The Best of Vince Vaughn

Recently, one of my favorite bloggers, Helene in Between, made a Definitive Ranking of Zac Efron Movies and it inspired me to make a list of my own. I consider myself to be a bit of a Vince Vaughn connoisseur, so without further ado, I bring you:

Swingers

If you haven't seen Swingers, do yourself a solid and watch it. This is vintage Vaughn through and through. Plenty of the quick-wit, fast-talking, charming banter and monologues that you've come to expect from him, but without the cheesy, forced feeling of his recent movies. This is honestly one of my favorite movies of all time and his real-life friendship with Jon Favreau shines through in every scene.

Wedding Crashers

Let's be real: This is Vince Vaughn at his absolute best. You get the sense that most of the dialogue between Vince and Owen Wilson was improvised, a natural rapport that he has tried (and failed) to replicate ever since.

Old School

For me, Old School kicked off the Frat Pack craze of the 2000s, when each comedy tried desperately to top the last with raunchy hilarity. It's nice to go back and watch Vince, Will, and Luke Wilson lay the groundwork before ushering in the era of Judd Apatow.

The Break-Up

A perfect combination of funny and endearing, silly and serious. Unlike most of his prior movies, The Break-Up is realistic, hitting a bit too close to home for some couples. Although it was tough to contain my jealousy, I also loved Vince's brief fling with Jennifer Aniston. I mean, if I can't have him, it might as well have been Jen.

A Cool, Dry Place

You've likely never heard of this movie and that's probably because the plot is nothing groundbreaking. It is refreshing, however, to see Vince tackle a serious role and he completely melts my heart as single dad Russell Durrell. Oh, I should also mention that he used to look like this:

Honorable Mentions: Jurassic Park: The Lost World - I bet you didn't realize/remember he played a major role in the blockbuster sequel. Into the Wild - I really love this movie, but Vince is hardly in it, so I can't count it. Anchorman - The same is true here: So great, but too little Vince to count. Rudy - Speaking of too little Vince, did you know that Vince plays the quarterback in Rudy? The breeding ground of a beautiful friendship with Favreau.

What's your favorite Vince Vaughn movie?