The 2000s were a decade when a lot of comedy movies were released, including plenty of teen, coming-of-age, vulgar, or downright silly comedies. Some of the most memorable includeOld School,Knocked Up,Step Brothers, andZoolander. But there were some forgettable comedy movies from the 2000s, too.
These movies aren’t necessarily forgettable because they were bad, though admittedly, some of them are. But many were quite good. Some fall into the “so bad, they’re good” category, others were widely panned but have now developed a cult following. They’re mainly forgotten because they wereovershadowed by so many other comedy movies that remain popular today while these ones faded into the background.
10’Role Models' (2008)
Directed by David Wain
Given the cast, many would expectRole Modelsto be a fantastic movie. It starsPaul Rudd,Ken Marino,Seann William Scott,Christopher Mintz-Plasse,Jane Lynch, andElizabeth Banks. But even this fabulous ensemble cast didn’t make the movie one that people remember, and it’s certainly not one ofPaul Rudd’s best movies. Nonetheless,Role Modelssurprisingly received decent reviews, with critics overlooking the crudeness to appreciate the clever humor.
It’s about Danny (Rudd) and Wheeler (Scott) who sell energy drinks for a living. After being arrested for various offenses, they are ordered to do 150 hours of community service, and somehow end up working with a program that pairs young children with adult role models. It’s easy to assume what happens next, given that the two men in charge of finding good role models for impressionable kids don’t fit the description themselves. There’s plenty of laughs all the way through.
Role Models (2008)
Watch on Max
9’Waiting' (2005)
Directed by Rob McKittrick
Before he was Deadpool,Ryan Reynoldswas starring in tons of comedies and romantic comedies.Waitingis a little independent movie from his resume that many may have forgotten about. The story centers around Dean (Justin Long), an employee at the aptly named franchise restaurant Shenaniganz. When he learns about an old schoolmate who just graduated college and got a high-paying job, Dean starts to reevaluate his life. Monty (Reynolds) is his co-worker who loves to get up to, well, shenanigans. The dark side of the fast food business is shown, from how they deal with rude customers (it’s not pretty) to vulgar antics behind the counter.
Waitingis filled with potty, immature humor, but that’s sometimes what the mood calls for. Deep down, it’s also a motivational movie about finding oneself and making the right choices to move forward. Described as downright gross and not well received by critics when it came out,Waitinghas since developed a cult following, making it one ofthe best cult classic movies that defined the 2000s.
Waiting…
Watch on Fubo
8’Accepted' (2006)
Directed by Steve Pink
BeforeBlake Livelywas a bona fide movie star and rose to larger fame inGossip Girl, she starred in this comedy that marked the directorial debut ofSteve Pink, known prior for co-writingGrosse Point BlankandHigh Fidelity. The film is about Bartleby Gaines (Justin Long), a high school graduate trying to figure out his future. He reluctantly planned to attend college but was rejected at every single one to which he applied. So, given his love of pranks, he decides to create a fake college with his friends.
It’s a ridiculous premise but the moments in the movie make for great comedy. That’s especially thanks to the ensemble cast, which also includesJonah Hill,Columbus Short,Maria Thayer,Robin Lord Taylor, and Lively. The movie was widely panned, which is likely why it has become so forgettable. But given how many of the cast members went on to achieve great success, it’s worth a rewatch.
7’Rumor Has It' (2005)
Directed by Rob Reiner
Jennifer Anistonhas tried her hand at comedy movies, often opposite her good friendAdam Sandler. In this one from almost 20 years ago, however, she stars alongsideKevin Costner,Shirley MacLaine, andMark Ruffalo. The romantic comedy is about Sarah (Aniston), a woman who discovers that her mom and grandmother might have inspired the novelThe Graduate. So, she tries to investigate to find out if there’s any truth to this rumor.
While Aniston has many memorable movie and TV roles,Rumor Has Itisn’t one of them. It’s likely a film that the other A-list cast members wish to forget as well.The movie received generally unfavorable reviews, criticized for its gimmicky plot.
Rumor Has It…
6’Confessions of a Shopaholic' (2009)
Directed by P. J. Hogan
Any Gen-X or Millennial female who was a young adult in the early 2000s remembers reading theSophie KinsellaShopaholic books, includingConfessions of a Shopaholic. But not many recall that there was a movie made based on it.Isla Fisherstars as protagonist Rebecca Bloomwood andHugh Dancyas her boss Luke. Like the book, the movie follows Rebecca’s journey in fashion and the unintentional circumstances that lead to her writing for a financial magazine instead of a fashion one she initially wanted to work for. As the movie’s name implies, however, Rebecca ironically doesn’t practice great financial literacy herself, unable to control her shopping addiction.
Confessions of a Shopaholichas a solid supporting cast that also includesJoan Cusack,John Goodman,John Lithgow,Kristin Scott Thomas,Leslie Bibb,Fred Armisen, andKrysten Ritter. Despite being agreat movie for fashionistas,it didn’t live up to the hype of the book series, though Fisher was praised for how well she brought the character from the book’s pages to life.
Confessions of a Shopaholic
5’Hot Rod' (2007)
Directed by Akiva Schaffer
Shortly after snagging a gig as a cast member on the sketch comedy seriesSaturday Night Live,Andy Sambergtook his talents to the big screen to star in the comedyHot Rod, about an amateur stuntman named Rod (Samberg) who also happens to be accident-prone. His father Frank (Ian McShane) pokes fun at Rod constantly. But in an ironic twist, when Frank gets sick, it’s up to Rod to raise money for a heart operation his dear dad desperately needs. He decides that doing his largest stunt yet will yield the necessary funds.
Originally supposed to starWill Ferrellthen taken over and rewritten by Samberg’sThe Lonely Islandcomedy group,Hot Rodended up becoming a box office failure. But like many others of its kind,it now has a cult following of fans who appreciate the surreal humor.
4’A Guy Thing' (2003)
Directed by Chris Koch
Jason Lee,Julia Stiles, andSelma Blairstar inA Guy Thing, a comedy about a couple preparing for their pending nuptials. But when Paul (Lee) wakes up next to Becky (Stiles), a pretty dancer he met and connected with at his bachelor party, this complicates things. He doesn’t recall what happened but assumes they slept together and is frantic to hide the mess he created. Little does Paul know, however, that Becky is his fiancé Karen’s (Blair) out-of-town cousin. What’s more, Becky’s ex-boyfriend Ray (Lochlyn Munro) happens to be a cop who followed and took photos of them together.
It’s an entire mess that gets even messier, butA Guy Thingoffers silly humor that might fit a particular mood or crowd. With that said, theromance movie received horrendousfeedback from critics who despised the cheap laughs and wasted talent. It’s no surprise, then, that fans have largely forgotten this movie even existed.
A Guy Thing
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3’Down With Love' (2003)
Directed by Peyton Reed
Renée Zellwegermade such an impression in another 2000s romantic comedy,Bridget Jones’s Diary, one ofthe best British rom-coms, that it overshadowed this less popular rom-com from the same decade. She starred inDown With LovealongsideEwan McGregorin a story that paid homage to the “no-sex” comedies of the 1960s. Set in 1962, she is Barbara Novak, an aspiring author who is also a budding feminist, determined to free women from the shackles of love. She wants them to focus on other aspects of their lives to make them happy. But when her book calledDown with Loveis rejected by the major publishers, she’s encouraged to reach out to the womanizing Catcher Block (McGregor) who might be able to help promote it.
Rife with references from the time period and offering a fresh yet throwback take on the battle of the sexes,Down With Lovewas initially badly received. But like many others on this list,it has developed somewhat of a cult following, appreciated years later for its endearing qualitiesand topical premise.
Down with Love
2’The Ugly Truth' (2009)
Directed by Robert Luketic
Katherine Heiglwas something of arom-com queen in the 2000s, butThe Ugly Truthis one of the least notable movies of the genre from her roster. She’s morning show TV producer Abby Richter who deeply believes in love but is desperately unable to find it herself. Angry after a bad date, she calls into a local TV show to argue with a man on air named Mike Chadway (Gerard Butler) who is speaking negatively about relationships. Thinking she can just move on after the outburst, it turns out Mike has been asked to do a segment on her show to help with its flailing ratings.
The story inThe Ugly Truthis predictable, but one of those formulas that always works for the happy ending-centric genre. However, this movie didn’t get a warm reception. It received bad reviews for the weak script.The ugly truth aboutThe Ugly Truthis that the movie lacked the charm necessary to drive an age-old story forwardin a way that would make viewers talk about it for years to come like so many others have.
The Ugly Truth
Rent on Apple TV
1’What Happens in Vegas' (2008)
Directed by Tom Vaughan
Ashton Kutcher became a huge superstar following his role onThat ‘70s Show. He has become an even bigger force in business as an entrepreneur and investor. But the multi-talented actor hasn’t seen the same level of success translate to movies, with many ofKutcher’s cookie-cutter romantic comediesfalling flat. One such title isWhat Happens in Vegas, a romantic comedy in which he stars alongsideCameron Diaz. Joy (Diaz) and Jack (Kutcher) meet by chance and spend a drunken night in Las Vegas. Just after getting married on a whim, they hit a casino jackpot. Once the hangover hits and they’re ready to annul the impromptu marriage, split the winnings, and go their separate ways, they realize it might not be so easy.
Yes, the story is unbelievable and downright ridiculous, but it’s also a hilarious take on an unbelievable situation. Not surprisingly,What Happens in Vegasdrew viewers in and was actually a box-office success. Nonetheless, reviews criticized everything from the story to the lack of humor and even the cast. Still,What Happens in Vegasmight be forgettable now, even scoffed at by some, but it was a huge hit back in 2008 that has completely flown off the radar.
