Funny People (2009)
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A famous comedian facing a terminal illness attempts to repair his fractured personal life while mentoring a newcomer to the comedy scene.
The story
George Simmons is a middle-aged retired stand-up comedian turned movie star who feels disillusioned by his low-brow film work. After being diagnosed with acute myeloid leukemia and offered an experimental treatment with a low success rate, he decides to return to his stand-up comedy roots. He meets Ira Wright, an aspiring comedian in his 20s, and hires him as his assistant. As Ira becomes his joke writer and opening act, George begins to reconnect with his past, including his ex-fiancée, Laura, while navigating the complexities of his health and his evolving relationship with Ira.
Full plot (contains spoilers)
George Simmons, a wealthy but depressed movie star and former stand-up, is diagnosed with acute myeloid leukemia. Seeking meaning before death, he returns to comedy and hires Ira Wright, an aspiring comedian, as his assistant and later his joke writer. George reconnects with his ex-fiancée, Laura, who is married to Clarke. While visiting Laura in Marin County, George and Laura have an affair, leading to a confrontation when Clarke returns home. Laura is torn between her husband and George, who has cheated on her multiple times. Ira, caught in the middle, eventually feels sidelined by the love triangle. When George's leukemia goes into remission, he decides he wants Laura back. After a falling out where George fires Ira for not taking his side, Ira returns to his old job. Eventually, George attends Ira's stand-up set and realizes Ira's talent. He finds Ira at work, expressing that their friendship is important, and they reconcile as equals.
- First release year
- 2009
- Runtime (minutes)
- 146
- Production countries
- United States
- Original languages
- English
- Directors
- Judd Apatow
- Writers
- Judd Apatow · writer; Adam Sandler · writer; Seth Rogen · writer; Jonah Hill · writer
- Cast and characters
- Adam Sandler · George Simmons; Seth Rogen · Ira Wright; Leslie Mann · Laura; Eric Bana · Clarke; Jonah Hill · Leo Koenig; Jason Schwartzman · Mark Taylor Jackson; Aubrey Plaza · Daisy Danby; Maude Apatow · Mable
- Genres
- black comedy-drama
- Themes
- mortality; mentorship; reconciliation; fame vs. authenticity
- Tone and mood
- black comedy; drama; mature
- Premise and plot tags
- buddy comedy-drama; cancer; comedians
- Reception
- The film received positive reviews from critics, described as Apatow's most mature work with considerable emotional depth, though it underperformed at the box office relative to its budget.
- Reported review scores
- Rotten Tomatoes · score: 69% · review count: 236; Metacritic · score: 60 · scale: 100 · review count: 36
- Production trivia
- It was the final film produced by Madison 23 Productions.; Apatow filmed scenes from Sandler's character's fictional filmography and Schwartzman's character's fictional television show to add realism.
Film metadata comes from the open sources listed in Credits & Contact. Catalogue details may be incomplete.
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