- schmuck: – noun, Slang. An obnoxious or contemptible person.
Where would movie comedies be without schmucks? You know the kind – the guy or gal whose boorish behavior sets the comedy wheels in motion.
So, in honor of this week’s new comedy “Dinner for Schmucks” starring Paul Rudd and Steve Carell, let’s toast the top 5 movie schmucks.
Who knows? Maybe Carell’s performance in the film will earn him a place on future “Schmuck” lists.
- Al Czervik, “Caddyshack” – “You’re a lot of woman, you know that? Yeah, wanna make 14 dollars the hard way?” Who didn’t love Rodney Dangerfield in the ultimate golf movie? But you gotta admit it – he’s a giant schmuck from start to finish.
- Stifler, “American Pie” – Seann William Scott overshadowed an abused pastry and a sea of R-rated mayhem as the hormonal high schooler who lived to annoy friends and foes alike.
- Biff, “Back to the Future” – “Hellooo, McFly!” Thomas F. Wilson played the ultimate schmuck in this 1985 gem.
- Principal Rooney, “Ferris Bueller’s Day Off” - The best comic villain of the ’80s, and as big a doofus as can fit on the silver screen.
- Readers’ choice: I’m sure I’m missing plenty of screen schmucks … remind me which ones I left out.
(Photo: Left to right: Steve Carell plays Barry and Paul Rudd plays Tim in Paramount Pictures/DreamWorks Pictures/Spyglass Entertainment’s comedy, “Dinner for Schmucks.” Photo credit: Merie Weismiller Wallace)
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{ 14 comments… read them below or add one }
Campbell Scott in “Roger Dodger” and “Music & Lyrics” (also “Big Night”). And after being so Gen-Xy sweet in “Singles”…
Bill Paxton in Weird Science
Stiffler in American Pie
I may have to make this a Top 10 … I suspect there are MANY more I’ve missed.
How about Zach Galifianakis in “The Hangover”?
Or Kevin Kline in “A Fish Called Wanda”?
The greatest “smuck” of all time? Bob Hope
And of course, his copyist, Woody Allen
Note: I tweaked the list to include Stifler – a major oversight on my part.
William Atherton has made a career of it.
The top two, as the government agent who shuts down the power for the containment grid in Ghostbusters.
Jerk professor from Real Genius.
Ben Stiller in Dodgeball.
Dinner for Shmucks is a remake of a french film, which I can’t remember the name of.. I do know that my husband and I laughed so hard we cried.. the idiot (as he was known in the film) was brilliant. Won’t be seeing the remake
Perhaps Walter from “The Big Lebowski?” For that matter, the Dude?
Paul Reiser as Burke in “Aliens.”
John Candy’s character in Planes, Trains and Automobiles
zeze, the French film is “The Dinner Game.” I like it too, but also liked “Schmucks.” Very different movies. Whereas the French version was dark, the American version is very silly.
As far as schmucks, my vote goes to Steve Martin in The Jerk. I love that movie.