Whenever you think of the top five comedies, you hardly think of a female-centric movie! However, if you dig deeper, you may find there are more underrated gems that deserve your attention! Most of the comedies with female protagonists are either categorized as chick flicks or romantic comedies. But do not worry, we will give you a list of some of the funniest comedies ever starring female protagonists only! Yeah, we did have some searching to do, but the result was completely worth the effort!
The Heat
While Sandra Bullock gave us a sneak peek into her funny side in the film, The Proposal or Miss Congeniality, she isn’t known for her comedic talents. Of course, she is one of the most sought after actresses on celluloid who is known for giving powerful performances. So, when we heard she is starring with Melissa McCarthy in The Heat, we didn’t think she would pull this off with her wonderful acting chops. Of course, the script helped and her more than competent co-star, but the truth is she is uproariously funny in the film. She brought the awkwardness of the character and the professionalism like a pro and not to forget she is a hoot making the awkwardness and her bumbling nature work for her.
There’s Something About Mary
Cameron Diaz has been part of countless rom-coms in the nineties so what makes this film any different? Well, this is one film that made everyone take notice and realize there’s more to her than her pretty face. While she had to compete with the stars known for their exceptional comedic cops — read: Ben Stiller and Matt Damon — Cameron makes Mary her own. While she is the object of desire of most of the male actors in the film, what endears us to her character is her unselfconsciousness and her dorkiness which she essays to perfection. While most of the jokes are on her, we also laugh at her and with her most of the time. She is gorgeous, smart, and yes very funny as well! A rare combination.
Sister Act
Is it a great film? Well no! But is it a funny film? Of course, it is! With Whoopi Goldberg who makes the most of the script, well, we are not even going there and wondering whether there is enough meat for her to chew on in this film; she makes the film her own. The plot is not entirely anything new. You may even feel you have been there, seen that! But her iconic act makes this underrated movie a hidden gem! She is the one who made this film from turning out to be a sappy comedy. She adds a bit of salt and sass to her holier-than-thou goodness. And that strong supportive cast helps. We found her uproariously funny in most of the scenes.
Spy
While we are discussing some of the most iconic female roles in comedy roles, we cannot ignore Melissa McCarthy, can we? Since she has been part of such a long list of films that jostle for primacy in this list, Bridesmaids being one, Identity Thief, and more. She plays Susan Cooper, a CIA analyst who brings down an arms dealer. Well, she has to let go of her self-assured personality in this film to adopt a more meek personality with no self-belief. But that’s just one shade of her character. But as the film moves on, she adds different shades to her character, coming on to her own in the final reels. The best part is that Melissa can express all the emotions in the garb of comedy which just goes to show what a stupendous performer she really is!
When Harry Met Sally
Well, this film can fall under the rom-com genre rather than a true comedy film. While most Hollywood films will give the male lead to shine in comedy films, giving him the best lines and the best gags, but here we have Meg Ryan shine in her prim and proper way. We only get to discover the underlying character as the movie veers to its predictable but very agreeable end. In fact, the belly-laughs come from her jokes. This was one of the most genre-bending films ever and it gave rise to a slew of romcoms to make this genre crowded at best in the nineties. But none of the films could manage to measure up to its sparkling sass and memorable dialogues, “I’ll have what she is having.’ Tell us you can watch that scene keeping a straight face, well you know you can’t!
We go back to these gems from time to time, whenever we feel we need a pick-me-up and rescue us from a dull and dreary day!