Will Ferrell and Adam McKay left the Saturday Night Live nest behind to bring their particular brand of absurdist comedy to the big screen with Anchorman: The Legend of Ron Burgundy. It tells the story of a ‘70s newsman whose reign over the San Diego media landscape is threatened by the arrival of a female co-anchor. Along the way, a biker kicks a dog off a bridge, a jazz flute shoots fire, and all the town’s news teams engage in an epic showdown.
In a movie full of hilarious characters, Brick Tamland, the awkward yet sweet weatherman played by Steve Carell, is arguably the funniest. But he faces a lot of stiff competition from the rest of the cast.
Brick Is The Funniest: He Encapsulates The Movie’s Brand Of Deadpan Absurdism
The absurdist tone of Anchorman essentially presents weird situations like they’re not weird. Everything that happens in the movie is insane, but it’s shown to be a regular part of Ron and his news team’s lives.
Brick encapsulates the movie’s peculiar brand of deadpan absurdity. Most of this is down to Steve Carell’s performance, but the character himself embodies the movie’s unique tone.
Alternative: Wes Mantooth
As demonstrated by such “Frat Pack” movies as Old School, Vince Vaughn makes a great foil for Will Ferrell. So, it was fitting that he played Ron Burgundy’s closest rival in Anchorman.
Wes Mantooth’s team doesn’t have the ratings that Ron’s team has, so they like to cause trouble by making fun of their rivals’ clothes and instigating the big news team rumble.
Brick Is The Funniest: Steve Carell Commits 100% To Every Bit, No Matter How Wacky
Everyone in the cast of Anchorman gives a fantastic performance, but Steve Carell in particular commits wholeheartedly to every bit, no matter how wacky it is. In fact, the wackier it is, the more deadpan Carell’s performance is.
The rest of the cast often draw attention to the wackiness, but Carell plays all of Brick’s lines with the same sense of truth he later brought to the role of Michael Scott.
Alternative: Ed Harken
Played by the late, great Fred Willard, station manager Ed Harken is often used as the straight man opposite the absurdity of Ron Burgundy, but he has his own problems, too.
There’s a running joke that Ed is always on the phone with his son’s school, trying to downplay his troublemaking antics (like possession of German pornography), or with the boy himself: “We’ll play it off as a prank.”
Brick Is The Funniest: He Has The Most Hilarious Quotes
From “I’m in a glass case of emotion!” to “60% of the time, it works every time,” Anchorman is filled with iconic lines that fans have been quoting for years.
But without a doubt, Brick is the character with the most hilarious quotes: “I love lamp,” “I would like to extend to you an invitation to the pants party,” “People seem to like me because I am polite and I am rarely late,” “Where’d you get your clothes from, the toilet store?”
Alternative: Brian Fantana
Paul Rudd would go on to make a career as a likable leading man, but his role in Anchorman is nothing like his eventual on-screen persona. Brian Fantana is a brazen chauvinist.
Whether he’s preaching the virtues of wearing Sex Panther to woo somebody or mistaking a K-Mart bathroom make-out for true love, Brian is always hysterical.
Brick Is The Funniest: His Lines Are Hilarious In Or Out Of Context
Not only does Brick have the funniest lines in the movie; they work in or out of context. In the context of the scene in which Ron is describing love to his friends, “I love lamp” is hysterical.
But it’s a ridiculous enough line that, out of context, it’s still funny. The fact that Brick’s lines can be used in any context means he can be quoted in everyday situations.
Alternative: Veronica Corningstone
The status quo of Ron’s life is threatened by the hiring of Veronica Corningstone. His rule over the news station could come to an end as his new co-anchor aspires to become the sole anchor.
As a woman in a male-dominated workplace — in the 1970s, no less — Veronica is often used as a foil for her sexist co-workers, and Christina Applegate’s deadpan delivery works wonders.
Brick Is The Funniest: He Takes Every Scene In A Completely Unexpected Direction
The unpredictable nature of Brick means that he can take a scene in a totally unexpected direction out of the blue, and he does just that in almost all of his scenes in the movie.
When they’re discussing the news team battle, Ron mentions that Brick killed a guy and they start discussing his options, like laying low at a safe house. It’s a wild left turn in the scene, but it works.
Alternative: Ron Burgundy
Ron Burgundy is arguably Will Ferrell’s greatest character. Ferrell’s hilariously over-the-top performance style paired perfectly with the situations in Anchorman, like his phone booth meltdown.
A spot-on satire of TV journalists from the 1970s, Ron was specifically based on Mort Crim. After seeing an interview with Crim, Ferrell decided to base a character on him.