Funny People (2009)

Director: Judd Apatow

Genre: Comedy, Drama

Summary: Famous comedian George Simmons discovers he has a deadly disease and will die an unhappy man, despite being surrounded by funny people. He enlists an assistant, aspiring comedian Ira Wright, to turn his life around before he passes on.

Impressions: I loved Adam Sandler’s movies when I was a kid. I used to be able to recite all of Happy Gilmore’s best lines from memory. That was the sort of humor I grew up with, but Adam Sandler has matured, as a comedian, writer and producer. I respect that.

I feel like there’s a very deep lining to this film, about how life isn’t a storybook and how even the best intentions can have devastating consequences. I came into this film knowing it wasn’t really a comedy but a drama about a comedian, yet was surprised at the vast number of bad jokes. How many dick jokes can you fit into a movie?

That’s my biggest complaint, the dick jokes. They keep coming and coming with no point, and the worst thing is 90% suck. Actually, most of the jokes were pretty bad, to the point that every time a character would say “you had some good stuff out there” I would roll my eyes. I don’t know if the atmosphere of a movie dealing in death killed the mood or what, but I only genuinely laughed a handful of times during the seemingly endless 2 and 1/2 hours of the movie.

I really liked the characters. Deeply flawed, both Ira and George mature as characters and have reached new places by the end of the film. Ira’s attempts to help George go awry despite every cheesy movie telling us that it should turn out perfectly. This stark contrast to the typical tropes of feature films was a welcomed treat.

However, the bad jokes, the dick jokes, the length and the atmosphere all contributed to a movie I really can’t see myself watching again. I’d say watch it once and then put it behind you, or tell me what I’m not seeing when I watch it.

2 out of 5