I’m not sure what to make of Funny People, a “serious comedy” from Judd Apatow starring Adam Sandler as a veteran stand-up comic (i.e., Adam Sandler) and Seth Rogen as a novice comic who idolizes him. Then Sandler finds out he has this terminal disease, and that brings the two comics closer together. And then Sandler tries to rekindle a romance with a long-ago crush, played by Leslie Mann, who’s married to some Aussie.
All of which means that this could be three movies in one. If you’ve watched any TV lately, you might have seen more than one preview for this movie. I think there are three: one that emphasizes the stand-up life, one that emphasizes Sandler and Rogen bonding over the former’s impending doom, and one that emphasizes Sandler’s quest to get back with Mann.
Some critics have said this is a comedy with a heart, sort of a departure for Apatow (but with the requisite raunch). It’s said to be overreaching, and if the previews are any indication, I can see why – it’s trying to be several things at once. Imagine if you saw only one of those previews that are floating around. Naturally, you’d think that the preview would be a solid representation of the film, right? So maybe you’d expect a laugh-a-minute jokefest, only to find out that there’s a romance angle (not involving hookers!) and a male-bonding angle.
So all I’m saying is… this could suck bad or be awesome. Sandler’s getting good notices for this (somewhat) serious role, so there’s that.
