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This was emailed to me by a Judd Apatow insider who’s also a prominent filmmaker (he asked to “stay in the shadows”) in response to my box office report that Universal execs had “begged” Apatow to shorten Funny People:
“Despite what anyone at Universal is saying now — trying to cover their asses – I can 100% assure you: Universal execs never begged or pleaded with Judd to shorten his movie. Not one of them would have had the balls to. They never would have done anything to piss Judd off.
There was a mini feud on “40 Year Old Virgin” between Judd and [ex-Uni exec] Mary Parent, and everyone learned never to side against or ever really question Judd after that. Trust me. Besides, all questions of length were precluded by two words, “Knocked Up”. It was almost as long and it was an out and out comedy. No one would have been brave enough to challenge Judd on this, even in a joking matter. Trust me, Nikki…
Better or worse it was Judd’s show and he delivered to them the movie he wanted and they smiled and said “Thank you.” Privately they may have worried, but they never, never, never asked Judd to shorten it.
“PS… Judd did shorten it. I saw a three hour, forty five minute version of ”Funny People” and Judd’s goal was to get it to “Knocked Up” length. And that’s where he got it, too. And the studio was happy with that length. And the idea that someone would directly tell Judd that the part with his wife had to be particularly shortened is ridiculous. Ask that person to give you details on that conversation. I would love to hear how that went. It didn’t happen.”
Editor-in-Chief Nikki Finke - tip her here.
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I loved this movie. If it didnt have Judd’s name on it and all the expectations of a Judd movie, they could have opened it small and platformed it out like an academy movie. it’s that good. it’s a shame audiences are so narrow minded; they’re missing something very real, and yes, it’s funny too.
Whoever wrote that email is an asshole and a suck-up. Good lord! I’m almost suffocating from the fumes of it. It’s only “Judd’s show” if he’s footing the bill. When Judd is willing to gamble his own money only then is it “Judd’s show”. Until then, he’s just gambling with mommy’s (the studio’s) money. I hope Universal cancels Apatow’s multi-pic deal and kicks his ass to the curb. Paramount did it to Tom Cruise so what makes anyone think they won’t to Apatow and that awful wife he keeps foisting upon the world? Meanwhile, whoever wrote that email needs to get up off his knees and take a cold shower because it’s affecting his brain.
Flyover (and Mary Parent) are right. Both Apatow’s previous efforts should have been shorter. His problem is that be only works with his buddies, who think everything he does is hilarious and awesome. But the audience isn’t made up of Judd’s buddies. If the consensus of open night viewers was that the tone was uneven and the movie was too long, then you have to consider that they might be correct.
Guesses on the source: Adam McKay or Jake Kasdan?
But if it was shorter we wouldn’t have been treated to all that slo-mo footage of his wife and kids hula-hooping!
Quality is all that matters. Not to generalize, but the complaints may be a case of, a) people who aren’t fans to begin with, or b) mediocre viewers, who can sit through crap if it finishes quickly. Sure they also like cuts to gamble on complacency (point ‘b’) and to squeeze the world-famous one-extra-daily-screening, but if it isn’t an event, it adds up to nothing.
If this is the movie he wanted to make then good for him. I liked it. I know some people gasped when at the arclight the young usher announced the length of the movie. Adam Sandler gave a great performance. The Hulk is really pretty funny. The great scene stealer is the daughter singing a song from Cats. If JA, gave the same pitch to the studio as he talked about the movie with Charlie Rose then he delivered like a hammer hitting a nail. If you didnt like the concept then dont make the movie. Don’t paint JA as one to be feared. He should be embraced “he is a man of his word.” Robbie Goldstein
you guys are fucking nuts…
funny people is by far the most sophisticated film made this year. It’s brave, daring, funny, and filled with amazing performances.
Just because the guy had already brought in over a half billion dollars in 3 years, doesn’t mean that he can’t deliver a movie that smokes every James Brooks movie other than Broadcast News and Terms of Endearment.
Nikki as a true film fan, you should be ashamed at the way you’re covering this.
Most filmmakers do require discipline to prevent themselves from delving into narcissitic self-indulgence. Someone has to be there to tell them “no” and to be the voice of reason. Smart filmmakers recognize this.
Hopefully they hire the right film editor to keep them on track, which helps to keep the execs and producers at bay! Otherwise, these self-indulgent almost 3 hour long comedies probably deserve the execs chiming in.
No director has a “perfect” record these days… enough to have true “final cut.” By the same token every movie has a natural rhythm — sometimes it is longer, sometimes it is shorter. If it can sustain the audience’s attention, then whatever works! I’m sure Apatow will be laughing all the way to the bank, either way. People seem to like his films and that’s probably why Universal jumped to book him on his next few. The only thing that can quiet execs is cash or kudos.
Oh please, Judd delivers and Judd gets what he wants. What’s the big deal? Who delivers more comedy at this point? Someone waiting in the wings to replace his dominence? I don’t think so. What’s the BFD?
So it’s not perfect. What is?
“Bruno” was an HOUR shorter than “Funny People” and that movie fizzled out quickly. So what’s the ideal length? Exactly two hours?
What a sack of gutless twats. Not being able to have a constructive conversation with a man you pay millions of dollars to. All these hacky studio slobs should be fired and people with balls should be put in charge. Universal is on the verge, with the Halburtonesque Immult at the helm, things will only get worse. By the way were is the media outrage over Obama and Immult’s relationship? Let them eat cake!!!
It’s clear now that the indulgent unwieldiness of Funny People was a direct result of Apatow surrounding himself with yes-men who are programmed to encourage and fawn over any creative decision he makes. It’s a pathetic commentary on Universal’s flawed business model that they approved the allocation of 75 million in production resources toward a nearly three-hour project where the final third is dedicated entirely to cramming down the audience’s throat how cute the director’s wife and kids are. Ugh. At this rate who would be surprised if “The Fourth Film by Judd Apatow” is revealed to be a 130-minute documentary about Leslie and the girls going to the grocery store. I feel slimey for ripping a guy’s family, but he really shouldn’t known better. That stuff at the end was nothing but tacked-on deadweight that he was unwilling to trim because it showcased his better half and offspring. You can’t just make movies for yourself. You have to take the audience and the people who footed the bill into consideration. An equilibrium has to be established.
Some of the best movies ever made have been three or four hours long — Gone With The Wind, Lawrence of Arabia, The Great Escape, Schinder’s List… It takes tremendous skill to keep an audience engaged past the two hour mark — and Apatow ALMOST does it. I found myself looking around maybe once or twice in the third hour, but not really annoyed or bored. Probably because the stakes weren’t huge, a la Titanic. We already knew Sandler was going to survive by the 90 minute mark, and the last half hour was about how he was going to sort out the wreckage he’d made. Leslie Mann’s decision of whether to get back with Sandler was the big moment of stakes — but it wasn’t life or death.
Knocked Up was good but kind of lost steam at the end.
40 year Old Virgin lost steam at the midway point. It limped along until the end credits.
I think Judd is trying to be the Woody Allen of his generation? Not quite, buddie. Sorry.
Oh lord, I can’t believe this movie was once 3 hours and 45 minutes…
The Apatow frat pack is ‘soooo’ 2007. Bring on the boys from “The Hangover.”
For no other reason than it was on the 99¢ Favorites rack at Blockbuster, we watched THE TV SET. I had heard about it, but had resisted because it’s about the biz of the biz. What a delightful surprise! I laughed my ass off! And, now, reading all these silly ego-comments, I realize what a spot-on film it really is!
Does it make you flyover soccer mom trolls feel important to post here? Let me help you out:
Here in Flyover: a movie like this costs so much when you have low 40s in above the line costs. Look it up.
Mr Jeff and Scriptshadow: the Jim Brooks masterpieces all run over two hours. Judd wants to be Jim. End of story.
There is no reason a lame dick comedy (or a dick comedy that pretends to have heart) should be more than 90 minutes.
Every movie he’s made has been (minimum) a 1/2 hour too long! Some were forty minutes too long!
Oh bull! No one told Judd what to do? If Judd wanted a four-hour bore, instead of the current 146-minute bore; no one would have questioned it? Stop defending this bullshit, covering for someone you work for. The movie is WAY to long and of course executives wanted it shorter! And they said so. Who is Apatow, Cecil B. Demille? Theaters want it shorter too so they can have more screenings. That is just a basic fact. Shut up, “Mr. Silent Voice!!” No one is buying it.
The movie would be dull at any length.
Like sausages, no one cares how comedy is made, and it’s not that enjoyable to see.
I can count on one hand the films worthy of being two plus hours. Most are Oscar winners or nominees. Not one is a comedy. I would rather walk out of a film wanting more than wanting less.
Yeah, long movies never make any money nor do they garner good reviews and awards. Unless of course you exclude The Godfather, Lord of the Rings 1, 2 and 3, Harry Potter 1-6, Ben Hur, The Curious Case of Benjamin Button… not to mention the highest grossing movie of all time, Titanic.
I reviewed this film and thought the parts that needed to go were the scenes with older comics trying to make Adam laugh. It looked like he gave them a nod to get them an extra year of SAG insurance. Leslie Mann is brilliant and so was Adam but that ending scene was superflous and too long. 40 yr old Virgin remains the best and Apatow does have a comedy gift. It’s a long gift, but a gift nonetheless.
Length in itself doesn’t matter. As long as the film doesn’t feel long, it deserves to be as long as necessary. Orphan was the rare horror film over 2 hours long. It didn’t feel that long at all because it held your interest.
Funny People does not hold your interest. It’s a self-indulgent, gross, unfunny and dramatically inert mess. Why am I supposed to care about these rich and/or self-centered people again?