The secret weapon of Airplane! is its performances. The film is better than lesser parodies (like Epic Movie or Disaster Movie ) because its actors—notably Robert Hays as Ted Striker, Julie Hagerty as Elaine, and especially Leslie Nielsen as Dr. Rumack—play every moment with absolute, unblinking sincerity. Nielsen, previously a dramatic actor, delivers lines like “I am serious… and don’t call me Shirley” with the solemnity of a heart surgeon. This deadpan delivery is what elevates slapstick into high art.
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