Based off Aristotle's idea of a comedy, I believe Sydney Pollack's 1982 movie Tootsie fits the definition. Since my family does not have Netflix, I am usually stuck watching older movies on random channels (think channels 852-944). But, I was pleasantly surprised by this movie.
In this comedy, the comedic hero is Micheal Dorsey (Dustin Hoffman) who is struggling to make it in the New York acting biz. Micheal is a very hardworking, respected guy; but his only drawback is that he is a perfectionist, thus making him a little difficult to work with. In the movie, in order to find work, he dresses up as an older woman, calling himself Dorothy and auditions for a role as a female hospital administrator for the soap opera Southwest General.
In the movie, Micheal ends up getting the job as a woman. I don't really want to go into the details of the movie because I don't want to give the plot away. But, he ends up falling in love with one of his co-workers while he is being a woman.
I believe Tootsie fits the definition of an Aristotelian comedy because Micheal, despite his imperfect character is a very charming, likable hero. And, he isn't a rich guy either. He is simply an average guy trying to make it in the show biz, just like the other millions who are doing the same. Also, the movie is filled with many ordinary characters such as Micheal's friend who is a struggling actress as well and his roommate.
And, the movie also has a heavy emphasis on gender roles. Because Micheal is a acts like a woman for most of the movie, he is able to experience life as a woman. I believe the movie does an amazing job of showing viewers the differences between the lives of women and men, as well as their remarkable similarities despite those differences.
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