Funny People
Famous and wealthy funnyman George Simmons doesn't give much thought to how he treats people until a doctor delivers stunning health news, forcing George to reevaluate his priorities with a little help from aspiring stand-up comic Ira.
What critics thought
Apatow's most personal film landed in mixed territory: admirers found genuine emotional weight and maturity beneath the comedy, while detractors argued that its bloated runtime and self-indulgent streak smother whatever laughs and drama it generates. The central tension critics kept returning to was whether Apatow earned his ambition or simply indulged it.
“a real movie. That means carefully written dialogue and carefully placed supporting performances — and it's about something. It could have easily been a formula film...but George Simmons learns and changes during his ordeal, and we empathize.”
Roger Ebert·Chicago Sun-Times
“Apatow scores by crafting the film equivalent of a stand-up routine that encompasses the joy, pain, anger, loneliness and aching doubt that go into making an audience laugh.”
Peter Travers·Rolling Stone
“Funny People is...an attempt by Apatow to reconcile the huge success he has become with the up-and-comer he once was. The results run an increasingly exasperating 2½ hours.”
Michael Phillips·Chicago Tribune
“a smirk of faithful characters that are making a vanity movie about themselves that keeps not ending for 2 1/2 unendurable hours.”
Gene Shalit·NBC's The Today Show
Genres
Comedy, Drama
Cast & Crew
Judd ApatowDirector
Adam SandlerGeorge Simmons
Seth RogenIra Wright
Leslie MannLaura
Eric BanaClarke
Jonah HillLeo Koenig
Jason SchwartzmanMark Taylor Jackson
Aubrey PlazaDaisy Danby
RZAChuck
Aziz AnsariRandy
Maude ApatowMable
Iris ApatowIngrid
Torsten VogesDr. LarsJason SchwartzmanComposer
Michael AndrewsComposer
Janusz KamińskiCinematographyFunny People
Famous and wealthy funnyman George Simmons doesn't give much thought to how he treats people until a doctor delivers stunning health news, forcing George to reevaluate his priorities with a little help from aspiring stand-up comic Ira.
What critics thought
Apatow's most personal film landed in mixed territory: admirers found genuine emotional weight and maturity beneath the comedy, while detractors argued that its bloated runtime and self-indulgent streak smother whatever laughs and drama it generates. The central tension critics kept returning to was whether Apatow earned his ambition or simply indulged it.
“a real movie. That means carefully written dialogue and carefully placed supporting performances — and it's about something. It could have easily been a formula film...but George Simmons learns and changes during his ordeal, and we empathize.”
Roger Ebert·Chicago Sun-Times
“Apatow scores by crafting the film equivalent of a stand-up routine that encompasses the joy, pain, anger, loneliness and aching doubt that go into making an audience laugh.”
Peter Travers·Rolling Stone
“Funny People is...an attempt by Apatow to reconcile the huge success he has become with the up-and-comer he once was. The results run an increasingly exasperating 2½ hours.”
Michael Phillips·Chicago Tribune
“a smirk of faithful characters that are making a vanity movie about themselves that keeps not ending for 2 1/2 unendurable hours.”
Gene Shalit·NBC's The Today Show
Genres
Comedy, Drama
Cast & Crew
Judd ApatowDirectorAdam SandlerGeorge SimmonsSeth RogenIra WrightLeslie MannLauraEric BanaClarkeJonah HillLeo KoenigJason SchwartzmanMark Taylor JacksonAubrey PlazaDaisy DanbyRZAChuckAziz AnsariRandyMaude ApatowMableIris ApatowIngridTorsten VogesDr. LarsJason SchwartzmanComposerMichael AndrewsComposerJanusz KamińskiCinematography