# Movies that gradually change in tone (e.g., starts a comedy, ends a drama)
**URL:** https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movies-that-gradually-change-in-tone-e-g-starts-a-comedy-ends-a-drama/592200
**Category:** Cafe Society
**Created:** [August 10, 2011, 3:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movies-that-gradually-change-in-tone-e-g-starts-a-comedy-ends-a-drama/592200 "2011-08-10T15:09:44Z")
**Posts on this page:** 20
**Page:** 2
### Author:  [@Tamerlane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tamerlane)
#### Post date: [August 10, 2011, 6:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movies-that-gradually-change-in-tone-e-g-starts-a-comedy-ends-a-drama/592200/21 "2011-08-10T18:20:09Z")
> [@Baal\_Houtham](#):
>
> _Something Wild_, with Jeff Daniels and Melanie Griffith goes from quirky to very dark when the psycho boyfriend shows up.
What I like about this example is that the transition is _instant_. Quirky, low-key comedy to slightly menacing drama and it all happens during a perfectly placed musical piece with one uttered line. It is really artfully done - IMO it is actually the single strongest moment in the whole film.
ETA:
> [@Bridget\_Burke](#):
>
> (While The Motels played “Total Control”–great soundtrack, too.)
No, it was “Loveless Love” by The Feelies :).
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### Author:  [@Little\_Nemo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Little_Nemo)
#### Post date: [August 10, 2011, 6:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movies-that-gradually-change-in-tone-e-g-starts-a-comedy-ends-a-drama/592200/22 "2011-08-10T18:22:14Z")
_One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest_. Started out as a relatively light-hearted comedy about a guy rebelling against the system. Ended up as a tragedy when the system fought back and won.
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### Author:  [@Sitnam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sitnam)
#### Post date: [August 10, 2011, 6:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movies-that-gradually-change-in-tone-e-g-starts-a-comedy-ends-a-drama/592200/23 "2011-08-10T18:23:50Z")
**Hart’s War** - War movie, court room drama, prison escape.
**The Frighteners** - Comedy, horror, comedy, horror, comedy, horror.
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### Author:  [@Bridget\_Burke](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bridget_Burke)
#### Post date: [August 10, 2011, 6:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movies-that-gradually-change-in-tone-e-g-starts-a-comedy-ends-a-drama/592200/24 "2011-08-10T18:24:05Z")
> [@Tamerlane](#):
>
> What I like about this example is that the transition is _instant_. Quirky, low-key comedy to slightly menacing drama and it all happens during a perfectly placed musical piece with one uttered line. It is really artfully done - IMO it is actually the single strongest moment in the whole film.
>
> ETA:
> No, it was “Loveless Love” by The Feelies :).
OK. “Total Control” was the soundtrack for the first _serious_ crime. (The film’s on Netflix Streaming–time to watch it again! As is _The Ruling Class_, mentioned above. And _Dean Spanley_, also starring Peter O’Toole–from a Lord Dunsany story, it begins as gentle whimsy & ends with a tear or two; or, it did for me.)
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### Author:  [@Mahaloth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mahaloth)
#### Post date: [August 10, 2011, 6:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movies-that-gradually-change-in-tone-e-g-starts-a-comedy-ends-a-drama/592200/25 "2011-08-10T18:36:02Z")
> [@Bayard](#):
>
> Good examples. I’ll have to Netflix _In Bruges_. I had wanted to see it when it came out but never got around to it. Then, I forgot about it. My wife doesn’t like violent movies, so I always have to make a note to watch them by myself. 99% of the time I forget completely.
I would not say In Bruges is all that violent, but people do get shot and killed. But it isn’t super violent movie at all.
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### Author:  [@RadioWave](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RadioWave)
#### Post date: [August 10, 2011, 6:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movies-that-gradually-change-in-tone-e-g-starts-a-comedy-ends-a-drama/592200/26 "2011-08-10T18:36:25Z")
_Life is Beautiful_ is an excellent example of this. It’s all giggles and romantic quirkiness in the early parts and then slowly turns into a film about the Holocaust and a family that gets caught up in it.
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### Author:  [@Nature\_s\_Call](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nature_s_Call)
#### Post date: [August 10, 2011, 6:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movies-that-gradually-change-in-tone-e-g-starts-a-comedy-ends-a-drama/592200/27 "2011-08-10T18:45:32Z")
_From the Hip_ is a laugh-a-minute comedy until John Hurt appears on the screen, then gets progressively darker, somberer and seriouser.
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### Author:  [@Tim\_R.Mortiss](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tim_R.Mortiss)
#### Post date: [August 10, 2011, 7:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movies-that-gradually-change-in-tone-e-g-starts-a-comedy-ends-a-drama/592200/28 "2011-08-10T19:53:53Z")
> [@teela\_brown](#):
>
> _Burn After Reading_ was pretty funny at first, but got shocking and dark towards the end. The final fillip of humor by J. K. Rowlings makes it break the pattern, though.
I assume you mean J.K. Simmons? Because otherwise that would be really, really strange!
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### Author:  [@Freudian\_Slit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Freudian_Slit)
#### Post date: [August 10, 2011, 7:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movies-that-gradually-change-in-tone-e-g-starts-a-comedy-ends-a-drama/592200/29 "2011-08-10T19:58:03Z")
Art School Confidential starts off as kind of funny, quirky look at stereotypical art school types and then takes on a much darker tone.
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### Author:  [@Simplicio](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Simplicio)
#### Post date: [August 10, 2011, 8:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movies-that-gradually-change-in-tone-e-g-starts-a-comedy-ends-a-drama/592200/30 "2011-08-10T20:07:31Z")
**In Bruges** is a good movie that is both a comedy and drama, but I don’t think it counts as “gradually changing tone”. From the beginning its about two hitmen hiding out after shooting a kid. It starts dark and stays that way.
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### Author:  [@Speak\_to\_me\_Maddie](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Speak_to_me_Maddie)
#### Post date: [August 10, 2011, 8:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movies-that-gradually-change-in-tone-e-g-starts-a-comedy-ends-a-drama/592200/31 "2011-08-10T20:09:01Z")
Wes Anderson likes to make these types of films.
For example, **Rushmore** starts out as a quirky character comedy, especially considering the strange love triangle at the heart of the story. But by the end of the film the tone changes enough to reveal that the characters are all having serious emotional breakdowns and are deserving of real sympathy and consideration.
**The Royal Tenenbaums** is an even better example. The film starts out as a quirky comedy about a collection of truly strange misfits. The point of the film seems to be to watch these great actors go to town with this mishmash of strange characters. Suddenly, Richie attempts suicide and the audience is forced to realize that the weirdness of the characters and the strange ways they live their lives is inconsequential in the face of their humanity. Their pain, heartbreak, and longing is just as real as anybody’s. The film starts out a quirky-funny comedy and ends up a great drama exploring grace and redemption.
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### Author:  [@Little\_Nemo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Little_Nemo)
#### Post date: [August 10, 2011, 8:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movies-that-gradually-change-in-tone-e-g-starts-a-comedy-ends-a-drama/592200/32 "2011-08-10T20:53:02Z")
_Red_ (the 2010 movie) went the opposite path as most of the movies mentioned in this thread. It started out as a serious thriller and gradually became lighter as the film progressed and ended up as a comedy.
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### Author:  [@Ronald\_C.Semone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ronald_C.Semone)
#### Post date: [August 10, 2011, 9:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movies-that-gradually-change-in-tone-e-g-starts-a-comedy-ends-a-drama/592200/33 "2011-08-10T21:01:10Z")
_The Great Waldo Pepper_ starts out as a comedy and two-thirds of the way through the movie in an instant turns into a tragic drama.
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### Author:  [@Premislaus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Premislaus)
#### Post date: [August 10, 2011, 9:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movies-that-gradually-change-in-tone-e-g-starts-a-comedy-ends-a-drama/592200/34 "2011-08-10T21:06:14Z")
Atonement.
Starts as comedy basically, then gets sad/melodramatic.
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### Author:  [@divemaster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/divemaster)
#### Post date: [August 10, 2011, 9:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movies-that-gradually-change-in-tone-e-g-starts-a-comedy-ends-a-drama/592200/35 "2011-08-10T21:10:12Z")
A lot of Korean movies exhibit wild shifts in tone; much of the time there is nothing gradual about it. For example, \*\*Sex Is Zero \*\*starts off a raunchy **Porky’s** -style comedy and all of a sudden–here’s a whole heaping of heavy drama!
\*\*Love Phobia \*\*starts off cute and sweet and funny (with kids!) and then turn into weepy melodrama.
\*\*A Millionaire’s First Love \*\*is a “meet cute” comedy romance film with the guy and gal in a love/hate fiesty flirty thing going on–for the first half. Then out of nowhere you have to get out the hankies.
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### Author:  [@Tapioca\_Dextrin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tapioca_Dextrin)
#### Post date: [August 10, 2011, 9:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movies-that-gradually-change-in-tone-e-g-starts-a-comedy-ends-a-drama/592200/36 "2011-08-10T21:23:07Z")
The Belgian film **Man Bites Dog**. Started off a light hearted mockumtary about a serial killer. I wanted to vomit by the time the film ended.
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### Author:  [@awldune](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/awldune)
#### Post date: [August 10, 2011, 9:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movies-that-gradually-change-in-tone-e-g-starts-a-comedy-ends-a-drama/592200/37 "2011-08-10T21:49:20Z")
I am not a fan of “sneak attack” movies like many of these. I went to see both Life is Beautiful and Marley and Me without knowing they would take a tragic turn.
Fierce People [Fierce People (2005) - IMDb](http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0401420/) seemed like a typical coming of age movie until something very very nasty happens.
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### Author:  [@Rhythmdvl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rhythmdvl)
#### Post date: [August 10, 2011, 9:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movies-that-gradually-change-in-tone-e-g-starts-a-comedy-ends-a-drama/592200/38 "2011-08-10T21:59:26Z")
How does [Brazil](http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0088846/) fit into this?
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### Author:  [@janis\_and\_c0](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/janis_and_c0)
#### Post date: [August 10, 2011, 10:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movies-that-gradually-change-in-tone-e-g-starts-a-comedy-ends-a-drama/592200/39 "2011-08-10T22:07:24Z")
I was surprised at the sadder/more dramatic parts of **Click**.
Adam Sandler is a better actor than most people give him credit for.
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### Author:  [@River\_Hippie](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/River_Hippie)
#### Post date: [August 10, 2011, 10:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movies-that-gradually-change-in-tone-e-g-starts-a-comedy-ends-a-drama/592200/40 "2011-08-10T22:31:59Z")
My next door neighbor loaned me a DVD of [The Star Maker](http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0114808/). An Italian movie about a guy with some camera equipment that travels around Italy after WW II. I think he stole the equipment during the war. He goes around telling people that he’s filming auditions for a big movie and charges them a fee to film them with the understanding that he will present the auditions to the studio. It’s a con. While not a comedy exactly, it’s a pretty light hearted film until he’s severely beaten by some Mafia guys that catch on to the scam, then arrested and jailed. When he gets out of jail he tracks down his girlfriend and finds her mentally ill in an asylum.
An entertaining movie but one that really stood out to me for it’s change in tone.
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