More comedies where the protagonist is, like Bugs Bunny, “aware”?

Was watching "Support Your Local Sheriff" the other day. The first thought I had was that James Garner's character reminded me of Clevon Little playing Sheriff Bart in Blazing Saddles – not because they were silly Westerns, or from the 60/70's, or that they were Bugs Bunny riffs per se (candygram notwithstanding), but that both characters were a type of comedy lead it seems like you don't see anymore: A lead who's "aware".

Bob Clampett famously described Bugs as "aware" from the rabbit's own perspective for studio staff:

…I play it cool, but I can get hot under the collar. And above all I'm a very 'aware' character. I'm well aware that I am appearing in an animated car­toon.
[…]
I always treat the contest with my pursuers as 'fun and games.' When momentarily I appear to be cornered or in dire danger and I scream, don't be consoined – it's actually a big put-on. Let's face it, Doc. I've read the script and I al­ready know how it turns out."

Maybe they break the 4th wall (as Blazing Saddles does repeatedly), maybe they avoid going that far, but either way the character always seems to know what's going on, almost nothing bothers them, and they can anticipate what's going on with no trouble at all, whether they seem to have "read the script" or, like Sheriff McCullough, are "merely" ten steps ahead of everyone else.

I can see why it's not common – it's pretty easy to do the concept poorly and make it boring or having a grating know-it-all lead, but with good comedic timing it's such a scream (McCullough handling Joe's gun has to be an all-timer punchline, and Jack Elam is also a hoot as the semi-"aware" deputy in on some, but not all of the fun) and it feels so rare to see in live action, either well-done or poorly.

Anyway… have there been any (good) movies like this recently or even semi-recently? Anyone have any recommendations?

Leave a Reply