Funny People: Once Again, We Learn that Sometimes Clowns Cry
Judd Apatow's new movie, Funny People, is more ambitious and less successful than his previous films, the easy-to-digest and massively popular romantic comedies The 40 Year Old Virgin and Knocked Up. Funny People is a sort of message movie, a take on the classic story about a dying man trying to get his life right, told from stand-up comedy's backstage.
Adam Sandler stars as George Simmons, a comedian much like Sandler himself -- a famous guy who's been in a bunch of crappy movies -- and the film uses Sandler's life and career as a stand-in for Simmons' own. It opens with vintage camcorder footage of a young Sandler making prank calls, and later footage of a young Sandler working his way up the stand-up circuit, telling inchoate jokes and getting by on sheer charisma. As with all his serious movies, Sandler plays a restrained, tight-lipped version of himself, sublimating his usual aggression to project regret. He's not a great actor, but all he has to do is play himself as if he were about to die, and he does a pretty good job.
Seth Rogen plays Ira Wright (born Ira Wiener, an inevitable showbiz Jewish name change), a slightly talented up-and-comer on the stand-up circuit who happens to meet Simmons and becomes his assistant and co-writer. Simmons holds him somewhere between compliment and contempt, and the audience, seeing him tell a few of his barely decent jokes without much success, feels about the same. Rogen allows himself to be less funny than in any other movie he's ever starred in, and is generous in letting Sandler upstage him.
Movies about artists are an ever-popular genre, from Shakespeare in Love to Dreamgirls, Basquiat to Pollack. But movies about comedians are fewer and less popular. I can think of two reasons. Comedians are neurotic and narcissistic not just by personality but by profession, and the warts-and-all approach leaves little to sympathize with. Moreover, while a movie about a great writer who was a difficult person can pay off by showing the wonderful novel that resulted, the greatest thing a comedian can create is a joke. In Judd Apatow movies, that joke will almost always involve a dick. And no one cares about the blood and sweat that goes into refining a dick joke.
Still, there have been some good ones, and Funny People is one of them. Billy Crystal's lovely Mr. Saturday Night, about an almost-star of the Milton Berle era with a tendency towards self-destruction, accurately depicts the use of jokes as a defense mechanism, so that hilarity comes out as hostility, a substitute for genuine emotional expression. Comedian, the documentary that showed Jerry Seinfeld getting back on the road to try to rebuild his stand-up career, gets right the tremendous disparity in the clubs between those who have it -- like Seinfeld -- and those who don't, like Orny Adams, the hapless comedian the film holds up as Jerry's foil. Sandler and Rogen in Funny People share the same dynamic.
And, perhaps, the most notorious was The Aristocrats, a documentary which featured over a hundred comedians telling versions of a classic blue joke, the bluest joke one could ever tell, with a bare vaudeville framework -- a family act in a talent agent's office -- and unlimited improvisational license to go to the darkest reaches of the human imagination for shock laughter. The movie itself is uneven, only as strong as the cast member onscreen at the time, but through the telling it reveals the lonely possibilities and limitations of the comic process. On a DVD extra, Kevin Pollak tells a version of the joke while doing a dead-on impression of Albert Brooks, and then says, regretfully, "The trippy thing about doing Brooks, though, is that I'm faster and funnier than I am as myself. It's very, very sad... Literally, I'm listening to myself and thinking, why am I never this funny?"
Apatow's mistake in Funny People is going straight for the heartstrings by opening with death. As always, his heart's in the right place, but just as inevitably, the movie runs long and the emotional resolution feels forced -- just like it did in Judd's last two movies. And it's unnecessary. Even without imminent death, comedians have plenty to worry about: they know they're not masters of their own inspiration, and they constantly fear a silent audience, a blank mind, and the disappearance of everything that ever made anyone think they were funny. Comedians will always feel inadequate to the joke and helpless to the fate that brings them a laugh one minute and deserts them the next. Or goes to the next guy. As Crystal says in Mr. Saturday Night: "I wanted it so bad, to be the guy who, when he walked into the Friars [Club], everybody turns around, and they say, 'Why him, that lucky bastard? I'm funnier than him.' I wanted to be that guy."
Or, as Kevin Pollak asked himself while hearing himself improvise: "Why am I never this funny?"
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Dougster WRONG Billy Crystal's Mr. Saturday Night was hardly universally panned...In fact it received many awards [look it up]..and was regarded as the comedian's Raging Bull [which also did not do huge B.O.] Crystal's film dealt with difficult but real issues that Apatow attempted to explore but Judd got lost where Mr. Saturday Night landed right on target.Do yourself a favor and watch it again ...It's an amazing film!!
Everybody is forgetting the Greatest Comedian of ALL:
Rupert Pupkin
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0085794/
i know! I was thinking of him, what's the name of the actual flick, King of Comedy right? Good one!
It's a pretty good movie, just saw it. I put it with Harry Potter 6 in terms of this summer's flicks (that I've seen). Public Enemies is the best film I've seen since Valkyrie in December.
This flick reminds me somewhat of "Punchline" with Tom Hanks and Sally Field, I'm surprised no reviewer/critic has mentioned it at all. Presents the hard work/sometimes unfunny life of trying to be a comedian, with Hanks "mentoring" to some degree Field. Dated, but not bad. Both characters are unlikable at times, as in this movie - almost everyone here is unlikable.
Seth Rogen is the best part of Funny People, and the above assessment of Sandler - "He's not a great actor, but all he has to do is play himself as if he were about to die, and he does a pretty good job" - is right on for this film. All actors are good in it.
Leslie Mann is wasted, as she is so hilarious in every other role and has nothing of interest to play here. Eric Bana is a nut-job, very funny mostly since we usually see him so serious and all.
I've never gone to an Adam Sandler movie and never will - this is an Apatow/Rogen movie, in my mind, and has a fair bit to offer. If you like films for the varied things they can give us (not just the one-note) you will like this one.
This generation has been weaned on Adam Sandler as "funny," because they don't know any better. Adam Sandler (successfully) marketed schmaltz as humor, and taught a less-literate generation that's it's ok if comedy isn't clever, or really funny, so long as it is "cute."
In "Funny People," Sandler now attempts to market schmaltz as serious, heart-rending sentiment (as Billy Crystal attempted to do in the universally panned Mr. Saturday Night). Schmaltz doesn't go over as well as serious sentiment, and dick jokes don't make Apatow into Mike Nichols.
Ultimately, a thinking person asked to care about these characters has to ask "why?" If these "comics" are basically in love with themselves, and not really funny, then the joke is on the audience (and the director).
Sorry Dougster you are wrong, re Mr. Saturday Night..... Hardly universally panned it won many awards and like the movie it is most compared to i.e. Raging Bull, it did not do huge box office because it hit on so many real ,difficult issues.I suggest you and Mr. Apatow see it for a real understanding of the comic's life!
the mistake of the movie was not the death..it was the fake, ridiculous, unncessary love triangle with Leslie Mann. as soon as that story started the movie became unbearable. Maybe leslie mann shouldnt be in every single comedy made. Maybe the writing could have been better. Maybe Seth Rogen should not have been in this movie. His character is so whiny and boring and unfunny. But then so again is every other character in the movie. The only thing redeemable about the movie is that It really makes LA look like a horrible place to be and all actors seem like terrible, self obsessed people. Is that funny? i think its just pathetic. Reviews like this one written by Remington continue to deceive people that its a good, deep movie. ITS NOT!
"the mistake of the movie was not the death..it was the fake, ridiculous, unncessary love triangle with Leslie Mann."
At least his kids are kinda funny and cute. Her role was so ridiculous and pointless, it seemed entirely forced, to me at least. It ended up just looking like a way to get her a role in the film. As for the rest of your post, I disagree. Rogen played the part well, though I'd advise he seriously start expanding his work beyond the tired, selfish, confused wanna-be-nice guy, or he's going to flame out quickly. Bana was hilarious, and the cameos were good (Eminem, where'd that come from?!? lol). Sandler actually gave a great performance, one of the better roles I've seen him in. And there were some good punchlines and jokes throughout (the scene with the "accented" doctor was probably my favorite), and the drama didn't get too melodramatic.
I think people went into this movie expecting something totally different from what the movie was. Maybe that was the fault of misleading advertising, maybe the title wasn't exactly the best for this film lol. I still thought the movie was decent, I'd give it a solid B-.
First of all if pdxsean doesn't want to discover what many consider to be a great comedian, because he is offended by people reacting with hostility and anger towards Alex Reemington's ridiculous assessment of the "Comedian" Film then fine... you can go through life stuck with the mundane, or you can dig a little deeper and find gold and diamonds. I gave Orny's comedy a try and i'm super glad i did.
The thing is although established (and i must point out i'm a big fan of Jerry), I think actually comes of worse in the film. Jerry is trying out new material, forgetting lines, struggling with heckles, Orny on the other hand has his jokes catalogued like i couldn't believe, he has extreme self belief - but rightly so, i laughed a lot more at Orny's stand-up routines, than i did Jerry's. Jerry himself even states he is a BIG fan of Orny hence his inclusion on the DVD.
My point is, i bought the comedian Film as a fan of Jerry and his work, but by the time the movie finished i was a fan of Orny too.
Orny Adams is far from being a "hapless comedian" or "Jerry's foil" i'm sorry but i think this is highly offensive to Orny and the hard work and talent he puts into every single bit.
Mr Remington, please stop and think before you resort to lazy journalism in the future.
1. Seinfeld finds Orny Adams funny
2. I find Orny even funnier than Seinfeld
3. Those 'who don't' /'hapless' is a part of Orny's Schtick, so it doesn't really work in this article because in our reality it's used as a comedic metaphor rather than literal, but in this article it is written as if literal. So Alex, I think you may have not done your homework as thoroughly as you should have...... sooooooo..........
4. Expect a few contrary posts. Orny's got a bit of a cult following. What "The Rocky Horror Picture Show" was to Musicals and Horror, Orny is to the comedy world. Unique, defines his own catagory short of no other, defies the norm, and KNOWS that the intelligent among us will get 'it'.
We do.
Best Regards
Bunny Dunn
Am I the only person who finds Judd Apatow unbearably arrogant? The trailers for "Funny People" describe it as "The third film from Judd Apatow, the director of 'The 40 Year Old Virgin' and Knocked Up' as if that's something hugely significant.. Hardly. Virgin may have some charm but Knocked Up is what it is and aims pretty damn low—loveable losers who've never grown up and a girl (or two) who may find them interesting. But let’s face it—Animal House, it ain’t.
I mean, I can't imagine Joel Coen would have been so presumptuous, so self-obssessed as to promote "Miller's Crossing" as the third film from the director of "Blood Simple" and "Raising Arizona". Yet those films were outstanding and would certainly permit a little self-congratulation.
Apatow needs to back off a little, shift gears and realize that his "crew" (Rogen, Hill Goldberg, etc.) and formula (loveable losers telling p**is jokes) wears thin... quickly.
See Alex Remington's Profile
I have no idea how this movie was specifically marketed, but, generally speaking, directors don't handle their own promotion. That's done by the studios. The chances that Apatow wrote the promotional copy for the movie's advertising campaign are incredibly small.
From the trailers and promotion, as well as reading a little about it, you could tell it was not a slap-bang all-out low-brow comedy, but something different. If one couldn't tell that, one wasn't paying attention. At all. To me, it's basically an Indie film with known stars. Worth seeing, I liked it.
by the way, Orny is in the movie "Funny People." So, atleast Judd Apatow, purveyor of what is funny in America doesn't consider him to be so hapless. In "Comedian", his "I work on Wall Street" line whule holding the stool to his ear as a cell phone was the best bit in the entire movie. And hell Yes, I will defend Orny shamelessly, because for him to do what he did against the inevitable powerhouse of Jerry Seinfeld's foil was tremendous and an incredible learning experience for all comedians coming after him.
Orny Adams in the great documentary "Comedian" was not a hapless comedian. He was chosen as Jerry's foil because he was the best standup of the bunch on the NYC circuit at the time. We saw his rise through the ranks of getting invited to the Montreal Festival , getting an agent, and getting his 1st Letterman appearance. Trust me, hapless comedians don't make it on Letterman & Leno. Also, a little advice, try more than 1 viewing before being so critical.
This movie was way too long! I enjoyed half and the other half was wondering when is this thing going to end...
First off, I think it's hilarious (and a little sad) that this has quickly become the "defend Orny Adams!" page. I don't think it's any fault of Alex Remington that "Comedian" depicts Orny in a bad light. Should Alex have not related "Funny People" to one of the few similar movies? Should he not provide context? If "Comedian" incorrectly presents Orny as hapless and unable-to-make-it, then perhaps the Orny fans should complain there.
I've never heard of Orny Adams, but I am not keen on checking him out now.
That being said - thank you for the review Alex. I've been on the fence about seeing "Funny People" but your analysis makes it sound a lot more appealing. I enjoy stand-up comedy and sort of "behind the scenes" type movies, so knowing that this is a theme makes it more likely they will get my dollars. Well thought out; it's a shame one irrelevant line is overshadowing the real point.
The "real" point, PDX, is not only defending Orny Adams (a comedian much respected in the industry, by the way, as evidenced by his inclusion in this movie), but in defending any individual randomly attacked on the internet without a basis to do so AND holding the attacker accountable for his uninformed drive-by insults. Three points come to mind when reading this review and reflecting on this writer's "one irrelevant line": 1)Whatever happened to accuracy in journalism? 2)If the line was irrelevant, why was it included? 3)Most importantly, at the end of an "irrelevant line," in this case a targeted barb, there is always a real person to whom the line IS relevant. He should have the right to break your middle finger when you flip him off, and you should be aware of that.
Also, really if you do enjoy stand up comedy, do yourself a big favor,PDX, and check Orny out sometime. Contrary to what this writer says, he does "have it".
Geez, I expect this left wing raggy excuse for an online newspaper to be incredibly off on their political ideologies, but you would think their wanna be writers could show some sense when it comes to the creative arts....
I agree with Orny Adams...Show some guts and come out from behind the "way to bright" light of your Best Buy PC and try even for ONE MINUTE to survive a comedy stage where you cannot get away with lies, as you do within the confines of the Huffy puffy post..., no, the audience will either immmediately show their appreciate or not....
And as for your "mis" take on Comedian Orny Adams...
....After 15 years of Comedy and seeing everything under the sun, I will never forget when I worked with Orny at the Ice House...I still brag on how he was not only a rock sold powerhouse from the first second he hit the stage until his last joke, but how incredibly gracious, down to earth, and humble he was backstage....I often tell other comics how, unlike so many famous or somewhat famous comics who cant wait to flaunt themselves after a show, or go "find a party"....Orny went straight to the "work room" and analiyzed which new jokes needed adjusting, which ones were solid etc...
I have met and worked with TONS of comics on every coast...Since working with Orny Adams, he will always be on my top ten...
.
"Moreover, while a movie about a great writer who was a difficult person can pay off by showing the wonderful novel that resulted, the greatest thing a comedian can create is a joke."
If you really think the greatest thing a comedian can create is a joke, then I suppose it's also fair to say the greatest thing a critic can create is fair criticism. I'm sorry you were unable to achieve this in your review. You were able to give us great examples of overgeneralizing stereotypes of comedians, though, so thanks for the lesson in how to discriminate.
But I did get a laugh out of reading your article and the comments, which is ironic, what with your unfair criticism of comedians in general, and Orny Adams, specifically. The one reply that said your review was accurate also looks forward to sending you op-ed pieces. Awesome.
Hey Alex, have you ever done stand up comedy? Have you ever seen me do an hour? Do that then comment. I invite you to try it. I invite you to one of my shows. I invite you to have a beer in my garden. And I invite you to have the courage to get on the other side of opinion.
Trying to rebut a poor review is never dignified.
especially when that review is accurate.
keep up the fine work, alex. i look forward to submitting more of my op-ed pieces to you over at WaPo.
See Alex Remington's Profile
Orny, I haven't seen you live. From what I could tell of the movie "Comedian," it may have done you a disservice. The movie portrayed you as being unfunny. That may have been unfair. I'm afraid don't have any personal experience of you.
Clowns cry? We can only hope. Clowns are CREEPY, albeit not nearly as annoying as mimes.
You once wrote "Well, here's an open secret: I'm an aspiring comedian." It seems that since you have not achieved that goal, you should veer away from criticizing those that have.
??
I have no idea who you think I am, but you're incorrect. I've never written anything of the sort.
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