The 10 Punniest Movie Title Characters Ever
Because your mind’s still blown by realizing Good Will Hunting works on multiple levels.
Because your mind’s still blown by realizing Good Will Hunting works on multiple levels.
Photo Courtesy of: Lionsgate | Licensed to Alpha Media Group 2012
Ah, word play! It can be the difference between having a movie character whose name is instantly forgettable and one whose name makes you say, “That’s stupid” before forgetting it. These fictional folks lent their names to movie titles that make you take a second look, then go back to more intellectual pursuits like eating paste.
Good Deeds
In addition to supplying all of the programming on TBS, Tyler Perry loves puns. There was The Family That Preys Together – no, they do not always behave in a manner befitting good Christian folk – and in his new movie he plays Wesley Deeds, a guy who decides it’s time he learned to be a better person (perhaps even a good one). Just don’t call him Mr. Deeds, cuz that name’s already taken by Adam Sandler and/or Gary Cooper.
Poetic Justice
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8RCSyJhuMP4
Janet Jackson is Justice, who writes poetry. (Let it sink in for a moment.) Incredibly, this is only the second most ridiculous character in the movie, with the top honors going to Tupac Shakur as a postal clerk. Listen to their NSFW argument above, which starts in a mail truck. We can’t help but wonder how the title and movie would be different if her first name was Ghostbuster…and she busted ghosts.
Eve of Destruction
A female scientist designs a sexy cyborg version of herself that acts on her hidden desires; sadly, a potential Skinemax classic is ruined because Eve’s desires turn out to be pretty darned violent in the film that saw the late Gregory Hines transition from tap dancer to action star.
The Santa Clause
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GrWp53jU-MI
Tim Allen becomes Santa Claus (no “e”) but only because the Santa Clause (with an “e”) forced him to do so! The concept’s so complicated it required a full trilogy to explore it, including The Santa Clause 3: The Escape Clause which concludes with Santa “escaping” by committing suicide in the most gruesome manner possible (it’s the ultimate out clause). Happy birthday, Jesus.
What’s Eating Gilbert Grape
Yeah, it’s a half-assed pun – do we really have to explain it? – but since the film established both Johnny Depp and Leonardo DiCaprio as serious actors, it makes the list. Small town boy Gilbert Grape (Depp) is eaten up by the stresses of dealing with a mentally challenged brother (DiCaprio) and a grotesquely overweight mother. But hey, at least his name is adorable. The above clip is simply called “Dad’s Dead” which would have made for a less obtuse title.
Good Will Hunting
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XOfFkVCdLQo
Will Hunting is a janitor at M.I.T., but he’s actually smarter than everyone at M.I.T., but people don’t know it because he shoves them away and they’re like, “Man, that janitor’s a dick” but in fact he’s a decent guy who deep down desperately wants to be loved, which is how the film got its title, narrowly edging out the runner-up: How Weird Would It Be If This Won Ben Affleck a Screenwriting Oscar?
Hart of Dixie
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YwrZLLkkLRk
Imagine it: there’s a doctor from New York who has to go all the way to Alabama. Crazy! The tale of how Zoe Hart went to Dixie proves title hilarity isn’t limited to the multiplexes as The CW continues to appeal to 18 to 34-year-olds who are morons.
Knight and Day
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S9KJDRXXrB8
Tom Cruise is Roy Miller, though his real family name is “Knight.” Cameron Diaz is June Havens, though her real family name is “Day.” Wait, June Havens is her actual name. Is there someone named “Day” in the movie? Checking cast list…no. Okay, so there’s this guy named “Knight” and much of the action takes place in the daytime, which is how we got a movie that’s even worse than expected.
Nun of That
Sister Kelly Wrath – yes, note that last name – transforms from a nun with a temper to a supernatural vigilante nun who’s not gonna put up with any more crap in a film that promises it is a “blast for you and a blasphemy.” Ah, just like Sister Act. The trailer reveals Nun to be in the tradition of blaxploitation, only without the production values and nuance.
Chasing Liberty
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4QkJteB3yC0
Mandy Moore is Anna Foster, a First Daughter who wants to have a little fun while in Europe, so she slips away from her Secret Service detail, forcing them to pursue her. And you’ll never guess what her code name is: Liberty. So they’re literally “chasing liberty”, but at the same time she’s asserting her own identity so she’s “chasing liberty” metaphorically, and of course her father leads America, which is the land that chased liberty during the Revolutionary War. How it only received an 18% approval rating from Rottentomatoes.com remains a mystery.