80's trapped in a 30-year-old's body in the 2000's. She dealt with new technology, new jobs, new clothes, and new social norms, and we loved it! Garner had previously been known for her serious roles in "Alias" and "Pearl Harbor," but without a doubt stole America's hearts as Jenna Rink – the high-profile fashion editor with the innocent heart of a preteen.
There are obviously many more examples of serious-actresses-gone-funny to come out of the years 2000 through 2010. It's a shame that our current Kardashian-prevalent media has us all under the impression that polished women can't be funny and that funny women can't be taken seriously. Well I say nay. Can we get a little justice for the Viola Davises and the Charlize Therons? Let them be funny! Recent history has proven they can be in-on-the-joke and still deliver career-making performances.
Please enjoy this continued list of odd yet dazzling female comedies of the 2000s:
"Bring It On" (2000): Rival cheer squads compete at championships after one squad steals the other's routine.
"Charlie's Angels" (2000): 10 times more absurd than the original series, this film tells the story of three detectives with a mysterious boss that retrieve stolen voice-ID software, using martial arts, tech skills, and sex appeal.
"The Princess Diaries" (2001): A high school student gets an unexpected visit from her distant grandmother who tells her she is heir to the thrown of an entire european country.
"Sweet Home Alabama" (2002): Before she can marry the man of her dreams, a New Yorker must travel home to Alabama and her her high school sweetheart for a divorce.
"Freaky Friday" (2003): An ancient Chinese curse forces a mother and daughter to switch bodies until they learn to sympathize with each other's daily struggles.
"Uptown Girls" (2003): An immature adult gets hired as a nanny for a mature child. The two end up teaching each other valuable life lessons.
" Mean Girls" (2004): An African exchange student gets sucked into the catty world of American high school.
"Monster-in-Law" (2005): Jennifer Lopez must win over her future mother-in-law, Jane Fonda. The two stop at nothing to effortlessly make sure each other's life is a living hell prior to the ceremony.
"She's The Man" (2006): A young woman pretends to be her brother so that she can go to college and play on the soccer team.
"The Nanny Diaries" (2007): A recent college graduate stumbles into a nanny job for a snooty New York socialite and her brat of a child.
"27 Dresses" (2008): A woman has been a bridesmaid for 26 different weddings. The 27th? Her boss... who happens to be marrying her little sister.
"Confessions of a Shopaholic" (2009): A journalist lands a job as a financial expert columnist, yet she is up to her Prada shades in debt.
"Easy A" (2010): A high school student starts pretending to have sex with the virgins and gay men in her class in exchange for gift cards to restaurants.
