As screenwriters we have seven basic plots to work with in our storytelling. Thank the good Lord Comedy is one of them. I truly enjoy laughing and I know I’m in the company of the masses. There’s all kinds of laughter. There’s the deep belly-rolling laughter where you run out of breath that’s almost painful but you never forget it, those create such good memories. Then there’s the ha-ha laughter, like “that was a good one,” or the smirk laugh, like “that was cute.” Or the laugh that no one sees’s. It’s just You amused at the little things in life, a funny memory an odd gesture, we smile in our heart. These are all valuable and essential to living a good, full and healthy life. Can you imagine life without laughter? A dreary, dull life indeed. So it seems that laughter, or Comedy is an essential part of our humanity. When you step back and evaluate comedy, it appears its value may be in providing perspective as it posses or implies another perspective. Most often, preposterous in nature, hence the comedy.

Definition of comedy

1a: a medieval narrative that ends happily Dante’s Divine Comedy b: a literary work written in a comic style or treating a comic theme the ancient Roman comedies of Plautus 2a: a drama of light and amusing character and typically with a happy ending a comedy about parent hood b: the genre of dramatic literature dealing with the comic or with the serious in a light or satirical manner— compare TRAGEDY 3: a ludicrous or farcical event or series of events a comedy of errors 4a: the comic element the comedy of many life situations b: humorous entertainment nightclub comedy.

COMEDY as a Plot is one thing, adding Genre to the plot means there are endless comedic possibilities. Comedy is so subjective, we don’t all laugh at the same things. I personally like physical humor, like the, “Three stooges.” My wife on the other hand laughs at joke telling in movies which does nothing for me. And it’s all good. The Comedy plot gives so much room for creativity in satisfying the worlds need and desire to laugh.

TWO MOVIES that come to mind

Tootsie

Released in 1982 Starring Dustin Hoffman. So….funny highly recommended

Log-line

Michael Dorsey, an unsuccessful actor, disguises himself as a woman in order to get a role on a trashy hospital soap.

AND

The Nutty Professor 

Released in 1996 starring Eddie Murphy. Funny as all get out! Also highly recommended.

Log-line

Grossly overweight yet good-hearted professor Sherman Klump takes a special chemical that turns him into the slim but obnoxious Buddy Love.

There are certainly thousands and thousands more great films, television shows, novels, stand-up comedians that will and have already brought laughter to our hearts.

Lets continue to create great comedies. Keep laughing.