“Saturday Night Live” can be hit-or-miss on the funny factor, but undeniable comedy greats have emerged from the weekly sketch show. Chris Farley, Tina Fey, Will Ferrell, Adam Sandler, Chris Rock, Kristen Wiig, Bill Murray … the list goes on.@@names checked@@ Outside of the show’s constraints, many “SNL” alums have been able to stretch their wings and show us what else they can do. Here are our favorites.
“Mean Girls” recommended by Rebecca Sedlak
On first viewing, “Mean Girls” might not exactly scream “SNL.” It’s a teen movie we’ve all seen: misfit new girl in high school and her interactions with the infamous popular clique of “The Plastics.” But a closer look will reveal this hilarious and memorable 2004@@http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0377092/@@ film is chock full of “SNL” alums. Tina Fey, who at the time was a cast member and writer for “SNL,” not only co-starred in the film as calculus teacher Ms. Norbury,@@checked@@ but she also wrote the script and came up with the idea. After reading the self-help book “Queen Bees and Wannabes” by Rosalind Wiseman,@@http://rosalindwiseman.com/publications/queen-bees-and-wannabes/@@ Fey pitched the idea of adapting it into a comedy movie to “SNL” creator and producer Lorne Michaels,@@http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0584427/@@ who bought the rights to the book and produced “Mean Girls.” Several “SNL” cast members also appear in the film, including Tim Meadows, who plays Principal Duvall; Ana Gasteyer, who plays Cady’s mom and Amy Poehler, who plays Regina’s “cool” mom. So the next time you sit down to watch Lindsay Lohan (herself a four-time “SNL” host) and Rachel McAdams bitch it out, don’t forget to pay attention to those goofy adult characters, too.@@nameschecked@@
“Bridesmaids” recommended by Kelly Ardis
Too many people label this movie as a funny girl’s movie, when really, it’s just a funny movie. Thank God funny ladies are finally getting some recognition because they’ve been around for awhile. Regardless of it being a “girl movie” or not, this movie is hilarious, and the story easy to relate to. Kristen Wiig is known for some outrageous characters on “SNL,” from the Target Lady, Kat (of the horrendously unprepared singing group Garth and Kat), or my personal favorite, drunk-mess Cinderella (“The Real Housewives of Disney”), and while she nails those, it’s interesting to see her play a normal, but quirky, character like Annie. “SNL” alum Maya Rudolph@@http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0748973/@@ joins Wiig as the bride-to-be to Wiig’s dysfunctional maid of honor. This movie also gets points for introducing me to the very handsome, very Irish Chris O’Dowd.@@http://www.imdb.com/name/nm1483369/@@ Sadly, Wiig recently announced her decision to leave “SNL,” but she’ll no doubt join the ranks of other stellar alums, and we’ll be seeing more of her.
“Tommy Boy” recommended by Ben Kendall
Chris Farley is one of the few great comedy gods that we have lost. We’re only left with the movies he made. I might be making some sort of comedy faux pas here, but most of them weren’t very good. Except for “Tommy Boy.” Farley and David Spade@@http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0114694/@@ team up for a whole bunch of awesome here. Farley hams it up with his classic big-dumb-bastard schtick opposite Spade’s straight man. Most of the comedy is pretty slapstick, but it’s Farley’s uncomfortable delivery that really brings it home. Farley plays Tommy Callahan, the loser son of a wealthy brake-pad company owner trying to save his father’s company after his untimely death from the clutches of his evil stepmother and her son. I still laugh at this movie, even though I’ve seen it a million times.
“Wayne’s World,” recommended by Mitch Small
It’s easy for me to assume that everyone born in the ’90s has seen “Wayne’s World,” but every once in a while I meet someone who actually hasn’t. Then when I try to explain why the movie’s so awesome, I can’t really seem to find the words. “Wayne’s World,” a story about a couple of slobs named Wayne and Garth (Mike Meyers and Dana Carvey, respectively)@@http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0105793/@@ who run a cable access show and suddenly hit it big when a studio exec offers to sponsor them. I know, I forgot there was a plot too. It’s not a movie that’s tremendously high in my esteem, but it comes from an era where silly, big-budget comedies could just be that: silly and big. “Wayne’s World” is completely unpretentious and holds up well to this day.
“Horrible Bosses” recommended by Kevin Piaskowski

In 2011, “Horrible Bosses”@@http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1499658/@@ was released to high critical and commercial acclaim. Starring “SNL“ cast member Jason Sudeikis, as well as Charlie Day, Jason Bateman and the always-excellent Kevin Spacey,@@nameschecked@@ “Horrible Bosses” made audiences laugh from start to finish. In his first real break-out role, Sudeikis proved himself as a viable actor for a starring film role. Aside from “SNL” and “Horrible Bosses,” Sudeikis appeared multiple times in Danny McBride’s “Eastbound & Down”@@http://www.imdb.com/name/nm1144419/@@ as the great Kenny Powers’s best friend. “Horrible Bosses” is an excellent and undeniably hilarious film that capitalized on the immense talents that Sudeikis holds.