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Will Ferrell is, as the kids these days like to say, GOATED.
The list of comedies he made in the past are legendary, and he’s still making great content today. For example, his recent documentary, Will & Harper, which is about him and his transitioning friend, Harper Steele, going on a road trip together, was so emotional that even the trailer made some people cry. So, to say that I still enjoy Ferrell’s acting is an understatement (even though I find some of his voice work–such as in the middling Despicable Me 4–leaving much to be desired).
That said, even though I like where his career has taken him, a part of me really misses his days as a member of the “Frat Pack.” For those who’ve never heard of the term, it’s of course a play on the “Rat Pack,” which featured performers like Sinatra, Dean Martin, Humphrey Bogart, and many others back in the day. The “Frat Pack” denoted comedic actors in the mid-90s to early 2000s, and included stars like Vince Vaughn, Jack Black, Seth Rogen, and yes, Will Ferrell. So, here’s why I miss “Frat Pack” (or, as I like to call him, “vintage”) Ferrell. Shake and bake!
First Off, This Was An Era When Comedies Were Still Super Popular, And Ferrell Was The King In This Field
Think back. When was the last time that you can remember a comedy being the talk of the town in Hollywood? Sure, we still have well-received comedies like One of Them Days. But, I’m talking about MONSTER comedy hits, such as 2011’s Bridesmaids, which made over $288 million dollars worldwide, or 2009’s The Hangover, which made over $469 million dollars?
You can’t, can you? That’s because most comedies, if they go anywhere at all, end up on streaming services. In a timeline when even Happy Gilmore 2 doesn’t come out in theaters and only lands on Netflix, you’d be forgiven if you thought that there weren’t any comedies that came out in theaters these days.
Well, back in the “Frat Pack” era, we were getting comedies left and right. I’m talking Shallow Hal, A Night at the Roxbury, Wedding Crashers, Knocked Up, you name it, it was coming out. Comedies used to be big business in the late ‘90s, early 2000s, and we’d get a modern classic seemingly almost every weekend back then.
Well, one of the major faces of this period was (you guessed it) Will Ferrell, and I deeply miss going to the theater and seeing one of his comedic gems. I’m talking Old School, Elf, Anchorman: The Legend of Ron Burgundy, Talladega Nights: The Ballad of Ricky Bobby, and my favorite of them all, Step Brothers.
I swear, if he was in it, you knew it was going to be good. In a lot of ways, he’s the last comedian that I can really think of where people would flock to the theaters just to see him. Yes, Kevin Hart has been in some pretty good and popular flicks in more recent years, but Hart’s movies arguably just didn’t have the broad (or quotable!) appeal of a film like Anchorman, or Talladega Nights. In that way, “Frat Pack” era Farrell almost feels like the last of a dying breed, which really makes me sad. I miss the broad WIll Ferrell comedy. Can’t we bring them back?
Also, His Diversity Of Films Was Unparalleled
Okay, I know what some of you might say. What about Jack Black? He was also a part of the “Frat Pack” era, and he’s still going strong today, especially with the recent Minecraft movie, which I, of course, saw because my kids are rabid Minecraft fans. He was also the voice of Bowser in the ultra popular The Super Mario Bros. Movie.
I’m always happy to see Black in anything, I don’t really see him as one of the major faces of the “Frat Pack” era. In fact, my kids are huge fans of his, and I’m actually comfortable with them watching a lot of his older flicks, like School of Rock, Nacho Libre (which might be my favorite Jack Black movie), and King Kong.
Black is wonderful, but I still think that Farrell’s filmography is unparalleled when it comes to the diverse comedic roles that he took on, especially in the late ‘90s, early 2000s.
I’ve already listed a lot of his popular roles, such as Anchorman, and Step Brothers, but I really miss the truly bizarre ones, like Blades of Glory, Semi-Pro, The Campaign, and the utterly insane, Casa de mi Padre, in which he delivers barely serviceable Spanish for an entire movie.
But, just look at how diverse that list above is when it comes to comedies. Two outlandish sports films, a silly satire, and a send up of telenovelas. He was doing everything and anything back in the day, and I miss that version of his comedy. It really was completely off the rails, and I was there for it.
His Comedy Was Both Bawdy At Times, But Also Surprisingly Wholesome
Okay, so yeah, I can’t show my kids some of Ferrell’s more R-rated affairs (“Boats ‘N hoes! Boats ‘N hoes!”). But, I’d argue that even his raunchier material, like Step Brothers, is still surprisingly wholesome.
That’s because he doesn’t seem to have a single hard edge in his body. He’s more silly than sardonic. In other words, he’s no George Carlin, or Eddie Murphy, nor would I ever want him to be.
In a lot of ways, hew just seems lovable, even when he’s “going streaking” like he was in Old School. He’s not dripping with malice, and he seems like the kind of guy who you wouldn’t want to bother in public for an autograph, but you know he’d probably give you one if you asked him nicely.
I miss this kind of comedy. Yes, some of it could be bawdy, and he’s been in his fair share of R-rated films. But, the Ferrell in Elf – which is a children’s film, I might add – doesn’t feel too far off from a big goof like Ricky Bobby in Talladega Nights.
That’s the Ferrell I miss. Yes, he was a part of the so-called “Frat Pack,” but I never really thought he employed “frat boy” humor. Man-baby humor, yes, but not the raunchy, dirty kind of humor that would probably make me cringe today…and yes, I’m referring to the same actor who literally starred in a movie titled Get Hard.
And Overall, I Just Find The Old Will Ferrell Hilarious
Lastly – and most importantly – I just find old Ferrell hilarious. Yes, I like what he’s doing these days, but he seems to have toned down a bit.
For example, I liked Eurovision Song Contest: The Story of Fire Saga, but even though it felt like it was harkening back to the earlier 2000’s era-Ferrell, it still didn’t quite feel like it had the same silly energy that some of his earlier work had.
Plus, it doesn’t help that some of the movies he’s made as of late have been downright unfunny, like 2018’s dreadful Holmes & Watson.
That said, kind of like what I said earlier with Jack Black, I will never turn down a Ferrell appearance in a movie. However, the Ferrell of today is not the Ferrell of yesterday, and that’s fine. As I said up top, I like where he currently is, such as playing the Mattel CEO in 2023’s Barbie.
However, “Frat Pack” Ferrell will always be my favorite, and I guess I just miss the days when he could simply not miss, no matter what he did.
Do you also love “Frat Pack” era Will Ferrell more than his current era? I’d love to hear your thoughts.