Bringing Up Baby

Deja Vu: Bringing Up Baby vs. All About Steve

The Awful Truth: I'm addicted to screwball comedies.

I am addicted to screwball comedies. There. I said it. Step 1 on the road to recovery.

1. I admit I am powerless over screwball comedies—that my movie queue has become unmanageable.

See, what had happened was .... it all started with the Thin Man series ... though some would argue that it is not true screwball .... whateva.

Then I saw Bringing Up Baby which led to His Girl Friday and The Awful Truth (I ♥ Cary Grant). All of which I found odd, but captivating.

After comparing the movie descriptions, I realized that they were considered screwball comedies. To me, a screwball comedy is somewhere between a farce and a romantic comedy. And at times, kinda like sophisticated slapstick.

"What goes on?" I don't normally like slapstickish movies. I must admit that I am not really sure what keeps me watching screwball comedies. They are like train wrecks. I know what's doing to happen, but I cannot look away.  Perhaps it is the combination of:

• Clever fast-paced dialog
• Reversal of traditional gender roles
• Comedy of error (I was paying attention in literature class)
• A ridiculous/unpredictable situation
• A smidgen of slapstick

Now my movie queue is all backed up. I must watch all of the other screwball comedies. I cannot help myself. Crack (slapstick) is wack. I know. I know.

Do you like (err ... love) screwball comedies?