Make 'Em Laugh

I was watching the film The Secret the other day, and one of the seconds talked about a woman who diagnosed with cancer. This woman decided to forgo the usual treatment and spend her time releasing stress by watching the funniest films she could find.

Now, I'm not suffering from cancer, or any other devastating disease that I'm aware of, but I do place myself under a lot of stress in my daily life, so I decided that maybe I needed to revel in a bit of humor from my own video shelves in the past few weeks. And I've found some doozies! Even after multiple viewings of each of these movies, they make me laugh right out loud every time I see them.

I know I always feel better after watching one of them. Maybe they can do the same for YOU!

Rhinestone



The premise of this one alone is enough to make me start to chuckle. Sylvestor Stallone as a country singer? Add the perfect timing of real-life country singer Dolly Parton and you have a pair you will fall in love with, if you don't laugh yourself to death while Stallone is singing --is that what we call it? And the moment he dons the Rhinestone cowboy outfit and hits the back of a horse straight from The Electric Horseman? Priceless! You gotta watch it! This one's funnier than the auditions for America Idol.

Galaxy Quest



If you enjoyed last year's new Star Trek film, and if you were ever any kind of a fan of the TV show, you'll appreciate the subtle parallels that Tim Allen and crew bring to this movie. Maybe not every fan at World Con is wearing a costume, but when some real aliens show up, Commander Peter Quincy Taggert gets taken on a ride that teaches him more about himself than he ever could have learned alone if he really had traveled the entire universe. I really loved seeing "Snape" play a character perhaps a little too close to Mr. Spock than Nimoy himself would have liked. Laugh out loud at this one without feeling the least bit guilty.

American Dreamz



Wait! If you're really an American Idol and Simon Cowell fan, then you have GOT to see this one! Hugh Grant is dead-right on spot in his Cowell-like personae as the host of American Dreamz--with a Z! Mandy Moore's performance didn't thrill me all that much, but hey, the rest of the movie TOTALLY made up for it!

In & Out



By far the most irreverent, but also the most absolute side-splitting movie in the bunch, Kevin Kline and Tom Selleck can actually make you believe they are gay, even while knowing in your heart they are not. Joan Cusack's performance is perfect, and Debbie Reynolds and Wilford Brimley deliver stellar performances as the parent of the now-outed English teacher played by Kline. Just try not to pee your pants when Howard tries out his manly man tapes by trying to keep himself from dancing a little Y.M.C.A.