# The Will Ferrell film: the same ol' crap. **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [July 27, 2006, 11:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-will-ferrell-film-the-same-ol-crap/366339 "2006-07-27T23:25:42Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 14\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Trunk](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/87869e/32.png) [@Trunk](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Trunk)\ **Post date:** [July 28, 2006, 1:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-will-ferrell-film-the-same-ol-crap/366339/21 "2006-07-28T13:06:35Z")
[QUOTE=Merijeek] I can’t stand Ferrell…but he did make me laugh in Zoolander. He just ain’t a leading man, folks. -Joe [/QUOTE] There ya have it. “He just ain’t a leading man, folks. So, if you enjoyed him in Anchorman or Elf. . .well, there’s probably something wrong with you. Because, folks, he just ain’t a leading man.” ---
**Author:** ![Hampshire](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hampshire/32/4887_2.png) [@Hampshire](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hampshire)\ **Post date:** [July 28, 2006, 1:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-will-ferrell-film-the-same-ol-crap/366339/22 "2006-07-28T13:25:25Z")
I didn’t particularily like **Anchorman** but this new one looks pretty funny from the clips I’ve seen. His sons names are Walker and Texas Ranger. His wife said if she wanted to raise sissie boys she would have named them Dr. Quinn and Medicine Woman. And the clip where he thinks he’s on fire and yells “Help me God, Help me Tom Cruise, use your witchcraft and put out the fire” gets me every time. ---
**Author:** ![Merijeek](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/f05b48/32.png) [@Merijeek](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Merijeek)\ **Post date:** [July 28, 2006, 1:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-will-ferrell-film-the-same-ol-crap/366339/23 "2006-07-28T13:33:55Z")
[QUOTE=Trunk] There ya have it. “He just ain’t a leading man, folks. So, if you enjoyed him in Anchorman or Elf. . .well, there’s probably something wrong with you. Because, folks, he just ain’t a leading man.” [/QUOTE] No, I mean having him shrieking and mugging into the camera for two hours sucks, IMO. If you want to equate your taste disagreeing with mine as a defect in your character, well, that’s best taken up between you and your Personal Brian Care Specialist. -Joe ---
**Author:** ![Trunk](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/87869e/32.png) [@Trunk](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Trunk)\ **Post date:** [July 28, 2006, 1:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-will-ferrell-film-the-same-ol-crap/366339/24 "2006-07-28T13:41:17Z")
[QUOTE=Merijeek] No, I mean having him shrieking and mugging into the camera for two hours sucks, IMO. [/QUOTE] That’s a distinctly different thing to say than that condescending crap, “he just ain’t a leading man, folks.” which is you informing us of his inferiority. Folks. :rolleyes: Could that possibly reek more of the typical SDMB snobbery towards less sophisticated types of entertainment? ---
**Author:** ![Ensign\_Edison](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/7ab992/32.png) [@Ensign\_Edison](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ensign_Edison)\ **Post date:** [July 28, 2006, 2:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-will-ferrell-film-the-same-ol-crap/366339/25 "2006-07-28T14:06:19Z")
I think he can be quite funny, and at least he has a kind of warmth that translates through the screen sometimes, which I understand is partly what made Anchorman a decent flick and Elf a successful one. He’s not untalented, he’s just not that picky about where the money comes from. ---
**Author:** ![Ensign\_Edison](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/7ab992/32.png) [@Ensign\_Edison](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ensign_Edison)\ **Post date:** [July 28, 2006, 2:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-will-ferrell-film-the-same-ol-crap/366339/26 "2006-07-28T14:07:23Z")
I meant to add that I know him best from SNL, where he certainly had many funny moments. ---
**Author:** ![garygnu](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/garygnu/32/2924_2.png) [@garygnu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/garygnu)\ **Post date:** [July 28, 2006, 3:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-will-ferrell-film-the-same-ol-crap/366339/27 "2006-07-28T15:41:58Z")
Has anyone seen [Winter Passing](http://imdb.com/title/tt0380817/)? He supposedly plays a different type of character than his standard one, but I haven’t seen it myself. ---
**Author:** ![Merijeek](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/f05b48/32.png) [@Merijeek](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Merijeek)\ **Post date:** [July 28, 2006, 3:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-will-ferrell-film-the-same-ol-crap/366339/28 "2006-07-28T15:46:13Z")
[QUOTE=Trunk] That’s a distinctly different thing to say than that condescending crap, “he just ain’t a leading man, folks.” which is you informing us of his inferiority. Folks. :rolleyes: Could that possibly reek more of the typical SDMB snobbery towards less sophisticated types of entertainment? [/QUOTE] People? Guys? Ladies? Homies? Y’all? Boys? Girls? Gentlefolk? Anything else you’d prefer? Unbunch the panties, already. If I’d said, “He just ain’t a leading man, you dumbasses who continue to encourage his crap” you might have a point. But I didn’t. So relax. -Joe ---
**Author:** ![FlightlessBird](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/cdc98d/32.png) [@FlightlessBird](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FlightlessBird)\ **Post date:** [July 28, 2006, 6:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-will-ferrell-film-the-same-ol-crap/366339/29 "2006-07-28T18:02:47Z")
He is hilarious. Not only that, he’s very quick. His ad-libbing skills are terrific. Just watching the credits of _Anchorman_ where Christina Applegate tries to keep up with him is both hilarious (him) and sad(her). But I don’t know of anyone not well trained in ad-libbing who could keep up with him. ---
**Author:** ![Loopydude](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/e56c9b/32.png) [@Loopydude](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Loopydude)\ **Post date:** [July 28, 2006, 6:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-will-ferrell-film-the-same-ol-crap/366339/30 "2006-07-28T18:18:53Z")
I think he’s a gigantic douchebag, personally. However, his particular brand of douchebaggery has proven sufficiently popular to consistently _make money_, which is a hell of a lot more than can be said of about 99% of the SNL alums who have gone on to make “movies”. So far as I can tell, the only true SNL alum to transcend the douchebaggery and display actual range as an actor is Bill Murray. Ferrel trails distantly, but he’s working. ---
**Author:** ![Rachael\_Rage](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/71c47a/32.png) [@Rachael\_Rage](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rachael_Rage)\ **Post date:** [July 28, 2006, 6:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-will-ferrell-film-the-same-ol-crap/366339/31 "2006-07-28T18:38:03Z")
I was never a huge fan of the “obnoxious man-child” schtick, but I did enjoy some of his characters (especially GWB) on SNL, the few times I watched it while he was on. But then I saw some of his movies on DVD loooooong after they came out ( **Elf** , **Zoolander** , **Old School** and **Anchorman** all within the last year) and thought they were all pretty funny. Of course much of this could be applied to stellar supporting performances - Zooey Deschanel and Bob Newhart in **Elf** , Steve Carrel and Paul Rudd in **Anchorman** - but I still thought Ferrell was funny and he certainly didn’t ruin the pictures. **Talledega Nights**? I’ll likely wait for DVD. But I bet it will make me laugh. I would watch a million Will Ferrell movies before anything having to do with Adam Sandler. He is teh suxxor. ---
**Author:** ![Shirley\_Ujest](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/45deac/32.png) [@Shirley\_Ujest](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shirley_Ujest)\ **Post date:** [July 28, 2006, 6:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-will-ferrell-film-the-same-ol-crap/366339/32 "2006-07-28T18:50:45Z")
I am convinced that somewhere in a very secure safe buried under his house Will Ferrell has some forbidden man-on-man porn stuff of some of hollywood’s biggest names. That is how he keeps coming out with movies. And I have to agree, if he sticks with the 2nd banana role and doesn’t stretch it, he’s good. He was great in Wedding Crashers. Leading Man stuff is crap. ---
**Author:** ![Rachael\_Rage](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/71c47a/32.png) [@Rachael\_Rage](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rachael_Rage)\ **Post date:** [July 28, 2006, 6:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-will-ferrell-film-the-same-ol-crap/366339/33 "2006-07-28T18:51:53Z")
Oh! And I forgot his best role - Marshal Willenholly in **Jay and Silent Bob Strike Back**! _Please accept my apologies for detaining you and your unorthodox but constitutionally-protected family unit._ 😃 ---
**Author:** ![stpauler](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/9d8465/32.png) [@stpauler](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/stpauler)\ **Post date:** [July 28, 2006, 6:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-will-ferrell-film-the-same-ol-crap/366339/34 "2006-07-28T18:59:52Z")
Count me in as a hater. I cringe when I see him in a movie. He’s right up there with Ben Stiller as another comedy over-actor. It’s the constant elbow nudging that accompanies their onscreen personas that it just leaves me annoyed and with bruises. I tend to love all forms of humor, high-brow and low-brow, fart jokes and literary references. For me, Will doesn’t fall into the large basket of humor at all. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-will-ferrell-film-the-same-ol-crap/366339.md?page=1)