What's the funniest screenplay of all time? Here's the WGA's pick
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Molly Driscoll Staff writer
Well, la-di-da.
The 1977 Woody Allen movie 鈥淎nnie Hall鈥� was recently voted the funniest screenplay of all time by the Writers Guild of America West and the Writers Guild of America East. The movie stars Allen as Alvy Singer, who embarks on a romance with the title character (Diane Keaton).
Close behind it at number two was the 1959 film 鈥淪ome Like It Hot,鈥� which stars Tony Curtis and Jack Lemmon as two musicians who dress as women to escape the Mob, and 1993鈥檚 鈥淕roundhog Day,鈥� which came in at number three and stars Bill Murray as a weatherman who finds himself living the same day over and over.
1980鈥檚 鈥淎irplane!,鈥� 1982鈥檚 鈥淭ootsie,鈥� and 1974鈥檚 鈥淵oung Frankenstein鈥� followed behind at fourth, fifth, and sixth, respectively.
鈥淕roundhog鈥� is by far the newest film in the top 10 funniest screenplays as named by the WGA groups. Five out of the top 10 screenplays were released in the 1970s, with other 鈥�70s films to have made the top 10 cut including 鈥淏lazing Saddles,鈥� 鈥淢onty Python and the Holy Grail,鈥� and 鈥淣ational Lampoon鈥檚 Animal House.鈥澛�
The WGA groups named 101 films in all and the highest-ranking new movie was the 2011 film 鈥淏ridesmaids,鈥� which stars Kristen Wiig as Annie, whose best friend (Maya Rudolph) becomes engaged and becomes closer to another friend as Annie is struggling with unemployment.
The next-newest is the 2009 comedy 鈥淭he Hangover,鈥� which centers on a group of men who travel to Las Vegas for a bachelor party.
What causes so many films from the 1970s to appear in the top 10 list? Part of this is the dominance of certain personalities during the decade. Director and writer Mel Brooks released 鈥淵oung Frankenstein鈥� and 鈥淏lazing Saddles鈥� during that time. Meanwhile, Harold Ramis wrote both 鈥淎nimal House鈥� and 鈥淕roundhog Day鈥� and directed 鈥淕roundhog.鈥� This is when all-time greats were releasing films.聽
The list also shows how comedy has changed across the decades. It鈥檚 hard to imagine, for example, the 鈥淏ridesmaids鈥� scene involving bathroom humor or the film鈥檚 many instances of language appearing in 1959鈥檚 鈥淪ome Like It Hot.鈥澛�
And of course, the list shows that classics will stand the test of time. Writers at the WGA groups have certainly not forgotten films that were released decades ago like 1933鈥檚 鈥淒uck Soup鈥� (ranking seventeenth) and 1940鈥檚 鈥淗is Girl Friday鈥� (coming in at number 21).聽
贬别谤别鈥檚 in case you鈥檙e looking for inspiration for your next lighthearted movie night.
