The Case Against Sleep: Holmes & Watson
On a certain flight in 2019, I hadn’t slept for like 2 days and decided to watch “Holmes & Watson” with Will Ferrell and John C. Reilly. I probably woke up a large percentage of the flight’s passengers laughing out loud at the movie’s madcap comedic genius. I got off that flight holding the solemn belief that “Holmes & Watson” was the most fantastic comedy of the 21st century. When I got home, I proclaimed to my family that I’d just seen one of the greatest films ever. I even managed to convince my dad, who doesn’t like watching “random stuff” to sit down and watch “Holmes & Watson” with my mom and I.
Between the flight and our “TV dinner” date, I searched for the movie on Rotten Tomatoes and was appalled to see that it had a mere 10% rating. Not only that, but its critical reviews were hideous and it had won 4 Razzie awards, including worst picture. How could all of these people be so blind? They were overlooking the funniest historical comedy piece of the last 20 years! However, on some level, I knew why. It was because, despite my youth, I surely possessed one of the most advanced grasps of comedy ever. Though modern critics reviled Holmes & Watson, Chaplin, Keaton, and the comedy greats of yesteryear would surely have appreciated the film. In my mind, I stood among them, a prodigy, a renegade, bucking modern trends and establishing myself as a comedic purist. In time, I’d be understood.
The watching day arrived quickly. I excitedly sat down next to my parents. I was extremely excited by the prospect of converting two non-believers to Holmes & Watsonism. This moment of determination and foresight would forever live in the heart of any decent comedy-lover, and it would be the resounding first step on my journey to standing in the pantheon of comedy gods. Shaking in my seat from excitement, I started the movie.
A grim hour and a half later, the dust cleared. My entire perception of reality was shattered. I realized that the $4 I paid to rent the movie was far too much. I turned to my father and apologized profusely. I had just witnessed perhaps the worst comedy ever. Holmes & Watson was entirely different from how I’d once experienced it.
I still believe that the movie I watched on the plane was a masterpiece. The problem with my subsequent viewing was that I’d gotten a healthy amount of sleep. One day, when I have sufficient time on my hands, I will pull an all-nighter and watch Holmes & Watson for the third time. Sleep’s lucidity deprived my of the film’s beauty, and, once I’m freed of its looming specter, I will once again be able to appreciate the greatest comedy ever.
