As do Bill and Ted’s Excellent Adventure and Dumb and Dumber. These two never fail to make me laugh.
So do Scary Movie and American Pie. These aren’t really “juvenile”… are they? :dubious:
But not Quick Change (1990), which is Bill Murray at his best, IMHO.
Another one to consider from the same era: Defending Your Life, although that might be veering off into sci-fi (pseudosci-fi???).
[quote=“terentii, post:79, topic:850733”]
Hugo, an absolute masterpiece by Martin Scorsese:
[/QUOTE]Hugo is a masterpiece – and brilliant in 3D.
All Through the Night with Humphrey Bogart (mentioned above) is a huge fav in our house…and it has a dachshund! And Judith Anderson!
I personally preferred the original Gaslight to the Bergman version (I just find her annoying), but it’s not a lighthearted film. I also prefer Pygmalion with Wendy Hiller and Leslie Howard to My Fair Lady. Much funnier, and no fake lip-syncing.
There’s a story that’s been done at least four times – sisters try to find rich husbands – but my favorite version is Moon Over Miami. Betty Grable stars, so it has musical numbers, but it’s not really a musical. With Don Ameche, Robert Cummings, Carole Landis, Jack Haley and Charlotte Greenwood (if you’ve never seen her trademark dance move you’re missing something). Completely predictable but in a completely charming way.
Three great service comedies:
***Operation Petticoat ***(Navy) with Cary Grant and Tony Curtis. Under the terms of Curtis’s contract, he could decide which picture he wanted to make next. He chose a service comedy about submarines (he had served on one in WWII) co-starring Grant (with whom he had always wanted to work). They eventually became the only two actors ever to have worked with both Mae West and Marilyn Monroe.
No Time for Sergeants (Air Force) with Andy Griffith, Nick Adams, Will Huchins, Myron McKormick, Murray Hamilton, and Raymond “Mr Drysdale” Bailey. Don Knotts is unbelievably funny as a neurotic psychologist. Watch for Jamie Farr as the B-25 co-pilot.
A Private’s Affair (Army) with Sal Mineo, Barbara Eden, Bob Denver, Jim Backus, and Tige Andrews. But I like the chimps the best. 
The Odyssey with Armand Assante is excellent. I’ll have to watch yours and compare. (I didn’t mention it here because it seems more “heavy” than “light-hearted.”)
Topkapi with Peter Ustinov is a good light-hearted heist movie.
Logan Lucky
Little Miss Sunshine
Secret agent spoofs:
Our Man Flint and In Like Flint, with the great James Coburn and his boss Lee J Cobb. Watch for Sigrid “Fräulein Helga” Valdis, Edward “Captain Gregg” Mulhare, Yvonne “Batgirl” Craig, and Dick “Mr Whipple” Wilson. Better than most of the later Bond movies.
Where the Spies Are, with the great David Niven. John (Dad’s Army) le Mesurier and Noel (The Girl from UNCLE) Harrison are in this one as well.
Operation Kid Brother, with Neil Connery (Sean’s IRL brother) and cast from the EON Bond films.
You might actually find the Kirk Douglas version under the title Ulysses. I agree, the one with Assante is great but much darker.
Anthony Quinn is also in the Douglas version, as Ulysses’ rival Antinous.
I’ve only seen it on an airplane 
, but it still held my attention for two hours when the only other thing I wanted to do was sleep.
Stairway to Heaven, aka A Matter of Life and Death, with David Niven and Raymond Massey. Not exactly “light,” but I find it … inspirational.
***American ***Graffiti, with a wonderful cast that includes Ron Howard and Cindy Williams. By far the best film from George Lucas, this one will transport you to another world that vanished long ago.
There are a couple of TV mini-series:
Jason and the Argonauts from 2000, starring Jason London. Not as good as the Harryhousen film, but not bad. Frank Langella and Dennis Hopper play two of the bad guys.
Hercules, from 2005, starring Paul Telfer. Sean Astin, Timothy Dalton, Elizabeth Perkins, and Leelee Sobieski in supporting roles. Takes some liberties with the mythology, but I thought it had an interesting spin on the story.
A Hard Day’s Night. The first and arguably best of the Beatles’ movies. The music is great, and the B&W photography is gorgeous!
Also Waiting for Guffman and For your consideration from the same people.
Surprised nobody mentioned This is Spinal Tap yet.
Private Benjamin with Goldie Hawn
Hugo, A Hard Day’s Night and The Rocketeer all underwhelmed me. Of course YMMV.
And some of ya’ll have weird definitions of “lighthearted.”
De gustibus non est disputandum.
Second.
Also, Terentii’s sig makes me ask if you have seen the UK show Fawlty Towers from the 70s. IMHO, THE funniest show ever. Only 14 episodes, so you can binge it is a day, because they were 1/2 hr. eps. Available on Netflix last time I checked; also, lots of cheap 2nd hand versions on Amazon. It’s been out on DVD forever.
Three pages in and nobody’s mentioned Pixar movies? WHAT IS WRONG WITH YOU PEOPLE?!?
The worst Pixar movie (Cars II) is still an ok movie by general standards. Other suggestions that I don’t remember seeing posted:
- The Pixar shorts if you have Disney+. Presto is my favorite.
- Indian Jones I and III (skip II and IV). Nazis! I hate these guys.
- First Despicable Me
- Stardust
See post 30.
(OP checking in)
Too weird! These are actually the last two movies we’ve watched, both within the past week.
Quit looking in my window!
mmm