Nerds That Geek Movie Review: 'Friday'

Written by John Edward Betancourt

I’m not sure what it is as of late, but I have to admit that I’ve been on quite the comedy quick. I’ve simply been pouring over my collection, enjoying a good laugh in the process, but when I get into a mood like this, it’s obvious that my wandering mind is searching for something more and really, when all is said done, it’s obvious that I’m looking for a comedy to satisfy greater criteria than just making me laugh and laugh hard, I’m in need of a movie from this genre that offers something more, perfection if you will. 
 
Granted, many have told me that such a thing does not exist, but I don’t subscribe to that. Because in most of our minds, perfection for a film means that it accomplished wonders when it was released; like winning every single major award and breaking every box office record while remaining a critical darling, and while those things are important, they don’t make a movie perfect. What does in my eyes, is when a movie is universally beloved and instantly brings a smile to someone’s face when it is brought up in discussion and one such comedy that I personally feel is perfect, and indeed brings joy to anyone when they think about it, is the 1995 laugh fest, Friday.
 
Now, that may seem like quite a bold statement to make about a comedy, but this motion picture really is perfect for several reasons. The first one being the fact, that it is supremely relatable. Because this is a film that really digs into the ‘day in the life’ notion since we are alongside Craig and his family from the get go and the hilarious interactions that this family have throughout the day, often mirror ones we’ve had in our own households and by bringing this to the table, this comedy sucks you in with its ‘slice of life’ mentality and it only gets better from there.  

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​Because the other major reason that this film works on so many levels, is the fact that it features such memorable characters. Because every single one of them brings something special to the table when they’re on screen and this is one of those rare films that features writing and direction that is so strong that you instantly know everything about these characters when you first meet them and really, by having colorful characters in place and a setting that makes you comfortable, the most important element of this motion picture can come to life…the comedy.
 
If anything, it is the laughs that truly make this film so memorable because it is a damn funny flick from beginning to end and well, what makes the jokes work so well here is their timing, their delivery and their creativity, since the one liners in this film are some of the finest to ever grace the genre and this movie is so supremely quotable that often times, when one reminisces about this film with others, it’s the quotes that generate a conversation about how beloved this motion picture really is and how much it means to us and really my favorite thing about this movie, is the sheer fact that the jokes are still hilarious after all this time.
 
Which means that really, this film is timeless in its own right and an instant classic. And I love that this movie didn’t do a billion dollars at the box office and didn’t sweep the Oscars. Instead it simply resonated with people and found its way into our hearts and that is why I consider this film to be perfect through and through and if by some strange chance you haven’t seen this magnificent motion picture, do so as soon as you can, because it really is something special and I’m not sure we will ever see anything like it again. 

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