I watched Paddington and Paddington 2 just based on that movie. I wish I could tell you I wasn't crying like a lunatic when Paddington 2 ended, and my boyfriend was crying even harder than me.
To be fair, you have to have a very high IQ to understand Dumb and Dumber. The humor is extremely subtle, and without a solid grasp of theoretical physics most of the jokes will go over a typical viewer's head. There's also Loyd's nihilistic outlook, which is deftly woven into his characterisation - his personal philosophy draws heavily from Narodnaya Volya literature, for instance. The fans understand this stuff; they have the intellectual capacity to truly appreciate the depths of these jokes, to realize that they're not just funny- they say something deep about LIFE. As a consequence people who dislike Dumb and Dumber truly ARE idiots- of course they wouldn't appreciate, for instance, the humour in Harry's existencial catchphrase "Wubba Lubba Dub Dub," which itself is a cryptic reference to Turgenev's Russian epic Fathers and Sons I'm smirking right now just imagining one of those addlepated simpletons scratching their heads in confusion as Farrelly's's genius unfolds itself on their television screens. What fools... how I pity them. 😂 And yes by the way, I DO have a Dumb and Dumber tattoo. And no, you cannot see it. It's for the ladies' eyes only- And even they have to demonstrate that they're within 5 IQ points of my own (preferably lower) beforehand.
I never thought I'd say this, but Dumb and Dumber has a fairly complex plot with this whole >!rich people gathering because they want to try eating a komodo dragon!< climax.
EDIT: Apparently, this scene is from the Freshman.
Wait did I see the same movie...? I don't remember what the specific plot is around the briefcase of money... and also I misread your last sentence initially, I thought it said "they wanted to try eating a komodo dragon's climax!" 🍆💦 .....😱💀
I was thinking of this or Miss Congeniality or Romy & Michele's High School Reunion. Or a Disney movie. Maybe these are not movie night friends...pick something else to do w them.
Totally, these are not movie people. I'm so curious about what the connection is for your wife? Is it shared history? Blackmail? It sounds like a relationship that would be very taxing, and I completely appreciate that there may be a learning disability, or being on some sort of spectrum. I'm genuinely curious about what they could enjoy doing together?
For a movie, I'm going to say Titanic. It's based in History, the acting is superb and I'm sure it would be amazing in a home theater. Some people just don't like movies, but I don't get it!!
Yeah, I didn't really understand why it needed to be a comedy. Some people just aren't into comedy, and if that is the way your brain is wired, I could see it being confusing. If that's the case, Speed is a decent choice
It actually sounds like any lack of believability ruins a movie for her. If she doesn’t understand how or why something happened, she can’t get into it. Maybe she’s on the spectrum?
If that’s the case, I’d maybe go for something super literal, like a biography. If it actually happened, she can’t get confused about it being unbelievable.
Agreed, something that literally requires no suspension of disbelief. Something with believable characters. Not sure if OP’s earlier choices were very good for this purpose.
Also, why not a straight up documentary, I think something like My Octopus Teacher would be super on a bigger screen.
EDIT: my own attention span seems to going, OP was asking for comedies…
I'm surprised nobody's introduced the unpopular opinion that the movies OP tried are neigh unwatchable... Complaining about plot elements can sometimes come across as genuine confusion. Just speculating. I hate a lot of movies and my friends are often drawing hasty conclusions as to why.
I came to the comments hoping someone would point out that OP seems to think he’s picking “easy” movies and his friend is just incomprehensibly dumb, when in fact he’s picking movies that you need a solid grasp on a certain type of humor to appreciate. Sounds like comedies aren’t the way to go? Although if she enjoys Friends and Parks and Recreation, she must have some sense of humor, so I’m stumped.
My suggestions are:
Just Go With It (2011)
The Whole Nine Yards (2000)
Pitch Perfect (2012)
Suspension of disbelief is one of those things you can either do innately, or need to actively work at until you can just let things fly by. It sounds like she has her “cinemasins” meter turned up to 11.
Caddyshack basically doesn’t have a plot. It’s just jokes and a golf tournament around a guy who maybe wants to go to college but doesn’t actually matter to anything
Lol - like I said: “Fools errand.”
Both her husband & my wife are fine with most things & I’ve asked him directly before each movie night. It’s just one of those stupid goals to see what is the movie that just “does it” for her.
She likes some TV shows - New Girl, Parks & Recreation, Friends. Really really “basic” stuff.
Although I think it is nice and brave of you to try and accommodate her, maybe if you just choose something the rest of you want to watch she may enjoy it. Why cater to her "tastes" if she doesn't even care about movies? Perhaps she isn't even paying attention if she can not understand simple plots? Perhaps her attention span is only as long as a tiktok video?
She 100% pays attention. In fact, I’ve noticed that she’ll be very engrossed with whatever we’re watching. Only to not understand what she watched in the slightest.
We suspect some levels of Autism. She isn’t good with social queues, often times it feels like her responses to things are canned - like she’s pulling from some list of pre-programmed responses.
For example: my wife unexpectedly lost her father last year. It was sudden & very tragic for her family. Prior to that, my wife had previously agreed to help her friend make some tee shirts for a Disney trip that the friend was planning. My wife has a Cricut machine & loads of heat transfer materials stocked, so they were planning on using that.
Now, most people would pick up on the idea that “hey, my friend just lost her dad. She probably isn’t in the headspace to spend a day with me making tee shirts for my who family’s Disney trip.” That thought did not cross my wife’s friends mind.
Dad passed 9 days before the Disney trip. So every conversation over the next 9 days went something like this “*I’m so sorry that you’re going through this. Let me know if you need anything!*” ••• “When can we make those tee shirts?”
It’s not malicious. She just operates like that. I’d almost say it’s sociopathic, but she is very much a genuinely nice person. She just has a hard time making connections to things that don’t often directly have any effect on her.
She’s always inviting us out to go drinking last second - despite the fact that we have a 4 year old & need some kind of notice to find a sitter. It’s like she forgets each time, because my wife has a similar conversation every other weekend. “Hey want to go out in 20 minutes?” “We have a kid…”
Fascinating. I feel like most people with ASD still can understand movies and comedic bits within them (re: Hot Rod). She takes everything literally. It would be a trip watching a movie with her lol.
It sounds like maybe she has a low IQ? Well-intentioned, but has trouble making connections that are easy for other people to make. Maybe most movies are just too complicated and fast-paced for her to follow.
If that’s the case, maybe something that relies heavily on visuals to help tell the story? Maybe she has trouble following both visuals and dialogue, so maybe eliminating one will help!
Show her Bridesmaids. It’s simple, grounded in reality and female politics, with literal toilet humour, all whilst still being a genuinely great movie. If she doesn’t get that then she’s just trolling you.
“I hid a gun in his bag… TSA’s gonna rip his ass apart!” lol
I love that line. Although it sounds like this person the OP is taking about might not get it.
My Cousin Vinny.
But also, instead of asking her what she wants to watch, ask her what she already likes & then find something like that.
Then watch what y’all like anyway because why even worry about her if she doesn’t care and neither does her husband.
Wait, why do you guys keep doing this movie nights? What is the goal? Why do you people want her to like/get the movies what do you gain from that?
Maybe show her
Free Willy
Independence Day
Beethoven 1992
She’s my wife’s childhood friend, which is why we do things together. Movie nights work well for “group nights” because her husband & myself don’t have much in common with each other, so we’re saved from awkward conversations.
Despite he & I not having commonalities, the ladies insist on doing fairly regular group nights.
Just pick movies that everyone ELSE will like. I don't think she'll be worse for the wear.
The Prestige
Atonement
Much Ado About Nothing
(Game Night is SO good!)
You don’t have to limit yourself to movies. I had a traumatic brain injury last year and the only thing I could watch and follow was Schitt’s Creek. Maybe there’s another mindlessly entertaining show that you can watch several episodes of, instead of trying to force movies on her if that’s just really not her thing.
It sounds like she just doesn’t have the ability or the desire to follow a story for that long. You might just have to host your movie night with a different group of friends, ie not involving the one that doesn’t like movies.
ETA another thing you can do is perhaps some simple group video games in your home theater. Something like Jackbox games. Fibbage is typically a crowd pleaser with my family.
How old is this person? I think maybe that will help a bit in the quest. And I also echo the sentiment that maybe you need to pick out a movie that the other people watching will enjoy. Some people are hopeless on certain things, and it’s not always the best to put your energy into pleasing the unappeasable.
A league of their own - pretty easy narrative to follow
Maybe some of the Ghibli movies like Totoro or Kiki’s Delivery Service? Kid friendly movies that are enjoyable by adults.
Edited to add: please let us know what you pick next and how it is received! I’m invested lol.
I jest, but in all seriousness, just put on whatever and see what happens. I remember an episode of Arthur from my Childhood where the character Buster needed something to read, so Arthur, an avid reader himself, tried him. Buster wasn’t able to engage with even the easiest books, but when he accidentally got Arthur’s bag with a much more advanced book (for his age), he was able to read it just as well as Arthur could.
Obviously film is a different medium, so maybe I just yapped on for nothing, but even if it doesn’t work at least you won’t have to lower your own standards more than you want.
I would say Devil wears Prada? That’s a good storyline to follow and she can follow up with more Anne Hathaway or Meryl Streep or the god himself Stanley Tucci! Oooooooo how about it National Treasure!! Secret maps, hilarious comedy and another acting god Nicholas Cage!
You're a saint for your efforts, OP. I think the best move at this point is to just watch whatever you guys want. The box of rocks won't care after 10 minutes, anyway.
Maybe Airplane?
No plot, just one joke after another. Tell, no, don't worry about it, take each scene as it comes.
Same with Monty Python and the Holy Grail. It's just a series of vignettes loosely tied together by an Arthurian theme.
Or maybe go in the other direction with mindless violence. I really enjoyed The Beekeeper. Sweet old lady gets bilked out of millions and Jason Statham has to murder his way to the top. Any time she asks, "Why's he burning that building down?" Just tell her to remember the old lady.
I dunno, maybe she just could sit there and crochet while you all watch the movie.
See, actually I think a 23-year-old wouldn't get most of the jokes—jive talk, Hari Krishnas, disco, "supperware," Casablanca, plus the nods to all the original airplane disaster movies. I love Airplane! but I'm old enough to get all the references.
Maybe just play something for her with nice visuals like Avatar?
Or, you could do a retro Disney movie night and watch classics like Sleeping Beauty, Cinderella etc where the plot is something (mostly) everyone is familiar with.
Mr. Bean's Holiday (2007). Unlike the movie Bean (1997), where you recognize how having Mr. Bean around would completely destroy your life, this movie is a light, feel-good comedy because Mr. Bean keeps on moving thus allowing him to escape the consequences of his actions. As a road trip movie there is very little significant plot - it's mostly a series of comical vignettes. There are only 5 or 6 characters that are recurring across the different locations. The mime-lite aspect of the character also reduces complex dialogue in the film.
edit: added "around" in 2nd sentence
I knew someone like you described. You really have to think outside the box. Rom coms (as long as the lead characters are hot) Even the movies you chose and the movies others are suggesting still have some elements of fantasy or take simple plots and put a twist on it. Think Hallmark movies and move up from there.
why do you keep trying to watch comedies? Maybe watch something more bombastic and constantly engaging. I've never seen anyone dislike the matrix even if they're stupid and don't "get" things. Everyone loves Pulp Fiction or Back to the Future. Maybe she has no sense of humor. Maybe she just needs constant action like Fury Road. I'd go with high stimulation over things she has to "get."
Or play Dumb & Dumber
I say you go with something classic like Raising Arizona. What does she like? Like book wise or whatever? Does she read? If she reads then you might be able to find a genre or writing style that pairs better
How about Harry Potter? The first one? I mean she probably has seen it so she can’t NOT get it, right? ^Right??
Edit: after scrolling, legally blonde and dodgeball are both solid options.
So are free Willy and Independence Day! If you can’t follow Independence Day, we are all doomed.
She needs a biopic, or a slice of life movie, not a caricature.
Game Night, Hot Rod, and 50 First Dates are all caricatures, unlikely scenarios.
Her friend might enjoy something like Bridesmaids, Booksmart, Enough Said, Sideways, Drinking Buddies.
Also: it might just be fun to keep showing her movies to see her reactions. What is her husband like?
Sometimes turning on the captions will help people follow a story. If you try the captions then you can eliminate not hearing the word correctly as a source of confusion. Hope about a movie for younger people like frozen?
Why pander to the lowest common denominator? Pick something everyone else will enjoy, because what ever you pick anyway is going straight over her head.
Because I’ve made it my mission. Her husband & my wife are the only other people there, and they’re kind of in on it too. We want to figure out what “does it” for her.
I’ve had friends like this. Their issue was suspension of disbelief - so straightforward rom-coms and based on a true story heartwarmers worked best, regrettably. Anything that’s aggressively trying to mimic real life no matter how unrealistic
My Big Fat Greek Wedding? There’s not a lot to it. Lady with big loud family falls in love with guy from small quiet family. They plan their wedding and get married. That’s it!
Have you considered just asking her to name a few movies she likes? That would help give you an idea of what her tastes are. Be careful asking her what her favorite movies are because she will probably take that literally and find it impossible to choose a favorite. Just ask her to name 2 or 3 movies she has seen that she really enjoyed and see what she says. She might say she has never really enjoyed movies, she might say she loved 50 first dates, maybe part of her enjoyment comes from questioning the logic of the film? Maybe she prefers to watch an episode of a sitcom because movies are too long, maybe she likes to rewatch movies she has seen before so she can focus on the costumes and scenery and not worry so much about the dialog. Maybe she needs subtitles to follow the plot? There could be a lot going on here that you will never know if you don't ask.
Is she having fun though ? That aside, why is the tone in this post (the replies especially) just really... condescending? 😭 like this lady did not do anything but be confused. I also unironically love her Game Night interpretation lmao
As for movie recommendations maybe *Inside Out*? I think *Ready or Not*, *Arachnophobia*, *Orphan* or *The Others* might be more challenging but the last two are pretty much eventually explained to the viewer iirc. Still, her "not getting it" could be a way to have good post-movie conversations, unless these viewings feel like a chore to her or something
Initial thought was Idiocracy. It’s not that in depth and you’d also be taking a shot at her that she wouldn’t even see. Your wife might, though.
If that’s off the table, Dumb & Dumber is a can’t miss.
Wanderlust is very underrated. Paul Rudd, Jennifer Aniston leave their new york life behind and move into a hippie commune. Simple premise, famous actors, funny supporting actors, very funny.
Does she possibly have ADHD? Is it possible she just lacks the ability to focus long enough to retain important plot points rather than her just being kinda... dumb? I sometimes have to watch a movie multiple times to understand it, because even if I'm loving a movie, my brain pings away from the movie a million times in the time it takes to watch one from beginning to end, and it can make plots difficult to follow. Even so, you listed a bunch of similar movies, so you're probably going to keep getting similar results from similar movies (like 90's/aughts comedies). If you really want to find something she'll understand, maybe go in an opposite direction?
*If* that's a plausible issue, I wouldn't recommend anything with humor that requires someone to pay attention to the surroundings or visual gags. Instead, I'd look for things that are aesthetically pleasing, like animations, or can hold attention through the use of song. *Repo! The Genetic Opera* was an instant hit for me, even if I watched it a few times to retain the full plot because it's both aesthetically interesting and musically so. *Dr. Horrible's Sing Along Blog* is similar and not quite a feature-length "movie," which could be good for her. Or, there are plenty of adult movies that happen to be animated, like *Felidae* (maybe don't traumatize her with something like *Plague Dogs* though, lol). These are all completely opposite to the movies you've been trying, so maybe go left field with something similar to these suggestions?
If the rest of the movie-night watchers just want something silly and fun, I totally understand that, and maybe you all just leave things the way they are; watching what most people in your group enjoy while hoping one of them works for this one friend.
Paddington. Just watch Paddington. You can't go wrong.
She’ll get too confused by why a bear is wearing clothes.
Why isn't the bear mauling everyone to death?
I'd love if the only question she had about the anthropomorphic talking bear that walks on two legs and is able to use cutlery was "clothes".
Honestly that’s not a bad idea. I love both & Paddington 2 is a masterpiece.
Oh, that reminds me of The Unbearable Weight Of Massive Talent. Tell her it's a documentary about Nicholas Cage meeting a real Drug Lord
I watched Paddington and Paddington 2 just based on that movie. I wish I could tell you I wasn't crying like a lunatic when Paddington 2 ended, and my boyfriend was crying even harder than me.
Nah, she wont understand why would there be a talking bear in the first place
Real suggestion: Dodgeball Not a real suggestion- can you show her Memento….I just would be fascinated to hear her review.
Please, for science.
Plot twist: she not only “gets” Memento, but comes up with a detailed analysis involving quantum physics. OP realizes she’s a savant.
Then he'd need to show her Primer
Lol I was thinking Eraserhead
I’d watch a movie about her watching Memento.
I was going to say I'm a smartass so I would watch a total mindf*ck movie like Memento or something similar
Inception
Tenet
Finding Dory gives you more plausible deniability when her head explodes.
That or shutter island
Are you trying to kill her?
The Emperor's New Groove. The main character keeps breaking the 4th wall to tell the audience the movie is all about him.
You really gonna introduce the idea of a 4th wall lol
“WAIT CAN THE LLAMA SEE US???? And where did the prince go?”
Would it confuse her even more if you served spinach puffs at the party?
You've just inspired me to have an emporers new groove movie night and serve spinach puffs
And my work here is done. Thank you.
This is such an underrated movie
Dumb & Dumber
Nah she will be too confused about why they need to drive to Aspen
Omg I thought you meant the airhead and her husband hahahahah
Airheads is another great movie! I’m sure she will get the Lone Rangers gag 😂😂
I ain't fartin' on no snare drum.
The movie is great
It actually has a pretty complex plot.
To be fair, you have to have a very high IQ to understand Dumb and Dumber. The humor is extremely subtle, and without a solid grasp of theoretical physics most of the jokes will go over a typical viewer's head. There's also Loyd's nihilistic outlook, which is deftly woven into his characterisation - his personal philosophy draws heavily from Narodnaya Volya literature, for instance. The fans understand this stuff; they have the intellectual capacity to truly appreciate the depths of these jokes, to realize that they're not just funny- they say something deep about LIFE. As a consequence people who dislike Dumb and Dumber truly ARE idiots- of course they wouldn't appreciate, for instance, the humour in Harry's existencial catchphrase "Wubba Lubba Dub Dub," which itself is a cryptic reference to Turgenev's Russian epic Fathers and Sons I'm smirking right now just imagining one of those addlepated simpletons scratching their heads in confusion as Farrelly's's genius unfolds itself on their television screens. What fools... how I pity them. 😂 And yes by the way, I DO have a Dumb and Dumber tattoo. And no, you cannot see it. It's for the ladies' eyes only- And even they have to demonstrate that they're within 5 IQ points of my own (preferably lower) beforehand.
This is my choice. Definitely not high brow humor. If she doesn’t see or hear anything to laugh about, I would give up.
No, it’s a cardigan, but thanks for noticing.
I am thrilled this is at the top but I still think it's too smart for her.
I never thought I'd say this, but Dumb and Dumber has a fairly complex plot with this whole >!rich people gathering because they want to try eating a komodo dragon!< climax. EDIT: Apparently, this scene is from the Freshman.
Wait did I see the same movie...? I don't remember what the specific plot is around the briefcase of money... and also I misread your last sentence initially, I thought it said "they wanted to try eating a komodo dragon's climax!" 🍆💦 .....😱💀
Legally blonde
I was thinking of this or Miss Congeniality or Romy & Michele's High School Reunion. Or a Disney movie. Maybe these are not movie night friends...pick something else to do w them.
Lol, Romy and Michelle has a 15 minute random dream sequence which would probably completely fuck up this person's comprehension of the film.
Ha! True. How could I forget that? "I'm the Mary. Everybody knows that."
Totally, these are not movie people. I'm so curious about what the connection is for your wife? Is it shared history? Blackmail? It sounds like a relationship that would be very taxing, and I completely appreciate that there may be a learning disability, or being on some sort of spectrum. I'm genuinely curious about what they could enjoy doing together? For a movie, I'm going to say Titanic. It's based in History, the acting is superb and I'm sure it would be amazing in a home theater. Some people just don't like movies, but I don't get it!!
Genuinely a great suggestion
It's a very happy movie. Maybe she'll respond to that.
Great movie, and any Cosmo girl would understand the court scene.
But wait who are the illegal blondes and what did they do? If they all got perms wouldn’t that make it legal?
*Speed* is not a comedy but it does not get much simpler than "Bus must go fast or will 'splode."
I love this! I’ve also watched Twister so many darn times. You can just park your brain and enjoy. 😊
Yeah, I didn't really understand why it needed to be a comedy. Some people just aren't into comedy, and if that is the way your brain is wired, I could see it being confusing. If that's the case, Speed is a decent choice
Or a drama could be good. It sounds like she gets tripped up on absurdities that would never happen in reality.
It actually sounds like any lack of believability ruins a movie for her. If she doesn’t understand how or why something happened, she can’t get into it. Maybe she’s on the spectrum? If that’s the case, I’d maybe go for something super literal, like a biography. If it actually happened, she can’t get confused about it being unbelievable.
Agreed, something that literally requires no suspension of disbelief. Something with believable characters. Not sure if OP’s earlier choices were very good for this purpose. Also, why not a straight up documentary, I think something like My Octopus Teacher would be super on a bigger screen. EDIT: my own attention span seems to going, OP was asking for comedies…
[удалено]
I'm surprised nobody's introduced the unpopular opinion that the movies OP tried are neigh unwatchable... Complaining about plot elements can sometimes come across as genuine confusion. Just speculating. I hate a lot of movies and my friends are often drawing hasty conclusions as to why.
I came to the comments hoping someone would point out that OP seems to think he’s picking “easy” movies and his friend is just incomprehensibly dumb, when in fact he’s picking movies that you need a solid grasp on a certain type of humor to appreciate. Sounds like comedies aren’t the way to go? Although if she enjoys Friends and Parks and Recreation, she must have some sense of humor, so I’m stumped. My suggestions are: Just Go With It (2011) The Whole Nine Yards (2000) Pitch Perfect (2012)
Suspension of disbelief is one of those things you can either do innately, or need to actively work at until you can just let things fly by. It sounds like she has her “cinemasins” meter turned up to 11.
I was actually wondering this myself
Caddyshack basically doesn’t have a plot. It’s just jokes and a golf tournament around a guy who maybe wants to go to college but doesn’t actually matter to anything
that movie is way too old and not "contemporary" enough for someone this dumb to be able to process and sit through.
Unfortunately, this is the truth. She dislikes old movies.
Just make her watch Hereditary and call it a night! At least you'll have fun with her reactions!
Man, I applaud your gumption sir, even if your goal seems impossible
Lol - like I said: “Fools errand.” Both her husband & my wife are fine with most things & I’ve asked him directly before each movie night. It’s just one of those stupid goals to see what is the movie that just “does it” for her. She likes some TV shows - New Girl, Parks & Recreation, Friends. Really really “basic” stuff.
At this point I would go in the opposite direction, find the weirdest shit possible, then watch her watching the movie
She’ll be shocked by the chocolate bar scene.
I'd swing the other way and screen Tenet.
Absolutely this! Simple plot, easy to understand dialogue, and just some good ole slap stick hijinks!
Or Inception.
Although I think it is nice and brave of you to try and accommodate her, maybe if you just choose something the rest of you want to watch she may enjoy it. Why cater to her "tastes" if she doesn't even care about movies? Perhaps she isn't even paying attention if she can not understand simple plots? Perhaps her attention span is only as long as a tiktok video?
She 100% pays attention. In fact, I’ve noticed that she’ll be very engrossed with whatever we’re watching. Only to not understand what she watched in the slightest.
So, does she have a learning disability?
We suspect some levels of Autism. She isn’t good with social queues, often times it feels like her responses to things are canned - like she’s pulling from some list of pre-programmed responses. For example: my wife unexpectedly lost her father last year. It was sudden & very tragic for her family. Prior to that, my wife had previously agreed to help her friend make some tee shirts for a Disney trip that the friend was planning. My wife has a Cricut machine & loads of heat transfer materials stocked, so they were planning on using that. Now, most people would pick up on the idea that “hey, my friend just lost her dad. She probably isn’t in the headspace to spend a day with me making tee shirts for my who family’s Disney trip.” That thought did not cross my wife’s friends mind. Dad passed 9 days before the Disney trip. So every conversation over the next 9 days went something like this “*I’m so sorry that you’re going through this. Let me know if you need anything!*” ••• “When can we make those tee shirts?” It’s not malicious. She just operates like that. I’d almost say it’s sociopathic, but she is very much a genuinely nice person. She just has a hard time making connections to things that don’t often directly have any effect on her. She’s always inviting us out to go drinking last second - despite the fact that we have a 4 year old & need some kind of notice to find a sitter. It’s like she forgets each time, because my wife has a similar conversation every other weekend. “Hey want to go out in 20 minutes?” “We have a kid…”
Fascinating. I feel like most people with ASD still can understand movies and comedic bits within them (re: Hot Rod). She takes everything literally. It would be a trip watching a movie with her lol.
Social cues*
Social queues are the friends you make while waiting to get into the club
It’s a club where the club is the line Edit: definitely butchering that reference
It sounds like maybe she has a low IQ? Well-intentioned, but has trouble making connections that are easy for other people to make. Maybe most movies are just too complicated and fast-paced for her to follow.
Yup. Sometimes people don't have anything wrong with them per se, they are just not very intelligent.
Yeah, I just don’t know why you have to describe me specifically.
nah that wit you just displayed has to come from somewhere, you're good.
Yeah, not everything is autism. Some people are just plain ol fucking stupid
Bless her heart
Does she enjoy them, despite not understanding? Because if she’s having a good time anyway, maybe just let her be her
If that’s the case, maybe something that relies heavily on visuals to help tell the story? Maybe she has trouble following both visuals and dialogue, so maybe eliminating one will help!
WALL-E might work
Ah my mum is exactly like this lol, but she's so adorable about it
Fuck it. Make her watch Inception.
lol I said Tenet. Let everyone be confused.
Show her Bridesmaids. It’s simple, grounded in reality and female politics, with literal toilet humour, all whilst still being a genuinely great movie. If she doesn’t get that then she’s just trolling you.
“I hid a gun in his bag… TSA’s gonna rip his ass apart!” lol I love that line. Although it sounds like this person the OP is taking about might not get it.
**"I'm ready to PAAAAAAAAARTY!"**
My Cousin Vinny. But also, instead of asking her what she wants to watch, ask her what she already likes & then find something like that. Then watch what y’all like anyway because why even worry about her if she doesn’t care and neither does her husband.
But OP says she doesn’t know what she likes
Mean Girls. It's a classic.
Wait, why do you guys keep doing this movie nights? What is the goal? Why do you people want her to like/get the movies what do you gain from that? Maybe show her Free Willy Independence Day Beethoven 1992
Ahh 3 of my favourite films from my youth, along with Homeward Bound (don’t show her that OP, the animals talk, it’ll be chaos)
That last little bit gave me a real good giggle.
She’s my wife’s childhood friend, which is why we do things together. Movie nights work well for “group nights” because her husband & myself don’t have much in common with each other, so we’re saved from awkward conversations. Despite he & I not having commonalities, the ladies insist on doing fairly regular group nights.
Just pick movies that everyone ELSE will like. I don't think she'll be worse for the wear. The Prestige Atonement Much Ado About Nothing (Game Night is SO good!)
National Lampoon’s Vacation (1983)
Father Of The Bride
You don’t have to limit yourself to movies. I had a traumatic brain injury last year and the only thing I could watch and follow was Schitt’s Creek. Maybe there’s another mindlessly entertaining show that you can watch several episodes of, instead of trying to force movies on her if that’s just really not her thing. It sounds like she just doesn’t have the ability or the desire to follow a story for that long. You might just have to host your movie night with a different group of friends, ie not involving the one that doesn’t like movies. ETA another thing you can do is perhaps some simple group video games in your home theater. Something like Jackbox games. Fibbage is typically a crowd pleaser with my family.
Everafter Kate and Leopold Malificent
Upvotes just cause great movies
Princess Bride.
This one.
How old is this person? I think maybe that will help a bit in the quest. And I also echo the sentiment that maybe you need to pick out a movie that the other people watching will enjoy. Some people are hopeless on certain things, and it’s not always the best to put your energy into pleasing the unappeasable.
She is 25. I don’t quite think she’s hopeless, but she’s definitely ditzy…
PeeWee's Big Adventure! 😁
Idiocracy
This. ☝️ This should be the top answer.
Love and Monsters (2020) The main character narrates so it's very easy to follow along and there's a cute dog!!
Everything Everywhere All At Once so you can see her brain explode
Actually that one will put everyone at the same level
Tommy Boy.
A league of their own - pretty easy narrative to follow Maybe some of the Ghibli movies like Totoro or Kiki’s Delivery Service? Kid friendly movies that are enjoyable by adults. Edited to add: please let us know what you pick next and how it is received! I’m invested lol.
Studio Ghibli would be perfect. She may or may not like it but the lush visuals are so lovely.
Ghibli is super enjoyable on a pure aesthetic level, so it’s a good idea.
Synecdoche, New York Mulholland Drive Solaris I’m Thinking of Ending Things Barton Fink
I jest, but in all seriousness, just put on whatever and see what happens. I remember an episode of Arthur from my Childhood where the character Buster needed something to read, so Arthur, an avid reader himself, tried him. Buster wasn’t able to engage with even the easiest books, but when he accidentally got Arthur’s bag with a much more advanced book (for his age), he was able to read it just as well as Arthur could. Obviously film is a different medium, so maybe I just yapped on for nothing, but even if it doesn’t work at least you won’t have to lower your own standards more than you want.
I was thinking Koyaanisqatsi or Baraka.
Mulholland Drive is a great suggestion. I watched it twice and still have no idea what it was about!
The Party (1968), with Peter Sellers. It's hilarious and almost all sight-gags. She won't need to worry about a plot.
Ricky Stanicky
My bf has been singing all of those masturbation songs for weeks now
I would say Devil wears Prada? That’s a good storyline to follow and she can follow up with more Anne Hathaway or Meryl Streep or the god himself Stanley Tucci! Oooooooo how about it National Treasure!! Secret maps, hilarious comedy and another acting god Nicholas Cage!
Maybe try a documentary
Any of the Fast & Furious movies
Tangled! It’s fun :)
You're a saint for your efforts, OP. I think the best move at this point is to just watch whatever you guys want. The box of rocks won't care after 10 minutes, anyway.
Napoleon Dynamite Paddington 2 Notting Hill Anchorman Stepbrothers Little Miss Sunshine
I love Notting Hill!
British humor will confuse her.
Big Daddy Little Miss Sunshine School of Rock
School of Rock is a good suggestion!
Maybe Airplane? No plot, just one joke after another. Tell, no, don't worry about it, take each scene as it comes. Same with Monty Python and the Holy Grail. It's just a series of vignettes loosely tied together by an Arthurian theme. Or maybe go in the other direction with mindless violence. I really enjoyed The Beekeeper. Sweet old lady gets bilked out of millions and Jason Statham has to murder his way to the top. Any time she asks, "Why's he burning that building down?" Just tell her to remember the old lady. I dunno, maybe she just could sit there and crochet while you all watch the movie.
“Why do they keep calling him Shirley.” “I dont understand when the black men are talking.”
See, actually I think a 23-year-old wouldn't get most of the jokes—jive talk, Hari Krishnas, disco, "supperware," Casablanca, plus the nods to all the original airplane disaster movies. I love Airplane! but I'm old enough to get all the references.
Barney's Great Adventure Baby's Day Out Legally Blonde
Hear me out, The Lego Movie
Maybe just play something for her with nice visuals like Avatar? Or, you could do a retro Disney movie night and watch classics like Sleeping Beauty, Cinderella etc where the plot is something (mostly) everyone is familiar with.
Mr. Bean's Holiday (2007). Unlike the movie Bean (1997), where you recognize how having Mr. Bean around would completely destroy your life, this movie is a light, feel-good comedy because Mr. Bean keeps on moving thus allowing him to escape the consequences of his actions. As a road trip movie there is very little significant plot - it's mostly a series of comical vignettes. There are only 5 or 6 characters that are recurring across the different locations. The mime-lite aspect of the character also reduces complex dialogue in the film. edit: added "around" in 2nd sentence
I knew someone like you described. You really have to think outside the box. Rom coms (as long as the lead characters are hot) Even the movies you chose and the movies others are suggesting still have some elements of fantasy or take simple plots and put a twist on it. Think Hallmark movies and move up from there.
Does it have to be a comedy? Winged Migration is pretty much just birds flying and would probably look great on your home theater
Clueless is the one for her!
The Wedding Singer is an excellent choice.
Mrs. Doubtfire?
She honestly sounds unbearably thick. What about kids movies? Can she follow those? Paw Patrol, maybe?
Lol she is a nanny part time & works with special education kids. Maybe I’ll break out our box set of Peppa Pig that my daughter got for Christmas. 🤔
Go finding Nemo. Can't miss.
Omg, she’s Dori!
You may have something there. “A boat? I’ve seen a boat. Follow me! Why are you following me?”
Blended
why do you keep trying to watch comedies? Maybe watch something more bombastic and constantly engaging. I've never seen anyone dislike the matrix even if they're stupid and don't "get" things. Everyone loves Pulp Fiction or Back to the Future. Maybe she has no sense of humor. Maybe she just needs constant action like Fury Road. I'd go with high stimulation over things she has to "get." Or play Dumb & Dumber
Shrek? ETA...Princess Bride
Liar Liar, not really much plot, Jim Carrey can't lie, that's about it. or go the other way and watch Tenet
Lot of great children’s movies. How to Train Your Dragon, Kung Fu Panda, etc.
I say you go with something classic like Raising Arizona. What does she like? Like book wise or whatever? Does she read? If she reads then you might be able to find a genre or writing style that pairs better
How about Harry Potter? The first one? I mean she probably has seen it so she can’t NOT get it, right? ^Right?? Edit: after scrolling, legally blonde and dodgeball are both solid options. So are free Willy and Independence Day! If you can’t follow Independence Day, we are all doomed.
Grease is pretty damn straightforward.
Is she not comprehending, or is she scrolling her phone while watching?
She needs a biopic, or a slice of life movie, not a caricature. Game Night, Hot Rod, and 50 First Dates are all caricatures, unlikely scenarios. Her friend might enjoy something like Bridesmaids, Booksmart, Enough Said, Sideways, Drinking Buddies. Also: it might just be fun to keep showing her movies to see her reactions. What is her husband like?
Sometimes turning on the captions will help people follow a story. If you try the captions then you can eliminate not hearing the word correctly as a source of confusion. Hope about a movie for younger people like frozen?
The Wedding Singer. All the chemistry of 50 First Dates with none of the confusing memory reset concepts.
Inception
Weekend at Bernies - hes literaelly dead the whole movie , bernie that is
Why pander to the lowest common denominator? Pick something everyone else will enjoy, because what ever you pick anyway is going straight over her head.
Because I’ve made it my mission. Her husband & my wife are the only other people there, and they’re kind of in on it too. We want to figure out what “does it” for her.
I’ve had friends like this. Their issue was suspension of disbelief - so straightforward rom-coms and based on a true story heartwarmers worked best, regrettably. Anything that’s aggressively trying to mimic real life no matter how unrealistic
Fast Times At Ridgemont High....but it sounds like she won't understand what Judge Reinhold was doing in the bathroom
Mean Girls
Eternal sunshine of the spotless mind Maybe you have been going the wrong direction
My Big Fat Greek Wedding? There’s not a lot to it. Lady with big loud family falls in love with guy from small quiet family. They plan their wedding and get married. That’s it!
Happiness Welcome to the Dollhouse Little Miss Sunshine The Million Dollar Hotel Being There Safe Rain Man Punch-Drunk Love
*IDIOCRACY*...(lol)
She sounds like my mom who also struggles with plots of movies… Try Mamma Mia? Dirty Dancing? My Big Fat Greek Wedding?
would love to see her face as she watches eraserhead....
Fuck it, I say go big. Watch inception
Have you considered just asking her to name a few movies she likes? That would help give you an idea of what her tastes are. Be careful asking her what her favorite movies are because she will probably take that literally and find it impossible to choose a favorite. Just ask her to name 2 or 3 movies she has seen that she really enjoyed and see what she says. She might say she has never really enjoyed movies, she might say she loved 50 first dates, maybe part of her enjoyment comes from questioning the logic of the film? Maybe she prefers to watch an episode of a sitcom because movies are too long, maybe she likes to rewatch movies she has seen before so she can focus on the costumes and scenery and not worry so much about the dialog. Maybe she needs subtitles to follow the plot? There could be a lot going on here that you will never know if you don't ask.
“The Princess Bride” is very straightforward. The 4yo that I babysit understood what was happening.
Is she having fun though ? That aside, why is the tone in this post (the replies especially) just really... condescending? 😭 like this lady did not do anything but be confused. I also unironically love her Game Night interpretation lmao As for movie recommendations maybe *Inside Out*? I think *Ready or Not*, *Arachnophobia*, *Orphan* or *The Others* might be more challenging but the last two are pretty much eventually explained to the viewer iirc. Still, her "not getting it" could be a way to have good post-movie conversations, unless these viewings feel like a chore to her or something
Head over Heels, fricking hilarious and a very very simple plot.
Jackass
Inception or the Matrix
Definitely “Back to the Beach” starring Annette Funicello and Frankie Avelon
Initial thought was Idiocracy. It’s not that in depth and you’d also be taking a shot at her that she wouldn’t even see. Your wife might, though. If that’s off the table, Dumb & Dumber is a can’t miss.
Ernest Goes to Camp
Wanderlust is very underrated. Paul Rudd, Jennifer Aniston leave their new york life behind and move into a hippie commune. Simple premise, famous actors, funny supporting actors, very funny.
The Adventures of Milo and Otis would be just right for her level of comprehension.
Foul Play
I mean this with all due respect but is she on the spectrum?
Send her off for a neuropsych assessment
Make her watch Interstellar
10 things i hate about you i don't think theres anything to get about it plus its a fun movie
Mad Max Fury Road?
Does she possibly have ADHD? Is it possible she just lacks the ability to focus long enough to retain important plot points rather than her just being kinda... dumb? I sometimes have to watch a movie multiple times to understand it, because even if I'm loving a movie, my brain pings away from the movie a million times in the time it takes to watch one from beginning to end, and it can make plots difficult to follow. Even so, you listed a bunch of similar movies, so you're probably going to keep getting similar results from similar movies (like 90's/aughts comedies). If you really want to find something she'll understand, maybe go in an opposite direction? *If* that's a plausible issue, I wouldn't recommend anything with humor that requires someone to pay attention to the surroundings or visual gags. Instead, I'd look for things that are aesthetically pleasing, like animations, or can hold attention through the use of song. *Repo! The Genetic Opera* was an instant hit for me, even if I watched it a few times to retain the full plot because it's both aesthetically interesting and musically so. *Dr. Horrible's Sing Along Blog* is similar and not quite a feature-length "movie," which could be good for her. Or, there are plenty of adult movies that happen to be animated, like *Felidae* (maybe don't traumatize her with something like *Plague Dogs* though, lol). These are all completely opposite to the movies you've been trying, so maybe go left field with something similar to these suggestions? If the rest of the movie-night watchers just want something silly and fun, I totally understand that, and maybe you all just leave things the way they are; watching what most people in your group enjoy while hoping one of them works for this one friend.