As a subcategory of the horror genre, the exorcism film does not have the best reputation. For every The Exorcist, there are a dozen Posessed’s and Beyond the Door’s. Yet, when done well, there is rarely something as profoundly [...]
Newer fans of Bradley Cooper would be surprised to delve into his history. Long before he played the The Hangover’s Phil, he was a regular on Alias, playing Will, a sensitive writer with a crush on Sidney Bristow (Jennifer Garner) and a heart of gold.
Cooper isn’t the only actor that’s made the leap from playing well developed, likable characters to the now archetypal role of “charming asshole.” Other A-listers like Paul Rudd, Robert Downey, Jr., Russel Brand, and Cameron Diaz have thrown in their lot with a disturbing new trend in film: the Bully Movie, where culturally advantaged, good looking people take advantage of developmentally disabled or physically less fortunate outsiders for gain or amusement.
While this fad is visible in numerous movies over the last two years, The Hangover is perhaps the most obvious example. The film follows a group of groomsmen on a trip to Las Vegas, and the ensuing chaos. Phil (Cooper) and Stu (Ed Helms) are saddled with Alan (Zach Galifianakis), a bearded misfit with a penchant for dramatic statements--see: any references to the Wolfpack--and exhibited lack of hygiene. While shenanigans make up plenty of the humor, most of the best lines play off of Alan’s particular oddness and unconventional thought processes, delivered perfectly by Galifianakis, such as the following scene:
Phil: Whose fucking baby is that?
Stu: Alan, are you sure you didn't see anyone else in the suite?
Alan: Yeah, I checked all the rooms... no one's there. Check its collar or something.
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| Steve Carell plays a lovable rodent taxidermist |
Collected, these three movies make up the best and most extreme examples of the Bully Trend. Cooper, Downey, Jr., and Rudd assume roles that play off of the outsider characters, and generally do so through making fun of them or expressing massive episodes of frustration. Sometimes these go so far as to become violent intimidation, as when Downey threatens, “If I miss the birth of my own child, I'm gonna choke you out with your own scarf. Wrap that thing 'round your head, and choke you out.”
There’s a reason for that creeping feeling of discomfort that the conscientious viewer experiences while watching these films. The source of the hilarious tendencies of these characters, of the bizarre misunderstandings, of the singular idiosyncracies, can be easily recognized as developmental disorders.
It’s possible that fewer people would find these films less entertaining if they considered them to be films about beautiful people making fun of people with Asperger’s Syndrome. However, given the inherent ignorance of the majority of America, the question is: why have we suddenly become so fixated on films following this ugly trend?
It can all be traced back to 2007, when a new archetype stepped hesitantly into the world of film. His name was Michael Cera (or, for the discerning, Jesse Eisenberg). The awkward, nerdy, sidekick of yore stepped out of the buddy role and into the spotlight. Where hyper masculine, overly exercised stars once bogarted parts, new films looked for the identifiable faces of actors less well-versed in social competency.
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| Alan finds his wolfpack, but at what cost? |
In the end, these movies are not just about a “bromance,” or a baby, or Las Vegas. They are films that implicate the audience in a reaffirmation of a disturbing message. So when you’re on your way to buy tickets to Hangover 3, stop and consider, what kind of message do you want to send?
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