Funny Movies for a Sick Friend

Updated on April 11, 2010
M.I. asks from New York, NY
28 answers

Dear Moms, I have a very dear friend who is battling a very aggressive form of breast cancer. Every time I see her, I try to make her laugh as much as I can with jokes and stories. I would like to give her some funny videos, movies or books to get her mind off her terrible illness for a while. What are your favorite funny movies that you would recommend? Thanks so much!

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D.P.

answers from Pittsburgh on

Planes Trains & Automobiles
Uncle Buck
Office Space
City Slickers
When Harry Met Sally
This Is Spinal Tap
There's Something About Mary
Princess Bride
Animal House
Caddyshack
Blazing Saddles
The Big Lebowski

2 moms found this helpful

V.W.

answers from Jacksonville on

"Best in Show" which is an ensemble flick. and anything with Ben Stiller in it.
Oh, and "Hoodwinked" is very cute, too. It's an animated grown up angle version of Little Red Riding Hood (in case you've never seen it), but we still laugh about some of the things in it.... ("you'd best be fearin' the ear!" is one line...lol)

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K.H.

answers from Phoenix on

40 Year Old Virgin! So irreverent and so hysterical. I have seen it dozens of times and still laugh at loud.

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S.B.

answers from Redding on

I guess it depends on what your friend's definition of "funny" is.
My kids actually love some of the older ones. Doris Day and Rock Hudson in "Pillow Talk", Lucille Ball and Desi Arnaz in "The Long Trailer" (I think that's what it's called. They are newleyweds and buy a long trailer to tow behind their car for their honeymoon. It's super funny). Another oldie but goodie is "The God's Must be Crazy". There's no bad language or anything and some parts are so hokey you can't help but laugh. But it's funny.
"Uncle Buck" with John Candy. The original "Out of Towners" with Jack Lemon. "The Plaza Suite" with Walter Matthau.
Gosh...there are tons....
I just tried to give you ideas of older movies that maybe your friend hasn't seen. My kids are 24 and 14 and they love the older movies even though they see the recent ones all the time. My daughter saw the Lucille Ball one I mentioned on TV with me and bought it she liked it so much.

I think you're a wonderful friend to want to share humor. Laughter is such a good thing, especially in the face of adversity.

I hope you get some great suggestions!

Oh...and
"To Wong Foo, Thanks for Everything, Julie Newmar"

If Patrick Swayze, Wesley Snipes and John Leguizamo as drag queens can't make you laugh, I don't know what can. It's funny, but also a beautiful movie about acceptance and just being who you are.
It's one of our favorites. Can't believe I left that one out.

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M.B.

answers from New York on

When my dear aunt was fighting cancer I also tried to keep things lite and fun. I got her a netfix subscription, when i set it up i listed all my favorite and hers... it took a couple of months to get through the list. I found a wonderful gift for her... it was a pillow with a beautiful message on it... trying to give hope to someone fighting cancer. the web site is : linensofhope.com . I got her the mini purple violet one, but for your friend they do have a very nice pink beast cancer version. This gift really made an impact on my aunt... she still has it on her bed. Hope your friend is doing well and good luck.

1 mom found this helpful

T.L.

answers from Phoenix on

One of my favorite movies is :Cityslickers
Favorite artistic feel good movie: Amelie (it's french with subtitles,
however delightful)
Does she watch the series the office? Always good.....
Keep her laughing! Do crazy random things..hang some art in her
tree's, have a bad movie night gathering (where you cut jokes through the entire bad movie) Make a beautiful scriputre CD she can listen to-
just a few ideas...

Please google: Dr. Budwig program for Cancer..truly amazing.
God Bless!!

1 mom found this helpful

K.C.

answers from Barnstable on

I adored Planes, Trains and Automobiles when I was sick in the hospital. Brilliantly funny!

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R.L.

answers from Houston on

I'm a big comedy movie fan. I would recommend
Airplane
The Naked Gun
Hot Shots
Scary Movie
Major League
Ferris Beuller's Day off
Space Balls
History of the World
Monty Python's The Holy Grail (or any Monty Python movie)
Shaun of the Dead
Young Frankenstein

Other feel good movies
Men In Black
Some Kind Of Wonderful
Pretty In Pink
Breakfast Club (or any other John Hughes movies)
Pretty Woman
Miss Congeniality
Raiders of the lost Ark (or any Indiana Jones movie)
Star Wars (the original not the new ones)

You can browse this web site too, it's a great resource for movie info!

http://www.imdb.com/chart/top

Or if there is any particular TV series she likes you can order the whole series online or buy it at Best Buy or other electronica stores.

I pray that your friend gets better! Check out Cancer Centers of America and other cancer resources, there are support groups, information and alternative treatments out there!

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L.C.

answers from Albuquerque on

I like old ones (romantic comedy ) like "while you were sleeping" "french kiss". I enjoy Steve Martin movies such as "housesitter" "father of the bride"

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J.B.

answers from Dallas on

Might depend on age. I love Tootsie which I think is funny for all ages. Dustin Hoffman what a riot. Sandra Bullock and Jennifer Anniston both have done some very funny movies too. If she likes slapstick - hard to go wrong with the Airplane movies.

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C.D.

answers from New York on

Hi. All depending on the type of humor, Elf, Year One, Friday, Bruce Almighty, Me, Myself and Irene, Supertroopers, 40 Year Old Virgin, Knocked Up..........there are a lot that I just can't think of right now. But these are all so funny! Hope they help lift her spirits.

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J.K.

answers from Phoenix on

50 First Dates is the one that popped into my head... it's funny and heartwarming.

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R.D.

answers from New York on

That is really nice of you to do something for your friend that will help her, even if for just two hours!
I agree with the Trains, Planes and Automobile movies as well. Anything directed by John Hughes is great.
I think the two most recent funny movies are Step Brothers and the Hangover!
Best Wishes for your friend!

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E.R.

answers from New York on

The funniest movie I've seen in a while is the Invention of Lying. It is a recent comedy, intelligent and witty. Starring Ricky Gervais, he is a comedian worth looking into, if you can get his live stand-up shows, too.

S.H.

answers from New York on

"Little Miss Sunshine" is funny.

Books, if she likes Douglas Adams, get her a Discworld novel by Terry Pratchett. He is hysterical.
Neil Gaiman is great too. Neverwhere and Stardust are fun and light.

If she likes either or both of them, "Good Omens" is a collaboration of Terry Pratchett and Neil Gaiman and it is awesome.

"A Girl Named Zippy" was funny and a little sad too.

"Three men in a boat" By Jerome K Jerome is one of my favourite funny books, but I havent met too many (or any) Americans that like it. But your friend might.

"Embroideries" by Marjane Satrapi is a comic book novel and it was very good.

Be strong for your friend and yourself. It is a lovely gesture you are making. I hope she gets better soon.

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K.G.

answers from New York on

Some of my favorite funny movies are:

I Love You to Death (Kevin Line, Tracey Ullman)
Young Frankenstein
Bringing Up Baby
The Producers
Auntie Mame (not Mame, the Lucille ball version)
School of Rock

So sorry to hear about your friend. And SO great of you to come up with this healing help!

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J.S.

answers from Jamestown on

I suggest Sister Act--one movie that really makes me laugh. Also, don't be afraid to go online to www.rd.com (Readers Digest) and click on its joke section. I used to read Readers Digest jokes to a depressed family member and I remember how we howled together at some of them! It was good therapy.

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K.J.

answers from New York on

First, I'm so sorry about your friend. My suggestions are What about Bob? with Bill Murray, My Cousin Vinnie with Marisa Tomei, and The Bird Cage with Robin Williams. Hugs to you, your friend and well wishes for health and happiness for you both.

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C.L.

answers from Buffalo on

Just watched "The Great Race" with Tony Curtis, Natalie Wood. An oldie but worth many laughs.

L.C.

answers from Kansas City on

meet the fockers, superbad, napolean dynamite, the birdcage, dracula-dead and loving it, romi and michelle's high school reunion, any of jon liguizamo's stand up! dumb and dumber, liar liar, airplane! (i think its disgusting, but my husband loves van wilder)

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K.D.

answers from Denver on

My favorite is "What's Up, Doc?" with Barbara Striesand. Nothing else comes to mind right off, but I'll let you know if I think of any others. We're not a big movie family, though. I wish your friend the best of luck.

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N.D.

answers from New York on

One of the funniest movies I ever saw was "Its a MAD MAD MAD MAD WORLD" I also laughed at Uncle Buck and another John Candy movie where he went camping in the woods. Something about a vacation I think. If she likes wordplay the Airplane movies are lots of fun. They make a lot of word play jokes which cracked me up.

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W.T.

answers from New York on

I've always loved Lilo & Stitch and Love Actually -- though both have some sadness to them, I find that they make me laugh and brighten me up. Enchanted is great -- especially for people who know NYC at all. Stardust is a sweet, funny fantasy movie (Robert De Niro is spectacular). If she's done anything with churches, Vicar of Dibley is crazy-funny (probably even for non-church people) -- British humor is so great. It's a tv show, so 1/2 hour episodes might be better than a movie.

You sound like a great friend. Blessings to both of you.

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K.S.

answers from Rochester on

Laughter is definately the best medicine. I have to say the Money Pit with Tom Hanks and Shelly Long is by far my all time favorite funny movie. It's about a couple that's buying their first home and they end up getting more than they bargained for. It's a great movie for any age (your friend can even watch it with the kids). It's a pretty old movie (80's) but I laugh just as hard now as when I watched it the very first time!

Hope your friend is doing alright. As long as she stays in the right frame of mind she can get through anything. She's lucky to have a friend like you.

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A.W.

answers from Binghamton on

Little Miss Sunshine is a movie I laughed all the way through. I highly recommend it!

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N.S.

answers from New York on

Wedding Crashers
My Best Friends Wedding
All the American Pie movies
Overboard
Girls Just Want to have fun

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A.M.

answers from Rochester on

We love the movie RV! It has Robin Williams in it and its about a family that goes on an RV vacation! We laugh through the whole thing every time we see it! My parents borrowed it from us and really did not like it...but it's worth a try.

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S.F.

answers from Syracuse on

I just watched the Proposal with Sandra Bullock. I laughed so hard! SpaceBalls is a good one too! Good Luck and Best Wishes to your Friend.

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