Great Movie Comedies to Watch When You Are Home Sick

Comedy movies are the ideal choice for viewing when you are sick and shut up inside your home. They say laughter is the best medicine and the best part is that the pharmaceutical industry hasn’t yet figured out how to turn it into a pill that cost $1 to make but costs you $15 to buy. Yes, comedy from the big screen is medicine that costs significantly less than what you’d pay for a prescription and you don’t even need insurance to allow you to get well. 

Singin’ in the Rain 

Okay, “Singin’ in the Rain” can be found in the musical section of any collection of movies, but it is funny enough to qualify as a comedy with music. Watching “Singin’ in the Rain” when you are sick can cheer you up with one particular sequence that combines uplifting music with slapstick comedy. Donald O’Connor’s incredibly athletic dancing when singing “Make ‘em Laugh” is a tour de force that ranks as one of the most comedic musical sequences in Hollywood history. 

Abbott and Costello Meet Frankenstein 

“Abbott and Costello Meet Frankenstein” combines the verbal wordplay of Abbott and Costello with the atmospheric plot that introduces Dracula, Frankenstein’s creature and the Wolfman. This mashing of genres makes this entry from Abbott and Costello appropriate for a viewing in full daylight or at night with all the lights turned out. 

Raising Arizona 

So much is going on in “Raising Arizona” that it will take your mind off your sickness. This great movie comedy features unbeatable performances from Nicolas Cage and Holly Hunter. The verbal intricacies in the Coen Brothers’ script are entertaining enough to capture your imagination. The long chase sequence when Cage’s character is just trying to get a package of diapers is one of the funniest in movie history. You can’t but have your spirits lifted when watching “Raising Arizona.” 

What’s Up, Doc 

The plot complications in this Barbra Streisand/Ryan O’Neal movie are so complex that they make “Raising Arizona” look like “Dumber and Dumber.” “What’s Up, Doc” is a comedy that is guaranteed to take your mind off being under the weather as you struggle to keep up with where this story takes you. “What’s Up, Doc” also features the funniest car chase in movie history. 

Arsenic and Old Lace 

For pure flat out comedy based on laughs per minute, you can’t beat “Arsenic and Old Lace.” Cary Grant is at his absolute comedic peak in this little movie about the oldest and nicest serial killers in movie history. Keep an eye and ear out for the scene where Cary Grant’s character is trying to make a phone call to Happydale Sanitarium. Grant’s frantic hysterics are absolutely hysterical. 

The Jerk 

Those born after the 1970’s may find it hard to understand that Steve Martin rose to prominence as a wild and crazy guy. Martin’s comedies in the past few decades generally reveal a much more sober character. “The Jerk” launched Martin’s movie career and it remains as weird and funny a comedy today as it was when it was released. If you are only familiar with Steve Martin from his roles in a series of remakes of old family comedies, then you should spend part of your sick day getting to know what all the old fogies are talking about when they say Steve Martin should go back to being one wild and crazy guy.