161 Of The Best PG-13 Comedies That Are Pure Comedy Gold

1994 | 2 hours 22 minutes | Directed by Robert Zemeckis
 

Starring Tom Hanks, Robin Wright, Gary Sinise
 

Forrest Gump is a loose comedy-drama adaptation of a 1986 novel of the same name by Winston Groom. Here we get to follow the life of Forrest Gump, a slow-witted and kind-hearted man, as he witnesses and influences several historical moments of the 20th-century United States. Never before had a character like Forrest Gump appeared on the big screens as a lead, and never before had we seen such a movie! A truly historical piece of entertainment that's sweet, charismatic, and truly profound at the same time.

1993 | 2 hours 5 minutes | Directed by Chris Columbus
 

Starring Robin Williams, Sally Field, Pierce Brosnan
 

There are very few actors as widely beloved as the late Robin Williams. Every movie he starred in warmed audiences' hearts and made them laugh, creating a wholesome movie-watching experience. Such is the case with Mrs. Doubtfire too, a goofy, lighthearted movie that, in the end, touches you profoundly. And, you might not know this, but a sequel to Mrs. Doubtfire was under work. Sadly, the idea was dropped right after the untimely death of everyone's favorite Williams. 

1996 | 1 hour 32 minutes | Directed by Dennis Dugan
 

Starring Adam Sandler, Christopher McDonald, Julie Bowen
 

The aniseed of the movie industry, Adam Sandler is one of those guys whose movies and performances you love or loathe. But, no matter which side you support on the aniseed debate, Happy Gilmore was a huge commercial success, gaining nominations for such sought-after awards as the Golden Raspberry Awards and Stinkers Bad Movie Awards! Not many movies in our list can beat that, for sure. 

2001 | 1 hour 36 minutes | Directed by Robert Luketic
 

Starring Reese Witherspoon, Luke Wilson, Selma Blair

There's probably no other romantic comedy as iconic as Legally Blonde, and all because of the charms of Reese Witherspoon as Elle Woods. Here's a movie that shows us all the blonde girl stereotypes and triumphantly crushes them, all the while keeping a sunshine-y and witty atmosphere. And if you've missed Elle, Legally Blonde 3 is scheduled for a release this year!

1986 | 1 hour 43 minutes | Directed by John Hughes
 

Starring Matthew Broderick, Alan Ruck, Mia Sara

Raise your hand if you've ever tried to relive Ferris' exemplary truancy right after watching the movie. Besides being a joyful and heartwarming watch, Ferris Bueller's Day Off also has a very serious message that's even more important now than it was back in 1986 - to stop and take a look around. An expression of freedom, this teen comedy has earned its place in the movie hall of fame.

2017 | 1 hour 59 minutes | Directed by Jake Kasdan
 

Starring Dwayne Johnson, Karen Gillan, Kevin Hart

Jumanji: Welcome To The Jungle is a fantasy-adventure-comedy film that's the third installment in the Jumanji franchise. Here the action is set 21 years after the events in the original 1995 movie, and now the Jumanji game has transformed itself into a video game - modern times require modern scares! Now, a foursome of teenagers gets sucked right into the brutal jungles of Jumanji and have to finish its quest together with another player trapped there in 1996 in hopes to survive and escape. And while the original 1995 Jumanji was deemed by some as being too scary for kids, Jumanji: Welcome To The Jungle has a nice comedic twist added to it and has a generally lighter atmosphere. Perfect kid-safe movie!

2012 | 1 hour 52 minutes | Directed by Jason Moore
 

Starring Anna Kendrick, Brittany Snow, Rebel Wilson
 

Pitch Perfect, a loose adaptation of Mickey Rapkin's non-fiction book, titled Pitch Perfect: The Quest For Collegiate Acapella Glory, follows a rivalry between two acapella groups aiming to win the Nationals. Of course, as with any group of young adults, there's drama, and there's love. Though with Pitch Perfect, there's also a dose of awesome humor and the coolest comedic performances from a star-studded cast.

2019 | 2 hours 3 minutes | Directed by Jake Kasdan
 

Starring Dwayne Johnson, Jack Black, Kevin Hart, and two Friesian horses as Cyclone, the black horse avatar
 

Jumanji: The Next Level is a fantasy-adventure-comedy film that's the fourth installment in the Jumanji franchise and a direct follow-up of the 2017 Jumanji: Welcome To The Jungle movie. Here, the same four teenagers as in the movie before are trapped again in the Jumanji video game (zero luck for these gals and fellas!), together with their old friend and two unwitting additions. Once again, they have to brave the game and its unforgiving quests in order to make it out alive. And while you might be skeptical about a CGI-driven sequence, Jumanji: The Next Level manages to keep this fresh and interesting.

2021 | 1 hour 55 minutes | Directed by Shawn Levy
 

Starring Ryan Reynolds, Jodie Comer, Taika Waititi
 

Free Guy is an action-comedy film that's basically a very funny take on the Matrix and The Truman Show. The story goes like this - a guy named Guy discovers that he's a side character in a huge online multiplayer game. So, he's living in a game. Guy then pairs up with a real human player to catch the game's CEO doing his dirty deeds. Free Guy is a truly universal piece of entertainment with its cool sense of humor, charming cast, and clever concept.

2014 | 2 hours 1 minute | Directed by James Gunn
 

Starring Chris Pratt, Vin Diesel (voice), Bradley Cooper (voice) 
 

Guardians Of The Galaxy is a superhero movie based on the Marvel Comics superhero team of the same name. Here's a recap of what goes on in this movie - a team of intergalactic criminals (each one kookier than the last) has to group together to overcome a fanatical warrior - Ronan the Accuser - with plans to purge the universe. Besides having the coolest soundtrack probably ever, Guardians Of The Galaxy is also a thoroughly zany movie that's packed with action, good humor, and heart.

1997 | 1 hour 26 minutes | Directed by Tom Shadyac
 

Starring Jim Carrey, Maura Tierney, Amanda Donohoe
 

A simple premise doesn't always mean a simplistic movie. And though the main idea of a lawyer that's forced to tell nothing but the truth might seem like an incomplex one, the movie Liar Liar comes out as nothing but. With another stellar Carrey performance, this comedy gained favorable acclaim from audiences and cemented Carrey's comedian career.

2003 | 1 hour 49 minutes | Directed by Richard Linklater
 

Starring Jack Black, Mike White, Joan Cusack
 

School Of Rock is a comedy film that centers around Dewey Finn (Jack Black) - a failed guitarist who poses his way as a substitute teacher into a prestigious prep school. Of course, his music class pupils are all undeniably talented, so Dewey forms a rock band consisting of fourth-graders and enters them into the Battle Of The Bands competition. His main aim is for them to win so he can pay his rent. School Of Rock sees probably the best performance by Jack Black ever, making this movie into an hour and forty-nine minutes of continuously hilarious fun.

2000 | 1 hour 48 minutes | Directed by Jay Roach
 

Starring Ben Stiller, Robert De Niro, Teri Polo
 

Meet The Parents is a comedy movie that tells the story of, well, a fiance-to-be meeting his girlfriend's parents. Greg is Jewish, a male nurse, and very good-hearted, although hapless at times. He wants to ask his girlfriend Pam to marry him but has no clue that her father expects to be asked for her hand. A father who's a retired CIA agent and a Vietnam War veteran. And that is where everything that could go wrong goes wrong for Greg. The comic situations in Meet The Parents are unbelievably funny yet totally relatable simultaneously. The chemistry between the leads is undeniable, and the humor is so subtle and in good taste that this movie might just become one of your favorite comedies ever.

1994 | 1 hour 47 minutes | Directed by Peter Farrelly and Bobby Farrelly
 

Starring Jim Carrey, Jeff Daniels, Lauren Holly
 

Relentlessly stupid yet highly entertaining, Dumb and Dumber is truly an iconic comedy of the '90s. If not for the glorious partnership of everyone's beloved actors - Jim Carrey and Jeff Daniels - we're sure this buddy comedy film wouldn't have been as successful in the box office as it was upon its release. 

2019 | 1 hour 41 minutes | Directed by Nahnatchka Khan 
 

Starring Ali Wong, Randall Park, James Saito
 

Always Be My Maybe is a romantic comedy film that follows the on-and-off love story of Sasha and Marcus. The two had a short-lasting fling in their teenage years, but now, meeting once again, they feel their love rekindling. However, as we all well know, adult life has its own various problems and obstacles, and there's no certainty that Sasha and Marcus' relationship will prevail over it all. Always Be My Maybe is a fresh take on the whole rom-com genre, giving us genuine laughs throughout its run.

2007 | 1 hour 48 minutes | Directed by Adrienne Shelly
 

Starring Keri Russell, Nathan Fillion, Jeremy Sisto
 

Waitress is a comedy-drama film written and directed by Adrienne Shelly, who also has a supporting role in this movie that was her last movie appearance before her death. Waitress centers around the trials and tribulations of Jenna - she's trapped in a small town deep south, her marriage is abusive, and she's working as a waitress while facing an unwanted pregnancy. In an attempt to find at least a tiny bit of happiness in her life, she falls into an affair with the new town's doctor. Waitress is a bittersweet romance that will have you glued to the screens; no small contribution by Keri Russell, who's beyond amazing in this role! 

1985 | 1 hour 35 minutes | Directed by Rob Reiner
 

Starring John Cusack, Daphne Zuniga, Anthony Edwards

The Sure Thing is an adventure-comedy-romance film that chronicles a cross-country journey of two college students - Walter and Alison. Walter's aim is to travel to California from New England for bikini-clad babes and Alison's - to spend some time with her boyfriend. As their journey gradually becomes more and more hellish, the two start to find each other's company substantially more tolerable. Their plans go awry, but we get to see a charming love story unfolding in front of our eyes.

1998 | 1 hour 40 minutes | Directed by Harry Elfont and Deborah Kaplan
 

Starring Jennifer Love Hewitt, Ethan Embry, Charlie Korsmo

Can't Hardly Wait is a teen romantic comedy film that is notable for 'before-they-were-famous' appearances of teen stars like Jennifer Love Hewitt and Seth Green. Can't Hardly Wait is set entirely at a school graduation party at a rich classmate's home. It's 1990, it's wild, and some interesting developments take place at this all-inclusive get-together. It's one of those movies that doesn't require any deep pondering about what's going on but rather just gives you the pure pleasure of laughter and entertainment.

2010 | 1 hour 42 minutes | Directed by Dennis Dugan
 

Starring Adam Sandler, Salma Hayek, Kevin James
 

Grown Ups is a comedy movie that tells the story of five lifelong friends. Let that sink in - five lifelong friends. Fiction, dear fellows, should be added to its genre description, too! Anyway, the five of them won a school basketball championship way back in 1978, and hearing about their coach's death prompts a reunion party on the 4th of July. Although they're all grown-up men, this weekend shows them that the joy of life isn't lost yet! Grown Ups is a fun and easy movie that doesn't require any effort from the viewer to enjoy it.

1987 | 1 hour 34 minutes | Directed by Steve Rash
 

Starring Patrick Dempsey, Amanda Peterson, Courtney Gains

Can't Buy Me Love is a teen romantic comedy that takes its title from a Beatles song of the same name. Here's why - the story centers around a nerdy high schooler from Tucson, Arizona, who gives a cheerleader a thousand bucks to pretend to be his girlfriend for a month. His plan, although successful, proves to bring its own challenges, and our protagonist is left with a tough choice between popularity and sincerity. Can't Buy Me Love is a simply adorable movie that both the teen and young adult audiences will find entertaining.