Quirky movies are most often lovable, not only because they are funny and often adorable, but they have depth of feeling and can be very poignant. I find that most of the feel good and inspiring movies I like are often on my quirky films list as well.
Some film directors are known for making quirky movies, some of these include: Tim Burton, Wes Anderson, Rob Reiner, Coen Brothers, Christopher Guest, David Lynch, and Roman Polanski.
As well, many actors have played in several quirky movies, some of these include: Johnny Depp, Bill Murray, Robin Williams, Winona Ryder, Peter Sellers, Jack Nicholson, Christina Ricci, Christopher Walken, Francis McDormand, Dennis Hopper, Jim Carrey, Ben Stiller, Steve Carell, Steve Buscemi, Eugene Levy, Catherine O’Hara, and John Cusack.
The Grand Budapest Hotel, 2014
Wonderfully over the top, zany movie. It creates its own visual world and has an extreme offbeat plot. The film has an ensemble cast of many A-list actors. The story is about the fastidious concierge of a luxury hotel in Budapest set after World War One. The hotel is part of a world long gone but the concierge keeps it reputation alive by seducing wealthy old ladies. He gets involved in a murder mystery, crazy series of chase scenes and trying to avoid fascists and communists.
Details: The Grand Budapest Hotel, 2014, U.S./Germany, Fox. Director” Wes Anderson. Cast: Ralph Feines, Tony Revolori, F. Murray Abraham, Adrien Brody, Edward Norton, Willem Dafoe, Jeff Goldblum. Academy Awards 4, BAFTA 5, Golden Globe. Allmovie 4.5/5, Rotten Tomatoes 92%, IMDB 8.1/10, Roger Ebert 4/4.
Amelie, 2001
Perhaps the most adorable movie ever made. It is about a young woman who lives in her own imaginary world. She decides to help people find happiness, often leading to disaster. In her quest she finds her own true love.
Details: Amelie, 2001, France, UGC-Fox. Director: Jean-Pierre Jeunet. Cast: Audrey Tautou, Serge Merlin, Jamel Debbouze, Mathieu Kassovitz. Awards: Academy 5 nominations, BAFTA 2, Cesars 5. Ranking: Allmovie 4/5, Rotten Tomatoes 95%, Roger Ebert 3.5/4, IMDB 8.5/10.
Groundhog Day, 1993
A very funny romantic comedy with wonderful characters. Set in Punxsutaney, Pennsylvania which is like Purgatory in a time-warp. Bill Murray’s character Phil Conners has no virtue nor hope for salvation. He is arrogant, cynical, rude, conceited, and a poor excuse of a human being. He becomes trapped in a time-warp and must relive the same day over and over again in Punxsutaney, a town and its people he detests. But slowly he learns the virtues of humility, kindness, charity, and discipline.
Details: Groundhog Day, 1993, U.S., Columbia, Director: Harold Ramis. Cast: Bill Murray, Andie MacDoell, Chris Elliott. Ranking: Allmovie 4.5/5, IMDB 8/10, Rotten Tomatoes 96%. Roger Ebert 4/4.
The King of Comedy, 1982
An unlikely role for Robert DeNiro who plays an untalented nerdy geek who wants to be a TV star. He stalks and kidnaps a top TV celebrity in hopes to gain fame to fulfill his dream. Everything that could go wrong goes wrong. Wonderful acting and amazing plot twists.
Details: The King of Comedy, 1982, U.S., 20th Century Fox. Director: Martin Scosese. Cast: Robert DeNiro, Jerry Lewis, Sandra Berhard. Allmovie 3.5/5, IMDB 7.8/10, Roger Ebert 3 of 4, Rotten Tomatos 89%. BAFTA 1 win.
Little Miss Sunshine, 2006
Brilliant. Lovable chaos about hopelessly lost characters trying to cope with the world in bizarre ways. The film has one of the most surprising dance scenes set at a girl’s dance competition.
Details: Little Miss Sunshine, 2006, U.S., Fox. Director: Jonathan Dayton, Valerie Faris. Cast: Greg Kinneas, Steve Carell, Toni Collete, Paul Dano, Abigail Breslin, Alan Arkin. Oscar 1, BAFTA 2, Golden Globe 2, SAG 1. Allmovie 4/5, IMDB 7.8/10, Roger Ebert 3.5/5, Rotten Tomatoes 91%
Waiting For Guffman, 1990
The most zany, offbeat movie I have ever seen. It’s a work of art in making a bad movie spoof. About a small town community theater that puts on a musical play that is beyond bad but they think it is good enough to play on Broadway.
Details: Waiting for Guffman, 1996, U.S., Sony. Director: Christopher Guest. Cast: Christopher Guest, Eugene Levy, Catherine O’Hara, Fred Willard, Parker Posey. Allmovie 4/5, Rotten Tomatoes 91%, IMDB 7.5/10, Roger Ebert 3 of 4.
Arsenic and Old Lace, 1942
This dark comedy was one of my favorites when I was a kid, with its Marx Brothers-isque absurd, over the top humor. Cary Grant was a master of slapstick in this movie. Arsenic and Old Lace continuously pummels you with uncontrolled belly splitting laughter, bizarre unexpected twists, and some of the most crazy and dysfunctional characters you would hope to never meet in real life.
Details: Arsenic and Old Lace, 19944, U.S., Warner. Director: Frank Capra. Cast: Cary Grant, Peter Lorre, Raymond Massey, Jack Carson, Josephine Hull, Jean Adair, John alexander. Allmovie 4/5, IMDB 8/10, Rotten Tomatoes 98%.
Lars and the Real Girl, 2007
I heard that Lars and the Real Girl was a good movie, but I was hesitant to see a movie about a man in a relationship with a sex doll, sounded very creepy. The film kept getting praise from critics so I watched it. I was sure surprised, it’s really a sweet, tender movie about Lars, played by Ryan Gosling, who is shy, timid, and so mentally crippled that he can’t cope with real people. So he buys a realistic sex doll online and imagines it is a real woman.
Details: Lars and the Real Girl, 2007, Canada, MGM. Director: Craig Gillespie. Cast: Ryan Gosling, Emily Mortimer, Paul Schneider, Kelli Garner, Patricia Clarkson. Ranking: Allmovie 3.5/4, Roger Ebert 3.5/ 4, IMDB 7.3/10, Rotten Tomatoes 84%. Awards: Oscar 1 nomination, Golden Globe 1 nomination, National Board of Review 2 wins.
A Thousand Clowns, 1963
In my youth, this movie inspired me to live my dreams — to dance, to fly, to imagine – like Murphy who ops to fly a kite and not be broken into mediocrity. It is unashamed escapism from the alienated world we live in. A Thousand Clowns is one of those gems that reminds us of freedom and imagination, and perhaps makes us shed a tear over our lost dreams.
Details: A Thousand Clowns, 1965, U.S., United Artists. Director: Fred Coe. Cast: Jason Robards, Barbara Harris, Martin Balsam, Barry Gordano. Oscar 1 win nd 3 nominations, Golden Globe 3 nominations. Allmovie 4.5/5, IMDB 7.4/10, Rotten Tomatoes 88%.
Edward Scissorhands, 1990
Johnny Depp’s sad, pathetic character is cherished by so many people, that I was compelled to put this movie on the list. The movie is about a lost robot that humans try to bring into society with tragic consequences.
Details: Edward Scissorhands, 1990, U.S., 20th Century Fox. Director: Tim Burton. Cast: Johnny Depp, Winona Ryder, Alan Arkin, Vincent Price, Dianne West.
The Addams Family, 1991
Lovable screwball comedy with the most dysfunctional family ever. It is a gem worth watching to have side splitting laughter. Based on the Charles Addams offbeat comic strip of horror characters who are wealthy and live in a mansion with various creatures.
Details: The Addams Family, 1991, U.S., Paramount. Director: Barry Sonnenfeld. Cast: Angelica Huston, Raul Julia, Christopher Lloyd, Cristina Ricci.
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