When Michael Keaton began his career he started as a stand-up comedian, did a forgotten sitcom, and was even a cast member on the Mary Tyler Moore Comedy Hour (yeah that was a thing).

Before he donned the cape in Tim Burton’s Batman, and had a career resurgence with Birdman he was a brilliant comedic actor. On his deathbed famed 18th century actor Edmund Kean uttered the phrase, “dying is easy, comedy is hard.” And it is! Comedy is highly subjective, one persons’ Porky’s is another’s Dr. Strangelove and acting in them takes an inert timing few if any actors can be taught and is often something, “you’re born with it.”

Mr. Keaton was born with it for sure and here is the proof.

Mr. Mom was a movie directed by Stran Dragoti from an early script by none other than John Hughes (legend) which stars Keaton, the late/great Teri Garr, Martin Mull, and Anne Gillian, released in the summer of 1983.

The story follows Jack Butler (Keaton), an auto industry engineer in Detroit who suddenly loses his job. When his wife, Caroline (Garr), re-enters the workforce, Jack is left to manage the household and take care of their three young children.

At first, Jack struggles hilariously with the demands of stay-at-home parenting — battling washing machines, mastering grocery shopping, school drop off and facing off against diaper disasters. But over time, he finds his rhythm and even gains a newfound appreciation for the challenges of domestic life. Meanwhile, Caroline navigates her own workplace struggles, including unwanted attention from her boss played by Martin Mull.

Although this scenario of “stay at home dad” is common place these days, this movie was ahead of its time by flipping traditional gender roles for comedic effect while also delivering heartfelt commentary on family and identity. 

A sitcom version was attempted in 2021 but only lasted a season.

You can stream Mr. Mom on Amazon for free! Do it, do it now!

Gung Ho was directed Ron Howard who is so good at comedy, he has 2 movies on this post. The movie was from a script by Lowell Ganz and Babaloo Mandel which stars Mr. Keaton, Mimi Rogers, and Gedde Watanabe (Long Duk Dong from Sixteen Candles!) and was released in 1986.

The movie follows Hunt Stevenson (Keaton), a laid-off auto plant liaison in a small Pennsylvania town, who helps persuade a Japanese car manufacturer, Assan Motors, to reopen the local factory. While this brings jobs back to the town, it also introduces a collision of work ethics and values between the American workers and their new Japanese managers.

Tensions rise as both sides struggle to adapt, the Americans struggle under the strict productivity demands and team-first mentality of the Japanese system, while the Japanese managers, led by Kazihiro (Watanabe), find American individualism and attitudes toward authority frustrating. Through missteps, culture shock, and comic misunderstandings, both groups slowly learn to respect each other and work together.

Gung Ho offers humorous but pointed insights into East-West business relations and the broader economic anxieties of the 1980s.

Check out Gung Ho on Amazon for free and you will be happier for it.

Night Shift is another comedy helmed by Ron Howard, and again from a script by Lowell Ganz and Babaloo Mandel which stars Keaton, Henry Winkler (the Fonz!) and Shelley Long and was released in 1982.

Night Shift centers on Chuck Lumley (Winkler), a mild-mannered former stockbroker who now works the night shift at a New York City morgue. His quiet, uneventful life is turned upside down when he’s paired with an energetic and wildly eccentric new co-worker, Bill Blazejowski (Keaton). Bill is full of outrageous ideas and soon convinces Chuck to turn the morgue into the headquarters for a prostitution ring after befriending a kind-hearted sex worker named Belinda (Long), who is looking for a safer, more stable work environment.

Despite the ridiculous premise, the movie blends sharp comedy with heart, focusing on Chuck’s personal transformation as he sheds his passive nature and begins to take control of his life. Meanwhile, Bill’s free-spirited antics create chaos and hilarity, but also offer unexpected lessons in self-expression and risk-taking.

Known for its quirky humor and memorable one-liners, Night Shift marked Ron Howard’s transition from acting to directing and helped launch Michael Keaton’s film career.

Night Shift enjoys a 93% rating on Rotten Tomatoes.

Night Shift will cost you about $4 across multiple streaming platforms.