Top 10 Laughing Scenes in Serious Movies

In this scene from the hit 1996 comedy-drama, a disgustingly cute Jonathan Lipnicki answers the phone for Tom Cruise’s title character. On the other end of the line is Jerry’s only client, Rod Tidwell, who has yet to be shown the money. Even when taking a bath with his son, Rod still talks like an aerobic instructor who’s had way too much caffeine. As the hard-to-please wide receiver rants, Jerry and the kid just giggle, hanging up mid-conversation. That’s what happens when you call somebody without first saying, “hello.”

When your closest advisor is a slimy weasel nicknamed Wormtongue, it should be blatantly obvious when you’re being manipulated. King Théoden is so out of whack, though, he needs Gandalf to open his droopy eyes in the second entry to “The Lord of the Rings” trilogy. Under Saruman’s spell, Théoden lifelessly chortles at Gandalf’s seemingly fruitless attempts to renew him. Since white is the new grey for Gandalf, however, he’s able to finally show the King of Rohan the light. The wizard couldn’t have arrived at a better time – which he already proved in the first flick.

It’s so annoying when a howling, inconsiderate creep sits upfront when you’re at the movies. If smoking were still legal in theaters, he’d likely be chewing on a cigar too. What adds another level of tension to this scene from “Cape Fear” is that the laughing jackass is Max Cady, a convicted rapist. The man behind him is Sam Bowden, a lawyer who stabbed Cady in the back. Although Bowden doesn’t know it yet, Cady is planning to torment his family and will maniacally laugh every step of the way.

It’s only natural that Tyler Durden would start a fight club, being a masochist with a passion for pain and mayhem. Although Tyler occasionally loves to destroy something beautiful, he has no qualms with taking a few punches himself. As a matter of fact, he gets a kick out of having the crap beaten out of him. When one of his fellow members pounds Tyler to a pulp, he just gleefully chortles like a child being tickled. The more Tyler laughs in blood-covered hysteria, the more disturbed the audience becomes.

You can never predict whether the charmingly sadistic SS Col. Hans Landa is about to strangle the life out of somebody or laugh uncontrollably. At a movie premiere, the Jew Hunter confronts Bridget von Hammersmark, who was recently injured assisting the inglourious basterds. Secretly aware of her infidelity, Landa can’t control himself from malevolently guffawing when she claims to have broken her leg in a mountain climbing accident. We’re all left on edge as the Nazi tries to compose himself, wondering what this madman is about to do next.

This John Hughes classic is equal parts comedy and drama. Nowhere is that better represented than in this scene as Brian recounts his suicide attempt, which was triggered due to a failed grade. His confession to the group is heartbreaking, unsettling, and just as relevant today as it was in 1985. Against all the odds, though, Brian’s story prompts a laugh when he reveals that he brought a flare gun to school instead of a handgun. This scene never feels uneven, despite the drastic shift from heavy drama to comic relief.

You’ve undeniably found the love of your life when you adore their idiosyncrasies above everything else. For Robin Williams’ Sean Maguire, his fondest memory of his late wife is how she farted in her sleep. He can’t restrain himself from cracking up and neither can Matt Damon. Their laughter is clearly genuine as Williams improvised the story on the set of “Good Will Hunting.” While brief, this bittersweet moment gives our characters more depth than you’d expect. The same can be said about another adlibbed scene involving Matt Damon from “Saving Private Ryan.”

Even if you took out the shark attacks, “Jaws” still would have been an engaging film due to its three leads. The charm and complexity of these characters shine in this scene as they try to one-up each other’s scars. It’s all in good fun until Quint reveals the shocking backstory behind a removed tattoo on his arm. Done without any flashbacks, the mysterious hunter reminisces about his experiences in World War II. Although his physical scars have healed, the mental scars will haunt him until the day he dies.

If there’s anyone who can get under the Dark Knight’s skin, it’s the Joker. As Gotham’s greatest champion attempts to bash answers out of him, Gotham’s greatest foe just responds with spine-tingling cackles. Joker does eventually spill the beans, but only because he knows that Batman’s already lost. The Clown Prince of Crime has held all the cards throughout this heated interrogation while his enemy’s drawn a Joker. Seeing Batman at his most desperate point elevates Joker to his highest point, resulting in an evil laugh unlike any other.

Before we find out why our top pick is so serious, here are a few honorable mentions:
- Fight in the Shade
“300” (2007)
- Boo!
“The Green Mile” (1999)
- Go to Your Room and Do Nothing
“Girl, Interrupted” (1999)
- The Emperor’s Laugh
“Star Wars Episode VI: Return of the Jedi” (1983)

This scene from “GoodFellas” demonstrates Tommy DeVito’s loose cannon tendencies with arguably the most intense mood swing in cinematic history. It’s a raunchy night of fun until Henry acknowledges how funny he thinks Tommy is. Not pleased with Hank’s innocent comment, Tommy goes from shooting off jokes to shooting off hostile remarks. The audience half expects him to start shooting bullets next. It turns out Tommy has a truly sick sense of humor, though. The fact that nobody is ever able to read Tommy only makes him more enthralling to watch.

Do you agree with our list? What’s your favorite serious big screen laughing scene? For more entertaining Top 10s published every day, be sure to subscribe to WatchMojo.com.