Brother Down (Top Five Bromance Movies)

So while many of my fellow moviegoers spent their time and money propelling Nicolas Cage to an inexplicable box office win, my bride-to-be and I opted for the quite amusing I LOVE YOU, MAN. The film celebrates a phenomenon that has been around for ages, though it only now has a name: The Bromance.

While I LOVE YOU, MAN might have been the first movie to deliberately play up a bromance, it’s far from the first one to have a bromance at the core of the story. So boys, the next time you make plans for a man-date, or settle your differences by “hugging it out”, remember – you are part of cinematic tradition.

#5. GOOD WILL HUNTING (1997)… While he becomes quite close to his shrink in a manly way, that relationship is still on the doctor/patient, or even father/son end of the spectrum. But for true bromantic guy love, look no further than Will’s best friend Chuckie, naturally played by Damon’s real-life best friend Ben Affleck. They laugh, they drink, they get each others back when things go south in a bar. Sure, Will chases after Minnie Driver in the end, but who amoung us didn’t get a little misty when he left his true love Chuckie behind without so much as a note?

#4. WAYNE’S WORLD (1991)… OK, technically this is a cheat, since this relationship blossomed on late night TV. But take a look at that photo I’ve posted and tell me how I could possibly leave this classic bromance out? Wayne and Garth share a certain type of kinship; the sort built out of consistently being the last two guys picked in the schoolyard. So strong is their bond, that neither Tia Carrera, nor Lara Flyn Boyle, nor Kim Bassinger can come between them. Only the very rarest bonds can withstand such temptresses. Bonds built on Queen cassettes, donut shops, and road hockey.

#3. SHAUN OF THE DEAD (2004)… If you are unfamiliar with the glorious bromance that has blossomed between Simon Pegg and Nick Frost, please – log off, rent yourself this film, HOT FUZZ, and the BBC series “Spaced” right now. It takes a true bro to stand beside you and do battle with an entire town full of zombies, and Frost is just that sort of bro. He may not seem like he always has Shaun’s best in mind, but when the chips are down, there’s no one in the world more important. The lesson here, is when choosing your bromantic partners, it might be worth checking how lethal they are while wielding a cricket bat or a Sade LP. In a lovely touch, the guy-love is rewarded in an act of zombie mercy.

#2. SWINGERS (1996)… Mike and Trey Trent spend 96 madcap minutes in search of the beautiful babies. However, even as Mikey strikes out time after time, it’s his closeness with Trey that keeps him going. They were hugging it out long before Vinny ever met Ari, they have enough love left over for an entire bromantic posse, and they make the best pair of wingmen since Maverick met Iceman (who by the way, just missed making this list). It takes a special type of bro to keep trying to help you score despite staggering ineptitude, and Trey is just that sort of bro. This flick is a modern bromance classic, and should be high on your “to-see” list if you’ve never seen it. If it isn’t, you should at least have the courtesy to return my copy of the DVD.

#1. BUTCH CASSIDY AND THE SUNDANCE KID (1969)… The granddaddy of ’em all. The bromance so tight-knit, they’ll jump off a cliff together. So easy-going is their kinship, they think nothing of sharing the same woman. Newman and Redford were such tight bros, they didn’t even stop at this classic film – instead reuniting just four years later for another classic, THE STING (Hey, Matt and Ben – when can we expect your next classic?). These are bros for all time…the sort of bros the fall alone couldn’t kill. They never turned their backs on each other, right down to the bitter end. So when it comes to movie couples, you can keep your Bonnies & Clydes…your Sids & Nancys. I much prefer this classic tale of bromance any day of the week.

Did I miss one? Feel free to leave comments naming your favorite cinematic bromances, along with suggestions for the next top five.