It's been a difficult, polarizing year, with friends and family pitted against each other in the struggle to claim either Wedding Crashers or The 40-Year-Old Virgin as the funniest comedy of 2005. I'm happy to report that the battle is over because the funniest film is actually The Baxter, which many movie fans did not even realize was in the running. The exploits of the virgin and the anti-virgins were often bust-a-gut hilarious, but minute-for-minute, The Baxter has more laughs and works harder to deliver them, with smart set-ups and dialogue, and minus the big punch lines that indicate the funny parts and wear you down in the process. It's a tight little production, and it gets under your skin, making you stop and wonder, "Who do I thank for this?"

Michael Showalter is the tour de force who wrote, directed and stars as "the baxter," a term that refers to an ordinary nice guy who gets dumped—or goes completely unnoticed—by the woman of his dreams whenever a more interesting guy comes along. In The Baxter that nice guy is Elliot Sherman, C.P.A., who enters into a neat little courtship, followed by a tidy little engagement, and then watches in horror as the entire arrangement begins to unravel before his perpetually widened eyes. His betrothed is go-getter fashion editor Caroline (Elizabeth Banks) who appears to be a compatible match, on paper anyway, because of her Ivy League education and WASPy background, but who turns out to be a good deal more impulsive than Elliot when it comes to matters of the heart. In the midst of their wedding planning, Caroline's ex-boyfriend Bradley (Justin Theroux) reappears, and instantly begins to win Caroline back with a charm and roguishness that Elliot can barely comprehend. Like Jon Hederin Napoleon Dynamite, Showalter's Elliot doesn't lack for confidence, he just doesn't know how to handle himself in any new situation. He's smart, he likable, and he's a major-league dork.

The Baxter has a phenomenal cast, including several players best known for their dramatic roles who show off their serious comedy chops. The talented Justin Theroux, who delivered great performances in Mulholland Drive and Six Feet Under (we'll just forget about his bit in Charlie's Angels: Full Throttle for the moment) shows a real comedic range here, playing Elliot's competitor as both macho and hyper-sensitive, equally inclined toward cutting up, smirking, or spontaneously weeping. Michelle Williams, who was memorable opposite Kirsten Dunst in the Watergate comedy Dick, is perfect as Elliot's temporary secretary Cecil, a charming but also somewhat dorky type who counsels Elliot in his love life, and who, weird haircut and all, may actually be a better match. Michael Ian Black from MTV's The State plays Elliot's neighbor and friend, and steals a few scenes just by parading around in his underwear, and Paul Rudd, from The 40-Year-Old Virgin and Clueless, delivers another laid back performance as an unwitting baxter-in-training. Peter Dinklage, of The Station Agent and Elf, is hilarious as a wedding planner and professional snob.

Showalter, who also wrote the great idea/okay film Wet Hot American Summer and appeared on The Daily Show in the 1990s, has clearly taken a big step up with The Baxter, which is his baby from start to finish. So why doesn't the DVD package for The Baxter include a commentary track from this actor-writer-director? In fact, there are no commentary tracks at all on The Baxter DVD, and no making-of features or interviews, or any other window inside the mind of this comedy talent or his astounding cast. The chemistry in this film is so off-the-charts perfect, it's clear the actors had a good time making it, so even a few extra minutes on the set—a handful of the typical actor-interview segments—would have been appreciated. Instead the DVD boasts a "Blooper Reel" which features only four outtakes, each lasting no more eight seconds—and nothing more. It's a missed opportunity for Showalter and IFC Films, and a disappointment for us.

The role of the "baxter" has been handled many ways in film, and in some cases resulted in the actors' most memorable performances. For great baxter-dom that holds up beautifully today, see Peter Sellers in The Party, A Shot in the Dark, and The Pink Panther. Woody Allen ruled the baxter in the '70s with Play It Again Sam, Annie Hall, and Manhattan, (and, with less success, continues to rework that material to this day). In the 1980s, Dustin Hoffman put a new spin on the plight of the baxter with Tootsie, and Billy Crystal delivered one of the best baxters of all, and his best all-around performance, in When Harry Met Sally. More recent examples include Jon Favreau's terrific sad sack in Swingers, and Ben Stiller in There's Something About Mary and Along Came Polly.

Because any film can go wrong, even with the best script and cast, it's a real pleasure that so much goes right with The Baxter. Like the great baxters of decades past, this one will last. Make it part of your DVD library, and you'll enjoy it for years to come.