The narrative here is simple – life is funny, and only the comedies depicting its hilarity with all the bits and pieces included are truly entertaining. What’s life and a comedy without at least a dozen pardon-my-French moments, painfully awkward situations, and, uhm, substances? Well, dear reader, a clean comedy movie can be just as funny, if not at times better, than those meant for exclusively adult audiences. Want some proof? Here’s our list of the best PG-13 comedies of all time, and we dare you to watch at least the Top 20 without hee-hawing like a donkey who’s just sat on a pile of burrs. Yes, you’re undoubtedly not a donkey – donkeys can’t read – the previous description is here just to conjure a lively image of the sound. Also, to get you prepared to hear it coming from yourself upon watching these hilarious movies.
So, these PG-13 comedies take on a broad range of genres, topics, and premises. You can expect to find movies categorized as teen films, adventure, drama, action, and even the glorious rom-com on this list. Of course, to create these cool and funny movies, you have to have a broad array of talent in them, so don’t be surprised to find quite a few familiar names that you usually associate with only the best comedies. And an added bonus is that all of these movies are almost totally clean and perfectly suitable for a fun evening for the whole family. Or for those instances when you just cannot take another portion of swear words and the general brutalities of the world.
You know very well what comes next, right? The cool movies are just a smidgen further down – be sure to check them all out! After that, vote for the PG-13 comedies that you consider the best, and share this article with any and all of your friends!
#1 Mrs. Doubtfire
1993 | 2 hours 5 minutes | Directed by Chris Columbus
Starring Robin Williams, Sally Field, Pierce Brosnan
There are very few actors as widely beloved as the late Robin Williams. Every movie he starred in warmed audiences’ hearts and made them laugh, creating a wholesome movie-watching experience. Such is the case with Mrs. Doubtfire too, a goofy, lighthearted movie that, in the end, touches you profoundly. And, you might not know this, but a sequel to Mrs. Doubtfire was under work. Sadly, the idea was dropped right after the untimely death of everyone’s favorite Williams.
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#2 Forrest Gump
1994 | 2 hours 22 minutes | Directed by Robert Zemeckis
Starring Tom Hanks, Robin Wright, Gary Sinise
Forrest Gump is a loose comedy-drama adaptation of a 1986 novel of the same name by Winston Groom. Here we get to follow the life of Forrest Gump, a slow-witted and kind-hearted man, as he witnesses and influences several historical moments of the 20th-century United States. Never before had a character like Forrest Gump appeared on the big screens as a lead, and never before had we seen such a movie! A truly historical piece of entertainment that’s sweet, charismatic, and truly profound at the same time.
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#3 Happy Gilmore
1996 | 1 hour 32 minutes | Directed by Dennis Dugan
Starring Adam Sandler, Christopher McDonald, Julie Bowen
The aniseed of the movie industry, Adam Sandler is one of those guys whose movies and performances you love or loathe. But, no matter which side you support on the aniseed debate, Happy Gilmore was a huge commercial success, gaining nominations for such sought-after awards as the Golden Raspberry Awards and Stinkers Bad Movie Awards! Not many movies in our list can beat that, for sure.
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#4 Ferris Bueller’s Day Off
1986 | 1 hour 43 minutes | Directed by John Hughes
Starring Matthew Broderick, Alan Ruck, Mia Sara
Raise your hand if you’ve ever tried to relive Ferris’ exemplary truancy right after watching the movie. Besides being a joyful and heartwarming watch, Ferris Bueller’s Day Off also has a very serious message that’s even more important now than it was back in 1986 – to stop and take a look around. An expression of freedom, this teen comedy has earned its place in the movie hall of fame.
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#5 Legally Blonde
2001 | 1 hour 36 minutes | Directed by Robert Luketic
Starring Reese Witherspoon, Luke Wilson, Selma Blair
There’s probably no other romantic comedy as iconic as Legally Blonde, and all because of the charms of Reese Witherspoon as Elle Woods. Here’s a movie that shows us all the blonde girl stereotypes and triumphantly crushes them, all the while keeping a sunshine-y and witty atmosphere. And if you’ve missed Elle, Legally Blonde 3 is scheduled for a release this year!
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#6 Jumanji: Welcome To The Jungle
2017 | 1 hour 59 minutes | Directed by Jake Kasdan
Starring Dwayne Johnson, Karen Gillan, Kevin Hart
Jumanji: Welcome To The Jungle is a fantasy-adventure-comedy film that’s the third installment in the Jumanji franchise. Here the action is set 21 years after the events in the original 1995 movie, and now the Jumanji game has transformed itself into a video game – modern times require modern scares! Now, a foursome of teenagers gets sucked right into the brutal jungles of Jumanji and have to finish its quest together with another player trapped there in 1996 in hopes to survive and escape. And while the original 1995 Jumanji was deemed by some as being too scary for kids, Jumanji: Welcome To The Jungle has a nice comedic twist added to it and has a generally lighter atmosphere. Perfect kid-safe movie!
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#7 Pitch Perfect
2012 | 1 hour 52 minutes | Directed by Jason Moore
Starring Anna Kendrick, Brittany Snow, Rebel Wilson
Pitch Perfect, a loose adaptation of Mickey Rapkin’s non-fiction book, titled Pitch Perfect: The Quest For Collegiate Acapella Glory, follows a rivalry between two acapella groups aiming to win the Nationals. Of course, as with any group of young adults, there’s drama, and there’s love. Though with Pitch Perfect, there’s also a dose of awesome humor and the coolest comedic performances from a star-studded cast.
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#8 Free Guy
2021 | 1 hour 55 minutes | Directed by Shawn Levy
Starring Ryan Reynolds, Jodie Comer, Taika Waititi
Free Guy is an action-comedy film that’s basically a very funny take on the Matrix and The Truman Show. The story goes like this – a guy named Guy discovers that he’s a side character in a huge online multiplayer game. So, he’s living in a game. Guy then pairs up with a real human player to catch the game’s CEO doing his dirty deeds. Free Guy is a truly universal piece of entertainment with its cool sense of humor, charming cast, and clever concept.
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#9 Jumanji: The Next Level
2019 | 2 hours 3 minutes | Directed by Jake Kasdan
Starring Dwayne Johnson, Jack Black, Kevin Hart, and two Friesian horses as Cyclone, the black horse avatar
Jumanji: The Next Level is a fantasy-adventure-comedy film that’s the fourth installment in the Jumanji franchise and a direct follow-up of the 2017 Jumanji: Welcome To The Jungle movie. Here, the same four teenagers as in the movie before are trapped again in the Jumanji video game (zero luck for these gals and fellas!), together with their old friend and two unwitting additions. Once again, they have to brave the game and its unforgiving quests in order to make it out alive. And while you might be skeptical about a CGI-driven sequence, Jumanji: The Next Level manages to keep this fresh and interesting.
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#10 Guardians Of The Galaxy
2014 | 2 hours 1 minute | Directed by James Gunn
Starring Chris Pratt, Vin Diesel (voice), Bradley Cooper (voice)
Guardians Of The Galaxy is a superhero movie based on the Marvel Comics superhero team of the same name. Here’s a recap of what goes on in this movie – a team of intergalactic criminals (each one kookier than the last) has to group together to overcome a fanatical warrior – Ronan the Accuser – with plans to purge the universe. Besides having the coolest soundtrack probably ever, Guardians Of The Galaxy is also a thoroughly zany movie that’s packed with action, good humor, and heart.
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#11 Liar Liar
1997 | 1 hour 26 minutes | Directed by Tom Shadyac
Starring Jim Carrey, Maura Tierney, Amanda Donohoe
A simple premise doesn’t always mean a simplistic movie. And though the main idea of a lawyer that’s forced to tell nothing but the truth might seem like an incomplex one, the movie Liar Liar comes out as nothing but. With another stellar Carrey performance, this comedy gained favorable acclaim from audiences and cemented Carrey’s comedian career.
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#12 School Of Rock
2003 | 1 hour 49 minutes | Directed by Richard Linklater
Starring Jack Black, Mike White, Joan Cusack
School Of Rock is a comedy film that centers around Dewey Finn (Jack Black) – a failed guitarist who poses his way as a substitute teacher into a prestigious prep school. Of course, his music class pupils are all undeniably talented, so Dewey forms a rock band consisting of fourth-graders and enters them into the Battle Of The Bands competition. His main aim is for them to win so he can pay his rent. School Of Rock sees probably the best performance by Jack Black ever, making this movie into an hour and forty-nine minutes of continuously hilarious fun.
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#13 Dumb And Dumber
1994 | 1 hour 47 minutes | Directed by Peter Farrelly and Bobby Farrelly
Starring Jim Carrey, Jeff Daniels, Lauren Holly
Relentlessly stupid yet highly entertaining, Dumb and Dumber is truly an iconic comedy of the ’90s. If not for the glorious partnership of everyone’s beloved actors – Jim Carrey and Jeff Daniels – we’re sure this buddy comedy film wouldn’t have been as successful in the box office as it was upon its release.
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#14 Meet The Parents
2000 | 1 hour 48 minutes | Directed by Jay Roach
Starring Ben Stiller, Robert De Niro, Teri Polo
Meet The Parents is a comedy movie that tells the story of, well, a fiance-to-be meeting his girlfriend’s parents. Greg is Jewish, a male nurse, and very good-hearted, although hapless at times. He wants to ask his girlfriend Pam to marry him but has no clue that her father expects to be asked for her hand. A father who’s a retired CIA agent and a Vietnam War veteran. And that is where everything that could go wrong goes wrong for Greg. The comic situations in Meet The Parents are unbelievably funny yet totally relatable simultaneously. The chemistry between the leads is undeniable, and the humor is so subtle and in good taste that this movie might just become one of your favorite comedies ever.
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#15 Always Be My Maybe
2019 | 1 hour 41 minutes | Directed by Nahnatchka Khan
Starring Ali Wong, Randall Park, James Saito
Always Be My Maybe is a romantic comedy film that follows the on-and-off love story of Sasha and Marcus. The two had a short-lasting fling in their teenage years, but now, meeting once again, they feel their love rekindling. However, as we all well know, adult life has its own various problems and obstacles, and there’s no certainty that Sasha and Marcus’ relationship will prevail over it all. Always Be My Maybe is a fresh take on the whole rom-com genre, giving us genuine laughs throughout its run.
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#16 Waitress
2007 | 1 hour 48 minutes | Directed by Adrienne Shelly
Starring Keri Russell, Nathan Fillion, Jeremy Sisto
Waitress is a comedy-drama film written and directed by Adrienne Shelly, who also has a supporting role in this movie that was her last movie appearance before her death. Waitress centers around the trials and tribulations of Jenna – she’s trapped in a small town deep south, her marriage is abusive, and she’s working as a waitress while facing an unwanted pregnancy. In an attempt to find at least a tiny bit of happiness in her life, she falls into an affair with the new town’s doctor. Waitress is a bittersweet romance that will have you glued to the screens; no small contribution by Keri Russell, who’s beyond amazing in this role!
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#17 The Sure Thing
1985 | 1 hour 35 minutes | Directed by Rob Reiner
Starring John Cusack, Daphne Zuniga, Anthony Edwards
The Sure Thing is an adventure-comedy-romance film that chronicles a cross-country journey of two college students – Walter and Alison. Walter’s aim is to travel to California from New England for bikini-clad babes and Alison’s – to spend some time with her boyfriend. As their journey gradually becomes more and more hellish, the two start to find each other’s company substantially more tolerable. Their plans go awry, but we get to see a charming love story unfolding in front of our eyes.
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#18 Tommy Boy
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#19 Can’t Hardly Wait
1998 | 1 hour 40 minutes | Directed by Harry Elfont and Deborah Kaplan
Starring Jennifer Love Hewitt, Ethan Embry, Charlie Korsmo
Can’t Hardly Wait is a teen romantic comedy film that is notable for ‘before-they-were-famous’ appearances of teen stars like Jennifer Love Hewitt and Seth Green. Can’t Hardly Wait is set entirely at a school graduation party at a rich classmate’s home. It’s 1990, it’s wild, and some interesting developments take place at this all-inclusive get-together. It’s one of those movies that doesn’t require any deep pondering about what’s going on but rather just gives you the pure pleasure of laughter and entertainment.
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#20 The Waterboy
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#21 Grown Ups
2010 | 1 hour 42 minutes | Directed by Dennis Dugan
Starring Adam Sandler, Salma Hayek, Kevin James
Grown Ups is a comedy movie that tells the story of five lifelong friends. Let that sink in – five lifelong friends. Fiction, dear fellows, should be added to its genre description, too! Anyway, the five of them won a school basketball championship way back in 1978, and hearing about their coach’s death prompts a reunion party on the 4th of July. Although they’re all grown-up men, this weekend shows them that the joy of life isn’t lost yet! Grown Ups is a fun and easy movie that doesn’t require any effort from the viewer to enjoy it.
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#22 Billy Madison
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#23 The Simpsons Movie
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#24 Can’t Buy Me Love
1987 | 1 hour 34 minutes | Directed by Steve Rash
Starring Patrick Dempsey, Amanda Peterson, Courtney Gains
Can’t Buy Me Love is a teen romantic comedy that takes its title from a Beatles song of the same name. Here’s why – the story centers around a nerdy high schooler from Tucson, Arizona, who gives a cheerleader a thousand bucks to pretend to be his girlfriend for a month. His plan, although successful, proves to bring its own challenges, and our protagonist is left with a tough choice between popularity and sincerity. Can’t Buy Me Love is a simply adorable movie that both the teen and young adult audiences will find entertaining.
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#25 National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation
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#26 Rush Hour
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#27 Night Of The Comet
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#28 Clueless
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#29 Saved!
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#30 Now And Then
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#31 Death Becomes Her
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#32 Uncle Buck
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#33 10 Things I Hate About You
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#34 Big
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#35 The Naked Gun: From The Files Of Police Squad!
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#36 Addams Family Values
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#37 Anchorman: The Legend Of Ron Burgundy
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#38 Austin Powers: International Man Of Mystery
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#39 Ace Ventura: Pet Detective
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#40 Wayne’s World
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#41 Zoolander
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#42 Mystery Men
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#43 The Truman Show
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#44 Dodgeball: A True Underdog Story
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#45 The Wedding Singer
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#46 Robin Hood: Men In Tights
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#47 Mars Attacks!
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#48 Juno
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#49 The Proposal
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#50 A Knight’s Tale
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#51 Notting Hill
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#52 The Bucket List
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#53 Bend It Like Beckham
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#54 Talladega Nights: The Ballad Of Ricky Bobby
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#55 Ocean’s Eleven
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#56 Mr Deeds
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#57 Rat Race
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#58 About A Boy
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#59 Tower Heist
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#60 Bruce Almighty
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#61 The Mask
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#62 Adventures In Babysitting
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#63 Scrooged
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#64 Little Shop Of Horrors
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#65 Dr. Dolittle
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#66 Guardians Of The Galaxy Vol. 2
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#67 Tremors
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#68 My Best Friend’s Wedding
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#69 Shallow Hal
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#70 Raising Arizona
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#71 Life Is Beautiful
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#72 Along Came Polly
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#73 Accepted
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#74 Anchorman 2: The Legend Continues
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#75 50 First Dates
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#76 Miss Congeniality
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#77 Bring It On
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#78 Shazam!
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#79 Ace Ventura: When Nature Calls
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#80 Don’t Tell Mom The Babysitter’s Dead
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#81 Barbershop
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#82 17 Again
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#83 Sweet Home Alabama
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#84 Anger Management
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#85 Best In Show
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#86 Big Daddy
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#87 Fried Green Tomatoes
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#88 Blades Of Glory
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#89 Legally Blonde 2: Red, White & Blonde
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#90 Buffy The Vampire Slayer
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#91 Hitch
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#92 How To Lose A Guy In 10 Days
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#93 Crazy, Stupid, Love
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#94 Ocean’s Thirteen
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#95 The Replacements
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#96 What Women Want
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#97 Hancock
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#98 Ocean’s Twelve
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#99 The Hustle
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#100 Easy A
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#101 Shanghai Noon
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#102 Get Smart
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#103 White Chicks
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#104 She’s The Man
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#105 Grumpy Old Men
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#106 City Slickers
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#107 The Other Guys
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#108 What’s Eating Gilbert Grape
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#109 (500) Days Of Summer
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#110 Summer School
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#111 Book Club
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#112 Hackers
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#113 The Benchwarmers
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#114 27 Dresses
#115 Impractical Jokers: The Movie
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#116 The Half Of It
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#117 Kingpin
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#118 Dinner For Schmucks
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#119 Scott Pilgrim vs. The World
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#120 He’s Just Not That Into You
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#121 The Terminal
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#122 Stranger Than Fiction
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#123 Starsky & Hutch
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#124 Weird Science
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#125 Just Go With It
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#126 Pretty In Pink
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#127 Ride Along
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#128 Cry-Baby
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#129 She’s All That
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#130 Mystery Science Theater 3000: The Movie
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#131 Barbershop 2: Back In Business
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#132 Bride And Prejudice
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#133 Click
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#134 My Spy
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#135 The Three Musketeers
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#136 Bad News Bears
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#137 Ride Along 2
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#138 Bewitched
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#139 The Family Man
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#140 Morgan Stewart’s Coming Home
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#141 Hot Rod
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#142 Major Payne
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#143 Say Anything…
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#144 Teen Witch
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#145 Like Father Like Son
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#146 How I Got Into College
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#147 Blankman
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#148 Brown Sugar
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#149 Sydney White
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#150 John Tucker Must Die
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#151 Stick It
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#152 Orange County
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#153 The Family Stone
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#154 Fever Pitch
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#155 The Hot Chick
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#156 The Wedding Date
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#157 Tyler Perry’s Madea’s Family Reunion
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#158 Bring It On Again
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#159 Bring It On: In It To Win It
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#160 Madea’s Witness Protection
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#161 The Green Hornet
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