A film subgenre that mainly focuses on the relationships of men and their friendships, often strained and strengthened in the face of difficult situations or certain challenges. Most often it depicts a bonding between two men, usually people who often squabble and have differences but nonetheless compliment each other nicely. Cases of three or more men is also possible, as in Husbands. The quintessential buddy film that kick-started the genres' popularity came in 1969, Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid. It contained love triangles, action, two men pitted against the world, witty banter, violence, and touches of misogyny -- all repeated staples of the formula. Despite these elements, buddy films tend to genre-bend and show up anywhere -- westerns (Dead Man, Unforgiven), urban dramas (Midnight Cowboy), crime (Mean Streets), slapstick (Wayne's World), sports comedy(White Men Can't Jump), existential road movies (Kings of the Road, My Own Private Idaho) and, most often, police action films (48 Hours, and the Lethal Weapon series). Conversely, the female buddy film is a recent trend in mainstream cinema. However, Thelma and Louise had a similar popular impact as Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid in the early ‘90s, paving the way for onscreen female friendships like Fried Green Tomatoes, Waiting to Exhale, and Walking and Talking.
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