Funny People (2009)

User Rating:

8.0/10   

Director:

Judd Apatow

Writer (WGA):

Judd Apatow (written by)

Release Date:

31 July 2009 (USA)

Genre:

Comedy | Drama

Plot:

When seasoned comedian George Simmons learns of his terminal, inoperable health condition, his desire to form a genuine friendship cause him to take a relatively green performer under his wing as his opening act.

Cast

Seth Rogen	...	Ira Wright
Adam Sandler	...	George Simmons
Leslie Mann	...	Laura
Ken Jeong	...	Davey's Dad
Eric Bana	...	Clarke
Jonah Hill	...	Leo
Jason Schwartzman	...	Mark Taylor Jackson
Sarah Silverman	...	Herself
Andy Dick	...	Himself
RZA	...	Chuck
Jason Sandler	...	Medical Tower Pedestrian #1
Maude Apatow	...	Mable
Norm MacDonald	...	Himself
Iris Apatow	...	Ingrid
Aubrey Plaza	...	Daisy
Suzy Nakamura	...	Davey's Mom
Aziz Ansari	...	Randy
Torsten Voges	...	Dr. Lars
Dave Attell	...	Himself
Maria Bamford	...	Herself
Bo Burnham
Steve Bannos	...	Deli Manager
Ezra 'Buddha' Masters	...	Security Guard 1
Brad Grunberg	...	Heckler
George Coe	...	George's Dad
Elaine Kao	...	Asian Mom
Davon McDonald	...	Steve
Nydia McFadden	...	Mandy
Susan Krebs	...	Mildred
Ca'Shawn Sims	...	Herself - Yo Teach Cast Member #6
Samantha Quan	...	Sam
Jane Le	...	Jane
Calvin Sykes	...	Calvin
Rick Shapiro	...	Himself
Mandi Kreisher	...	Yo Teach Cast Member #7
Nicol Paone	...	Lisa
Nicole Mandich	...	Female Audience #1
Sammy Jack	...	George's Nephew
Nick Dash	...	Himself
Laivan Greene	...	Yo Teach Cast Member #2
Brian Lally	...	Comedy Club Heckler
Arshad Aslam	...	Arshad
Eleanor Zee	...	George's Mom
Harris Wittels	...	Improv Comic #2
Americus Abesamis	...	Hot Dog Eating Contestant (uncredited)
Anita Argent	...	Airport traveler (uncredited)
John Bailey	...	Comedy Club Goer (uncredited)
Leonard Baligaya	...	Traveler (uncredited)
Michael Patrick Breen	...	Comedy Club Goer (uncredited)
Jason Canning	...	Comedy Club Goer (uncredited)
Jack Chevanty	...	Laugh Factory Patron (uncredited)
John Clerkin	...	Airport traveler (uncredited)
Kelen Coleman	...	Young Woman (uncredited)
Zachary Culbertson	...	Boyfriend Of A Tall Blonde At The Airport (uncredited)
Todd Curran	...	Man with car (uncredited)
Lucas Dick	...	College Student (uncredited)
Adrian Emmanuel	...	Police Officer #1 (uncredited)
Kira D. Foltz	...	Orpheum Theatre Goer (uncredited)
Patrick Ford	...	Comedy Club Goer (uncredited)
Alex Fullenkamp	...	Orpheum Theatre Goer (uncredited)
Natalie Gray	...	Comedy Club goer (uncredited)
Elizabeth Hirsch-Tauber	...	Coffee Girl (uncredited)
David Hodges	...	Sky Cap (uncredited)
Stacie Hovland	...	Airport Traveler (uncredited)
Heather Kirkland Howe	...	Comedy Club Blonde (uncredited)
Stephen Bradley Jones	...	Security Guard #1 (uncredited)
Mohammad Kavianpour	...	Paparazzi (uncredited)
Katie A. Keane	...	Deli Customer (uncredited)
Rajiv Khilnani	...	Store Employee (uncredited)
Diana M. Kim	...	Comedy Club Goer (uncredited)
Lee Kuhn	...	Traveler (uncredited)
Matt Landry	...	Comedy Club Goer (uncredited)
Tyler Langdon	...	MySpace Employee (uncredited)
Cameron Lee	...	First Class Passenger (uncredited)
Joanie Marx	...	Deli Customer (uncredited)
Jasmine McAtee	...	Comedy Club Goer (uncredited)
Andrew Mew	...	Traveler (uncredited)
Danton Mew	...	Traveler (uncredited)
Windell Middlebrooks	...	Funeral Director (uncredited)
Stuart G Murphy	...	Comedy Club Goer (uncredited)
Joe Nunez	...	Attendant (uncredited)
Lizzie Partridge	...	Comedy Club Goer (uncredited)
Tom Portanova	...	Comedy club goer (uncredited)
Jeff Redlick	...	Airport traveler (uncredited)
Matt Reis	...	Orpheum Theatre Goer (uncredited)
Elizabeth Reynolds	...	Comedy Club Goer (uncredited)
Norma Jean Riddick	...	Comedy Club Goer (uncredited)
Tony Ritter	...	Comedy Club Goer (uncredited)
Timothy Roberts	...	Security Guard (uncredited)
Heidi Shepherd	...	Hot Dog Counter (uncredited)
Sienna Sky	...	MySpace Employee (uncredited)
Katie Soo	...	Traveler (uncredited)
Jaime Soria	...	Comedy Club Goer (uncredited)
Tyler Spindel	...	College Student (uncredited)
Christopher Sugarman	...	Traveler (uncredited)
Alexi Torres	...	Traveler (uncredited)
Patrick Weil	...	Comedy club goer (uncredited)
Jonathan Winnicki	...	Comedy Club Goer (uncredited)
Nathan Wright	...	Myspace Employee (uncredited)

Directed by
Judd Apatow

Writing credits (WGA)
Judd Apatow		(written by)

Produced by
Judd Apatow	....	producer
Andrew J. Cohen	....	co-producer
Norman Durance	....	second assistant producer
Jack Giarraputo	....	executive producer
Evan Goldberg	....	executive producer
Barry Mendel	....	producer
Brendan O'Brien	....	co-producer
Seth Rogen	....	executive producer
Clayton Townsend	....	producer
Lisa Yadavaia	....	associate producer

Original Music by
Jason Schwartzman

Cinematography by
Janusz Kaminski

Film Editing by
Craig Alpert
Brent White

Casting by
Allison Jones

Production Design by
Jefferson Sage

Art Direction by
James F. Truesdale

Set Decoration by
Leslie A. Pope

Costume Design by
Betsy Heimann
Nancy Steiner

Makeup Department
David Abbott	....	additional makeup artist
Kimberly Greene	....	makeup department head
Vickie Mynes	....	key hair dresser
Ann Pala	....	hair & makeup
Gary J. Perticone	....	additional hair stylist
Erin Wooldridge	....	key makeup artist
Melissa A. Yonkey	....	hair department head

Production Management
Barrett J. Leigh	....	production supervisor
Lisa Rodgers	....	post-production supervisor

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Keri Bruno	....	second second assistant director
Imhotep Coleman	....	dga trainee
Grace Liu	....	additional second assistant director
Joe May	....	additional second assistant director: day player
Matt Rebenkoff	....	first assistant director
Mark Trapenberg	....	second assistant director

Art Department
Jesse J. Adams	....	graphics
Russell R. Anderson	....	leadman
Antonio Andraus	....	set dresser
Amanda Bromberg	....	set decorating coordinator
Tony Castagnola	....	greens foreman
Liz Chiz	....	set decoration buyer
David B. Clark	....	paint foreman
Brad Curry	....	drapery foreman
Dave DeGaetano	....	construction coordinator
Justin Elterman	....	graphic designer
J. Michael Glynn	....	assistant property master
Bill 'Kauhane' Hoyt	....	stand-by painter
Ari Jacobs	....	art department coordinator
Sean Mannion	....	property master
Edward V. Pannozzo	....	contruction estimator
Edward J. Protiva	....	set dresser
Steven Samanen	....	additional graphic designer
Bert Smith	....	assistant property master
Paul Sonski	....	set designer
Hans Soto	....	stand-by greens
Jen Stirling	....	art department assistant
Samuel J. Tell	....	set decoration buyer
Phillip Thoman	....	set dresser
Marcel Worch	....	propmaker gang boss

Sound Department
Anne Couk	....	assistant ADR editor
Jenna Dalla Riva	....	foley recording assistant
Tammy Fearing	....	adr supervisor
Shawn Harper	....	sound utility
Larry Kemp	....	sound editor
Scott Millan	....	sound re-recording mixer
John Pritchett	....	sound mixer
David M. Roberts	....	boom operator
Joe Schiff	....	foley editor
Greg Steele	....	adr mixer
Drew Webster	....	digital sound mix technician
Don White	....	foley recording mixer

Special Effects by
Donald Frazee	....	special effects coordinator

Visual Effects by
Shaina Holmes	....	digital artist supervisor
Dan Levitan	....	senior compositor

Stunts
Paul Eliopoulos	....	stunt double: Adam Sandler
Gary Hymes	....	stunt coordinator
Paul Lacovara	....	stunt double: Eric Bana
Steve Rizzo	....	stunt double: Seth Rogen

Camera and Electrical Department
Michael D. Alvarez	....	additional second assistant camera
Tracy Bennett	....	still photographer
George Billinger III	....	Steadicam operator
George Billinger III	....	camera operator: "b" camera
Jeff Billings	....	camera production assistant
Marek Bojsza	....	lighting technician
Jason Cox	....	set videographer
Carlos DePalma	....	rigging grip foreman
Sean Devine	....	dolly grip: "b" camera
Scott Dropkin	....	Remote Camera Technician: Sparrow Head
Mitch Dubin	....	camera operator: "a" camera
Keith Dunkerley	....	additional camera operator
Kevin Fahey	....	rigging grip best boy
Charley Gilleran	....	rigging key grip
Peter Graf	....	stab-c technician
Seth Greenwald	....	grip
Quinn Grove	....	rigging grip
Jay M. Huntoon	....	video engineer
Peter Hutchison	....	camera operator
Robert Ikeda	....	grip
Loren Johnson	....	lighting technician
Nicholas Kaat	....	lighting technician
John Mang	....	dolly grip
Dan McMahon	....	lighting technician
Josh Medak	....	additional camera operator
Earl Perque	....	best boy grip
Mynor Priesing	....	grip
Thoma Reavis	....	electrician
Larry J. Richardson	....	assistant chief lighting technician
Jared Rosen	....	lead video engineer
Mariana Sánchez de Antuñano	....	first assistant camera
Abel Soto	....	grip
Robert Sterry	....	video assist assistant
Joshua D. Thatcher	....	additional moving light programmer
David Tolsky	....	additional camera operator
Mike Visencio	....	lighting technician

Casting Department
Claire Benjamin	....	extras casting
Elizabeth Dionne	....	casting manager (as Elizabeth Dean)

Costume and Wardrobe Department
Leslie Brown	....	costumer: Adam Sandler
Mairi Chisholm	....	costumer
Nicola Clegg	....	costume buyer
Joe Diaz	....	costumer
Lori Harris	....	set costumer
Stacy Horn	....	costume supervisor
Damien Quinn	....	set costumer
Carol Quiroz	....	key costumer
Ivana Savic	....	costume assistant

Editorial Department
James Carretta	....	apprentice editor (as Jim Carretta)
Annie Johnson	....	digital intermediate producer
Ray Neapolitan	....	assistant editor
Colin Patton	....	first assistant editor

Music Department
Jonathan Karp	....	music editor
Jonathan Karp	....	music supervisor

Transportation Department
Ryan Allen	....	transportation
Vaughn Bladen	....	driver
Mark Brown	....	driver: production van
Denny Caira	....	transportation coordinator
Karen K. Chang	....	transportation dispatcher

Other crew
Jesse J. Adams	....	researcher
Kimberly Aguirre	....	payroll accountant
Natalie Alexander	....	voices
Solomon Alexander	....	stand-in: Jonah Hill (as Alex Katzeff)
David Arp	....	production assistant
Nicole Basile	....	payroll clerk
Ericka Bryce	....	production medic
Selena Carrillo	....	production coordinator
Alexandre Chen	....	adr loop group
Deborah Chung	....	production assistant
Christopher Ciketic	....	assistant accountant
Greg Cohen	....	assistant: Mr. Apatow
Brandon Cournoyer	....	production assistant
Brian Crimmins	....	set production assistant
Marty Elfalan	....	first assistant accountant
Kate Galbraith	....	assistant production coordinator
Gregory D. Hemstreet	....	production accountant
Callie Hersheway	....	production secretary
Albertina Kelley	....	second assistant accountant
Alex Kivlen	....	key assistant location manager
Jason Kumalo	....	key production assistant
Jason Kumalo	....	key set production assistant
Paul Kwo	....	adr voice group
Jun C. Lin	....	key assistant location manager
Larry Madrid	....	dog trainer
Genevieve McCarty	....	production assistant
Naomi Motohashi	....	key assistant location manager
Tony Oberstar	....	production assistant
Daniel A. Parker	....	assistant production coordinator
Stacy Parker	....	travel coordinator
Harley Pasternak	....	fitness trainer
Cindy Pinzon	....	production assistant
Anne Rapp	....	script supervisor
Bobby Ravanshenas	....	assistant to cast
Tammy Sandler	....	unit publicist
Jim Small	....	assistant location manager
Big Spence	....	stand-in: Davon McDonald
Tabitha Spencer	....	accounting clerk
Gregg Spiegelman	....	set medic
Aya Tanimura	....	assistant: clayton townsend
Boyd Wilson	....	key location manager
Santiago Yniguez	....	sparrow head technician

Production Companies

• Universal Pictures
• Columbia Pictures
• Relativity Media (in association with)
• Apatow Productions
• Madison 23
• Happy Madison Productions (as Mr. Madison Productions)

Distributors

• Universal Studios (2009) (worldwide) (all media)
• United International Pictures (UIP) (2009) (Argentina) (theatrical)
• United International Pictures (UIP) (2009) (Singapore) (theatrical)
• Universal Pictures International (UPI) (2009) (Netherlands) (theatrical)
• Universal Pictures (2009) (USA) (theatrical)

Special Effects

• Hammerhead Productions (visual effects)
• Lund Background Pictures (translite backgrounds)

Other Companies

• Beau Bonneau Casting  extras casting: San Francisco
• Chapman/Leonard Studio Equipment  camera dollies
• Concord Records  soundtrack
• Film Art  artwork
• Movie Movers  star trailers
• Rockbottom Rentals  cell phone rentals
• Rockbottom Rentals  junxion box rentals
• Rockbottom Rentals  nextel cell phone rentals
• Star Waggons  cast trailers
• Star Waggons  star trailers
• Star Waggons  studio pumping

Also Known As:

Untitled Judd Apatow/Adam Sandler Project (USA) (working title)

MPAA:

Rated R for language and crude sexual humor throughout, and some sexuality.

Runtime:

140 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

DTS | Dolby Digital | SDDS

Certification:

USA:R (certificate #45381)

Filming Locations:

Los Angeles, California, USA

Company:

Universal Pictures

Trivia:

Leslie Mann plays mother to her real-life daughters (with director Judd Apatow) Maude Apatow and Iris Apatow, just as she did in Knocked Up (2007).

Quotes:

Mark: When my grandfather died, there was one candle next to his bed. And the candle started flickering. We all thought it was him going to Heaven, you know?
Leo: You don't pass through fire to get to Heaven. I think he went to Hell.

Movie Connections:

Featured in Spike's Guys Choice (2009) (TV)

"Funny People" not great, but fascinating and complex

I need to get my biggest criticism for "Funny People" out of the way here at the beginning: it is not the movie the marketing campaign would lead you to believe it is. While it is true of the ads that this film is more than just a comedy and that it contains some heavy themes involving a near-death experience, it would be more accurately described as a dark drama punctuated by some very funny lines. But I suppose that doesn't get people in to see the movie.

After all, the film stars Adam Sandler and Seth Rogen (who have wonderful rapport), among many other, uh, funny people, and is written and directed by Judd Apatow, the director of "The 40-Year-Old Virgin" and "Knocked Up." Of course the trailers have been playing up this angle but, as my wife commented, that's like marketing "Schindler's List" as "From the director of 'E.T.' and 'Jaws'." It doesn't tell you much about the movie you are about to see.

This beef aside, what you will see is a very mature drama (yes, I said mature despite the rampant penis jokes) reminiscent of the best work of Hal Ashby and Cameron Crowe. Sandler proves once again that he is a fine actor, and his performance as successful movie star/comedian George Simmons is tonally similar to his fantastic work in "Punch-Drunk Love" and "Reign Over Me." A very isolated man made rich by a number of films that look like rejected Wayans Brothers ideas, George lives in a castle of a house, complete with an indoor and an outdoor pool. His only obvious human contact consists of photo ops with his fans, and the servants at home that he keeps at arm's length. Early on he is diagnosed with a rare blood disorder for which no clear treatment exists. Death on his doorstep, he begins to examine his life. He hates himself, but that he let so many important relationships go to waste is something he hates even more. It's time for a change.

Enter Ira Wright (played tenderly by a slimmed-down Rogen), a struggling stand-up who works at a deli counter and lives on a pull-out couch and in the shadow of his successful roommates, comic Leo (Jonah Hill) and sitcom star Mark (Jason Schwartzman, who also co- wrote the simple acoustic score with Michael Andrews). Ira and George cross paths at a comedy club where George performs a self-loathing monologue that generates almost no laughs. Ira follows his act, trashing George's apparent depression. In spite of this, George hires Ira to be his right hand man, as a joke writer when he decides to return to stand-up, and as a general errand boy. The dynamic of this new relationship is unclear to Ira, but it seems like a foot in the door—and it sure beats serving macaroni salad to soccer moms.

What follows is a long road to recovery, physically and emotionally. I say long, because the movie runs almost 2 ½ hours—a daunting running time for a comedy or a drama. Anyone who has enjoyed Apatow's work as a director knows that his films have become incrementally longer. At times, I wished he would take the advice from the character Alan Tudyk played in "Knocked Up," as Katherine Heigl's boss who instructs her to not necessarily lose weight, but to "make everything tighter." I wouldn't know what to tighten exactly, because there are many excellent scenes. No matter. I would rather sit through 2 ½ hours of this than the same length of loud, racist pummeling robots. I hope there are other moviegoers out there that share my sentiment.

In addition to the great work by Sandler and Rogen, we have Mrs. Apatow, Leslie Mann. She plays Laura with great vulnerability, the love of George's life, left behind years ago when he cheated on her. She has since married the Australian version of George, Clarke (a hilarious if underused Eric Bana). They have a big house and two beautiful and funny daughters played by Apatow's and Mann's real-life daughters Maude and Iris, who also played Mann's and Paul Rudd's daughters in "Knocked Up." George and Laura reenter each other's lives and try to pick up the pieces, much to the dismay of the reserved, more morally-centered Ira.

There is an awful lot of movie to cover, so I will stop there. The screenplay, while thoughtful, emotional and at times hilarious, follows a non-structure that would infuriate Robert McKee. There is no three-act structure. There is no classic antagonist. The unusual pacing allows the story to unfold more like life in that way. I'm curious to see how this movie will be received by audiences expecting a typical Apatow film. The thing I appreciated most about "Funny People" is that Apatow takes huge risks with the ambitious goal of "making a very serious movie with twice as many jokes" as his previous films. That he more often than not achieves his goals is a remarkable feat, and while "Funny People" isn't a great movie, it shows you a fascinating side of show business, and more importantly, it makes one believe that we can look forward to a wonderful and varied body of work from an original and, maybe someday, great filmmaker.

"Funny People"

Starring: Adam Sandler, Seth Rogen, Leslie Mann, Eric Bana, Jonah Hill, Jason Schwartzman, many comedians as themselves. Director: Judd Apatow. Running Time: 140 Minutes. Rated: R for tons of crude language, and for sex and brief nudity.

Consensus: Expect a fascinating drama with fine acting and a few hearty laughs (if you can handle crude humor). Just don't expect the movie they show you parts of in the previews.