Some of you may have read about how this film is not the box office smash studios had hoped for. Disregard any ideas that may give you about this film, it is much better than you might think.
Judd Apatow, who has directed Knocked Up (which I didn’t care for) and the hilarious The 40 Year Old Virgin, is at it again in what may be his best film yet. My friend David Swindle wrote the auteur report card, which gave us great hope for the next film. That would make sense since Apatow has been attached to some of the best comedies in the last ten years.
The film actually begins with some great archive footage of Sandler and some friends making prank calls. My guess would be from the late 1980’s or early 1990’s and the material/voices sound like something that could have been on his comedy albums.
Funny People is about comedian/actor George Simmons (Adam Sandler) who is diagnosed with a rare form of leukemia and given an eight percent chance of survival. George decides to go back to his roots with standup comedy.
Ira lives with his friends Leo (Jonah Hill), who is also a local comic and Mark (Jason Schwartzman), who stars in a hilariously bad network television show. The film gives us an interesting look into the life of an aspiring comic. Many of you may have heard about the cut throat environment comics surround themselves with when starting out; we get a sense of that here.
After seeing Ira do some stand up, George calls and asks if he would write some jokes for an upcoming show.
During this time we learn a lot about George. He is rich and has everything anyone could imagine; however, his only friends are Hollywood acquaintances. He turned his back on his family and managed to cheat on his only true love. When looking back at life, George realizes even with all the things he has, he lost what is most important.
Many criticize Apatow and company for only providing us with penis and fart jokes. This is an ignorant thought, since many films and programs hide behind toilet humor while providing the viewer with much more substance. South Park comes to mind.
The relationship that builds between George and Ira is very touching. We feel as if we could put ourselves in either character’s shoes. Each of their thoughts and concerns throughout the film are worthy of our attention. Some may complain about the nearly two and a half hour run time, trust me, you won’t notice it.
Some comedies who try to combine humor with serious drama fail with me (Knocked Up, Little Miss Sunshine) because they leave us feeling awkward. However, many films hit the mark beautifully (Stranger Than Fiction, The 40 Year Old Virgin).
Funny People hits the mark perfectly. It deals with the serious material in an easily swallowed way, not leaving us too upset before they throw another joke at us. There is always something inspiring about people who can deal with a traumatic situation with humor and wit. It gives us the feeling that we don’t have to be afraid of anything; we don’t have to let anything ruin who we are.
Unfortunately for George, he is somewhat stubborn and doesn’t always learn what he is supposed to. His journey in the face of death is far from unbelievable as he doesn’t make every right move; after all, he is human like the rest of us.
You don’t have to look far past the toilet humor in order to find elements of realism. The film is about a man who struggles with a medical death sentence the best he can. If making a bunch of off color jokes gets him through the day, then by all means, go for it!
This is definitely Judd Apatow’s best directed film yet. The 40 Year Old Virgin was great, but could have been more. Knocked Up was too serious and should have been lighter. Funny People is a perfect balance. It feels honest and real. There isn’t much more one could ask for from a comedy.
Film Grade: A
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