Funny People

68% of critics liked it

58% of users liked it

Adam Sandler, Seth Rogen
In theaters Jul 31, 2009
R, 2 hr. 26 min.

Movie Info

Cast: Adam Sandler, Seth Rogen, Leslie Mann, Eric Bana, Jonah Hill, Jason Schwartzman, Aubrey Plaza, RZA, Iris Apatow, Maude Apatow
Director: Jamie Uys, Judd Apatow
Rated: R
Running Time: 2 hr. 26 min.
Genre: Drama, Comedy
Theater Release: Jul 31, 2009
DVD Release: Nov 24, 2009
Synopsis: Judd Apatow casts his former real-life roommate Adam Sandler as George Simmons, a comic superstar who learns in the movie's opening scene that he suffers from a rare blood disorder that will likely kill him within a year. This news gives him the impulse to go back out and work on his standup, something he hasn't done in years thanks to the massive success of his movie career. At a club, he meets struggling standup Ira Wright (Seth Rogen), takes a shine to him, and hires the young man both to

Critic Reviews

  • Laremy Legel, Film.com
    Funny People is funny, moving, dramatic, and alternately hilarious. It's a bit like a stand-up dramedy. More...
  • Tom Huddlestone, Time Out
    This is a generous, goodhearted, enjoyable movie, loaded with memorable characters and genuine wit. But there's such a thing as giving a little too much. More...
  • Jonathan F. Richards, Film.com
    The good parts of this movie are often wonderful, but Apatow never finds the rhythm to keep it going. It lurches from inspiration to inspiration, but always manages to muddy its feet in mediocrity in between, as it drags on toward the two-and-a-half-hour More...
  • Cliff Doerksen, Chicago Reader
    Judd Apatow (Knocked Up, The 40-Year-Old Virgin) takes some interesting chances in this messy but engaging comedy, which suggests he may yet mature (no, seriously) into a filmmaker of substance. More...
  • Ben Mankiewicz, At the Movies
    It walks a perfectly fine line between being funny and tragic. More...
  • Ben Lyons, At the Movies
    Apatow has always found a balance of heart and humor in his best films, and Funny People is no exception. More...
  • Michael Phillips, Chicago Tribune
    The film comes dangerously close to stalling, however, once George and Ira visit George's ex, stuck in an untrustworthy marriage. By the time Ira implores 'Can we just go?' you feel the same way. More...
  • Colin Covert, Minneapolis Star Tribune
    It's great that Apatow aimed for something more substantial than a disposable chucklefest. Too bad the film falls so short of the mark. More...
  • Kyle Smith, New York Post
    In going for a rethink of All That Jazz with comedy instead of Broadway, Judd Apatow's Funny People turns out to be one of the most absorbing films of the year. More...
  • Betsy Sharkey, Los Angeles Times
    Sandler and Rogen and the rest are left to wander aimlessly, with tedious comedy gigs, an even more tedious faux sitcom and relatively vapid relationships masquerading as a plot. More...