Filmmaker Harold Ramis has died at age 69. Most of us remember Ramis from his performance in Ghostbusters, a movie that he also wrote. But he also wrote one of the funniest movies ever – and one of my all-time favorites – Animal House. He also wrote and directed Groundhog Day, a comedy masterpiece that will last forever.
There’s a tendency to inflate the achievements in dramatic filmmaking. After all, that’s where the Important Pictures come from. But comedy is very difficult to do well, and a good comedy can be every bit as artistic and intelligent as a serious picture. Now I wouldn’t put Ramis quite up there with Billy Wilder, Jacques Tati and Preston Sturges. Nevertheless, how many filmmakers have written anything – dramas or comedies – as good as Animal House and Groundhog Day?