Does sincere have to mean serious? A lot of filmmakers seem to think so. The idea exists that, in order to say something about the human condition, the yuk-yuks need to be tamped down. Why? Because if humor exists, it will inevitably leech away the essential emotional truth of a film. At least, that’s the theory. I can hear some of you saying, “What, are you saying there needed to be a moment in Schindler’s List where Oskar Schindler got kicked in the nuts by a mischievous kid?” I am not. I’m saying a well-placed joke, even one appearing in a film about a monstrous event, can reveal important... Read More