Knock, knock. Who’s there? Why did the chicken cross the road? To get to the other side. You might be a redneck if… And what’s the deal with airline peanuts anyway? I mean, I can never even get the bag open. Who are they trying to keep out of those things?
Okay, so I’m not a funny person, but Adam Sandler sure is one. Mix him, Seth Rogen, Jonah Hill, and Jason Schwartzman with comedy director Judd Apatow and you don’t just have a funny person anymore, but you have the movie Funny People. Though I must tell you now that if you’re looking for a simple, typical Judd Apatow vulgar, yet heart-warming comedy like Knocked Up or The 40 Year Old Virgin, then this movie may not be the film for you. It’s a dry ‘dramedy’ that while funny is full of deep meaning and complex human interaction that only truly comes to light as a treasure once the film has been contemplated for some time.
The film begins with Adam Sandler’s character, a standup-gone-mainstream comedian named George Simmons, in what seems like a normal day for him. However, it is soon discovered via a pivotal doctor’s appointment that this is not a normal day for George, but one he will remember for the rest of his life. It is the day George finds out he’s going to die. Now we cue a midlife crisis as George, shocked by the news of his impending death, begins to relive his past through old videos and photographs. It is in this mindset that George then decides to return to his standup comedy roots one last time, where he meets Ira Wright.
Ira, played by Seth Rogen, is a not quite funny wannabe comedian compared to the likes of George Simmons and yet there is something that draws the older comedian to the younger one. The two become friends as Ira becomes George’s personal assistant, confidante, and protégé. Their relationship begins on a positive note, but quickly turns into a tumultuous one as George battles his condition as well as the things he feels he needs to do in order to get his life back on what he feels is the right track.
By description, this movie sounds pretty cliché and I’m not sure I can deny the fact that it might be. My original thoughts on it could only be summed up by the phrase ‘meh’, but as I thought about the movie I realized just how important the lessons learned in this film are to everyday life. It’s important to think ahead about your actions and their possible repercussions. It’s also important to live your days the way you want to, but without regret because each action is yours and you made the decision to do it or not. It’s even important to be close to others and not burn bridges with those you truly care the most about. You never know when you really might want that person’s company.
All in all, I can still only say that this movie was ‘meh’. The acting was okay, but not the best I’ve seen. Adam Sandler did a pretty okay job and I did laugh with him at times, but my favorite actors of the film had to be Seth Rogen, Jonah Hill, and Jason Schwartzman. Their comedic chemistry and fun, witty characters made me look forward to seeing them in the scenes they were in and even helped me develop a small schoolgirl crush on each of them for very different reasons. Two other actors that really radiated in the film were Judd Apatow and Leslie Mann’s daughters, Maude and Iris. They were adorable and obvious future heartbreakers. As for Judd Apatow himself, I think this movie was a ‘swing and a miss’, but I wish him the best of luck in his future endeavors. He has already proven himself as a writer in Pineapple Express and a director in both Knocked Up and The 40 Year Old Virgin, so I am confident he can do better next time. I really hope he does because obviously the man does know funny, even if this film wasn’t the most hilarious one in the world.
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Published review can be found here.
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