Stranger Than Fiction (2006)

Here's an interesting assignment: go rent Stranger than Fiction and Click and watch them back to back. They're similar movies, each staring a successful SNL alumnus and telling a It's a Wonderful Life-type story. Stranger Than Fiction does so with an excellent supporitng cast and an even more excellent script, while Click relies on a mailed in cameo from Christopher Walken and a script that's probably been bouncing around in Hollywood for a few years. Comparing the two presents a clear picture of how a little of effort goes a long way in creating an interesting and enjoyable movie.

It might also be fun to run a mini film festival of all the breakout "serious" roles of the typical comedy actor. Will Ferrell is excellent in Stranger than Fiction, as was Adam Sandler in Punch-Drunk Love. You could also throw in Jim Carrey's The Truman Show, Robin Williams in Good Morning Vietnam, Tom Hanks in Philadelphia, etc.