One Buddy Comedy You'll Want to See

Typically, when you hear "buddy comedy," your first instinct is something along the lines of "oh, not again." Over the past few decades, the term has been generally used to describe unfunny movies featuring two men doing something stupid (see: Rush Hour, Dumb & Dumber, Men in Black 2 and 3). Sure, there've been a few exceptions — Wedding Crashers, 21 Jump Street — but mostly, recent buddy comedies haven't exactly been must-sees. Yet that's all about to change with Don't Mess With Texas , a, yes, buddy comedy starring Sofia Vergara and Reese Witherspoon and directed by The Proposal's Anne Fletcher.

Described as a "Midnight Run-style comedy," Don't Mess With Texas will feature Vergara as a prisoner and Witherspoon as a police officer who go on the run together. The production was first announced back in June, but Fletcher hadn't signed on as director until today.

It's still a long ways away until Texas hits theaters, but we're already getting excited to see what's sure to be an exception to the buddy comedy rule. Witherspoon and Vergara have such different comedic styles, but they're bound to play hilariously off each other. And with Fletcher, known for the surprisingly funny The Proposal and 27 Dresses, as director, there's little reason to think Texas will be anything but a success. Perhaps it'll follow last year's actually-good buddy comedy, The Heat, and be a box office success, as well; we all know how much the industry needs more female-made movies selling out theaters.

It's also great to see Witherspoon and Vergara taking on such major comedic roles. Both actresses are clearly funny, but neither has had the chance to show that skill off on the big screen in quite awhile. With the exception of a crappy Machete movie or two, Vergara's talents are limited to Modern Family, and as for Witherspoon, her last decent comedy was Just Like Heaven in 2005. She's spent the last several years alternating between indie dramas and low-quality rom-coms, and it's been far too long since we've seen the Legally Blonde-style side of Witherspoon that made her a star. Hopefully, Texas will give both actors a chance to remind audiences of their talents — and maybe, it just might break some box office records along the way.

Image: Getty Images