Night At The Roxbury Is One Of The Most Underrated Comedies Of The Nineties. It Is Completely Ridiculous, Wonderfully Corny, And Much Funnier Than Many People Give It Credit For. If You Just Want To Laugh And Have A Good Time!
A Night At The Roxbury Is One Of The Most Underrated Comedies Of The Nineties. It Is Completely Ridiculous, Wonderfully Corny, And Much Funnier Than Many People Give It Credit For. If You Just Want To Laugh And Have A Good Time, This Movie Still Delivers.
Some comedies are built around clever writing, while others succeed because they fully embrace how ridiculous they are. A Night at the Roxbury, released in 1998, definitely falls into that second category. It knows exactly what kind of movie it wants to be, and it never apologizes for it.
The film was directed by John Fortenberry and was based on the famous Saturday Night Live sketch featuring the Butabi brothers. Turning a short comedy sketch into a full length movie is not an easy task, but somehow the filmmakers managed to create a fun, goofy comedy that has become a cult classic over the years.
Chris Kattan stars as Doug Butabi, while Will Ferrell plays his brother Steve. The chemistry between the two is absolutely perfect. Their awkward confidence, terrible dance moves, and endless attempts to impress women create one hilarious scene after another. You can tell both actors were having a blast making this movie.
The supporting cast is also excellent. Molly Shannon adds plenty of laughs, Dan Hedaya and Loni Anderson are great as the brothers’ frustrated parents, and Richard Grieco has a funny cameo playing an exaggerated version of himself. The movie also features appearances from Chazz Palminteri, Dwayne Hickman, and Colin Quinn, all of whom help keep the comedy moving.
The story follows Doug and Steve, two well meaning but socially clueless brothers whose biggest dream is getting into the hottest nightclub in town, the Roxbury. They spend nearly every night getting rejected at the door while trying to convince everyone that they belong with the city’s coolest crowd. Along the way they stumble into one ridiculous situation after another while chasing love, success, and acceptance.
Yes, the movie is corny. There is no denying that. Some of the jokes are silly, the story is simple, and a lot of the humor depends on exaggerated performances. But honestly, that is part of the charm. It never pretends to be anything other than a goofy comedy that wants you to forget about life for ninety minutes.
One thing I really appreciate about A Night at the Roxbury is how quotable it became. The head bobbing in the nightclub, the awkward conversations, and the brothers’ complete lack of self awareness have become comedy staples. Even people who have not seen the movie usually recognize references to it.
The soundtrack is another reason the movie has remained popular. Songs like Haddaway’s “What Is Love” became forever linked with the film, and it is almost impossible to hear that song today without immediately thinking about Will Ferrell and Chris Kattan bouncing their heads in the car. It is one of those perfect examples of music and comedy coming together.
Will Ferrell was still early in his movie career when this was released, and you can already see the comedy style that would eventually make him one of the biggest stars in Hollywood. Chris Kattan also deserves a lot of credit because he completely commits to every joke without holding anything back. Their energy carries the entire film.
What I miss most is that Hollywood used to make comedies like this on a regular basis. They were not trying to become award winners or teach some deep life lesson. They were simply trying to entertain people and make them laugh. Sometimes that is exactly what a movie should do.
For me, A Night at the Roxbury is one of those comedies that always puts me in a good mood. It is goofy, over the top, and yes, a little corny, but that is exactly why I enjoy it. Not every comedy has to be sophisticated to be successful. Sometimes laugh out loud entertainment is more than enough.
More than twenty five years after its release, A Night at the Roxbury remains one of the most enjoyable cult comedies of the late nineties. The cast has fantastic chemistry, the jokes still land, and the movie never loses its sense of fun. If you are looking for a comedy that does not take itself seriously and simply wants to make you laugh, this one is still an easy recommendation.