Jerry Seinfeld names “the greatest comedy movie of all time”
In the ever-chuckling realms of American comedy, there are few names who boast a claim to the throne of the circuit quite as strong as Jerry Seinfeld. As comfortable with a microphone in his hand as he is delivering side-splitting moments on screen or devising the laughs armed only with pen and paper, Seinfeld has been at the top of the comedy game since the 1980s.
Of course, the New York City-born funnyman is best known for writing and starring in the television sitcom Seinfeld, in which he plays a fictionalised version of himself. The series focuses on Seinfeld’s personal life and those of his three best friends, George, Elaine and Kramer.
So it’s fair to say that Seinfeld knows a thing or two about comedy, having proven himself time and time again on the stage, in front of the camera and in the writers’ room in equal measure. With that in mind, he’s well placed to point out the funniest movies of all time, and when talking with Entertainment Weekly, Seinfeld gave his top comedy film choice.
“All-time favourite funny movie,” Seinfeld began. “Well, the greatest comedy movie of all time, and this is not a matter of opinion, is The Heartbreak Kid with Charles Grodin, Cybil Shepherd and Eddie Albert. That is the greatest comedy premise that a guy on his honeymoon falls in love with another girl and decides to go for it, okay.”
The Heartbreak Kid, directed by Elaine May and written by Neil Simon and also starring Jeannie Berlin, Audra Lindley and Doris Roberts, was released in 1972, based on the short story ‘A Change of Plan’ by Bruce Jay Friedman. The film tells of a narcissistic salesman who marries his girlfriend after they are together for just a short while.
However, when the pair take their honeymoon trip, Charles Grodin’s salesman character, Lenny, suddenly falls for a college-aged heiress and decides to follow the girl back to her parent’s home in Minnesota. After the two court against her father’s wishes, the pair marry and Lenny’s second wedding reception leaves him completely isolated socially.
The film was remade in 2007 by the Farrelly Brothers, with Ben Stiller in the lead role. Seinfeld went on to name the other movies he finds the funniest, and the first “follows the same premise in a way,” even though it is not directly considered a comedy. He said the 1967 film The Graduate, starring Dustin Hoffman, contains “another impossible situation”.
The In-Laws of 1979 also drew admiration from Seinfeld, as did Glengarry Glen Ross and Night at the Opera. But it’s The Heartbreak Kid that the iconic comedian finds the funniest of all.
Check out the trailer for the film below.
