MetaChat - Male friendships in film

MetaChat is an informal place for MeFites to touch base and post, discuss and chatter about topics that may not belong on MetaFilter. Questions? Check the FAQ. Please note: This is important.

21 March 2006

Male friendships in film So, a few of us were discussing what a great movie Sideways was. Can anyone recommend other movies that feature a realistic depiction of male friendship?

post by: mlis at: 23:11 | 33 comments

Not necessarily realistic, per se but one of the reasons why I like Very Bad Things is that there's just enough truth to the different personalities.

posted by porpoise 21 March | 23:18

Stand by Me

posted by pieisexactlythree 21 March | 23:22

Withnail and I

posted by AlexReynolds 21 March | 23:25

Stand by Me, maybe Diner, and this may seem out there but John Woo's The Killer.

posted by arse_hat 21 March | 23:30

Diner, most definitely. Also: Fandango, and dudes, why hasn't anyone mentioned Good Will Hunting yet?

Okay. Good Will Hunting.

posted by Lipstick Thespian 21 March | 23:51

Butch Cassidy and Sundance Kid?

Sting?

Thelma and Louise? ; >

posted by amberglow 21 March | 23:52

Swingers and Made? Both seemed to be cinematic representations of Favreau's and Vaughn's friendship.

posted by mullacc 21 March | 23:54

Midnight Cowboy.

posted by AlexReynolds 21 March | 23:55

Definitely Stand By Me. I'd say The Goonies, too.

posted by sisterhavana 22 March | 00:03

Brian's Song.
Spinal Tap. (The story of the band is really the story of Nigel and David's friendship.)

posted by jrossi4r 22 March | 00:09

Also, wouldn't most war movies fall into this category?

posted by jrossi4r 22 March | 00:10

second Midnight Cowboy. Wow.

posted by arse_hat 22 March | 00:17

And Deliverance, Odd Couple, Wayne's World, Ice Age, Monsters inc, Princess Bride, Cool Hand Luke, Seven Samurai.

posted by arse_hat 22 March | 00:30

Definite second for Brian's Song. What about Friday Night Lights?

posted by sisterhavana 22 March | 00:38

Strange Brew

posted by pieisexactlythree 22 March | 00:53

Jules et Jim

posted by goatdog 22 March | 01:03

And it wasn't a very good movie, but the best thing about All the Pretty Horses was the depiction of the friendship between Will Hunting and the kid from E.T.

posted by goatdog 22 March | 01:05

Conan the Barbarian. Subotai: "I cry for him, because he can not."

posted by King of Prontopia 22 March | 02:40

Dead Poets Society, Rounders (where a friendship can go bad), Beautiful Girls.

A film that's not about friendship amongst dudes but more amongst one-time enemies I would say is Enemy Mine.

posted by hyperlith 22 March | 04:18

Yup, Midnight Cowboy.

posted by rainbaby 22 March | 06:38

Haha, good call on Conan. Subotai is the man. The conversation they have about Gods is an excellent example of dick-waving.

What about Jules and Vince in Pulp Fiction?

But I think the best example of this, or the one that resonated the most with me, was the relationship between The Dude and Walter in The Big Lebowski. I've known several Walters, and I've had that relationship with each one of them.

posted by selfnoise 22 March | 08:45

The Last of the Mohicans

posted by Hugh Janus 22 March | 09:00

48 HRS., Platoon, Diner.

posted by jonmc 22 March | 09:04

Harold & Kumar Go To White Castle. No, really.

posted by eamondaly 22 March | 10:15

Stranger Than Paradise
My Bodyguard
Easy Rider
Brokebac aw forget it.

posted by Hellbient 22 March | 10:43

Clerks?

posted by sisterhavana 22 March | 11:11

I still vote for Free Enterprise, which is Swingers for geeks.

posted by TrishaLynn 22 March | 11:25

A Separate Peace, Chariots of Fire, Finding Forrester, Gallipoli, My Dinner with Andre, Rounders, White Squall.

posted by ericb 22 March | 12:12

I second The Killer and Conan the Barbarian (but stay away from Conan the Conqueror).

posted by porpoise 22 March | 12:20

Grand Illusion

posted by matteo 22 March | 13:04

One of my favorite movies is Midnight Run. It's all about the relationship between bounty hunter De Niro and his prisoner, Charles Grodin. Great writing on some of the side characters, too, like Joey Pants. Admittedly, this isn't in the "realistic" column.

So I guess that Lord of the Rings and the Frodo-Sam relationship is right out.

Of course, Kiss of the Spider Woman is more in Brokeback territory. I don't think those count, do they?

posted by stilicho 22 March | 15:27

I have long argued that all of Wes Anderson's movies are actually about male friendships.
The 40 Year Old Virgin. Ocean's 11 and all of Cheech and Chong's movies, of course.

posted by black8 22 March | 16:26

The Big Chill.

posted by deborah 23 March | 22:35

← This made me laugh more than anything in weeks! || Radio Wimpdork! →

HOME || REGISTER || LOGIN