svētdiena, 2009. gada 9. augusts
About movie Funny People
George Simmons is a very successful yet self-involved stand-up comedian who has starred in a wide number of successful low brow comedies. Even though he has a large house, a lot of money and belongings, and many fans, he has no close friends and is disconnected from his family. During a medical check up, his doctor informs him that he has a very rare blood disorder which cannot be treated through surgery or chemotherapy. The doctor gives him an experimental medication which only has an eight percent chance of success. George goes into a depression and starts to reflect back on his life. He finds solace by watching old videos of his stand up routines and is inspired to go back to the clubs at which he used to perform.
Meanwhile, Ira Wright (real last name Weiner) is an aspiring stand up comedian who works at a deli to make money while he struggles to make it in stand up comedy. He lives in an apartment with Leo Koenig, an aspiring stand up like Ira yet more successful, and Mark Taylor Jackson, the star of a sitcom called Yo Teach! who gloats to Ira and Leo about how much money he makes, while Ira and Leo point out how poor quality his show is. Ira has a crush on Daisy Danby, an aspiring female comic who lives nearby. Ira asks Daisy out on a date but later calls it off when he learns that she had slept with Mark not long after, as Mark had promised Ira he would do if Ira did not act.
One night at the club where Ira, Leo, and Daisy perform, George shows up unexpectedly to perform and Ira, who was set to go on after Leo, is bumped. George gives a brief dark and depressing routine that doesn't go over well with the crowd. Ira's act isn't much more successful but gets some laughs from making fun of George's routine, while George watches. George then compliments Ira in the parking lot about his routine despite the insults and then drives off.
The next morning, George calls Ira to tell him he is going to do stand up gigs and asks him and Leo if they would like to write jokes for him. Ira immediately agrees, but lies to George about Leo, telling him he's too busy. They go to a MySpace event where James Taylor is performing. George asks Ira to open for him but Ira didn't write jokes for himself so he borrows some of the ones he wrote for George. Both George and Ira are successful with their routines, however, and George hires Ira to be his joke writer and personal assistant, paying him $1,500 a week. George and Ira pick up two girls from the event and take them back to George's house to have sex with them. One of them quickly has sex with George, while the other rejects Ira stating she has a boyfriend. After the first girl leaves, the other girl ends up having sex with George anyway. When she leaves as well, George asks Ira to help talk him to sleep.
The next morning, George informs Ira of his health condition and tells him he told him because he doesn't know Ira well enough. George tells Ira not to tell anyone else, but then Ira tells Leo and Mark. George and Ira work on their stand-up routines and Ira becomes more confident on stage, while Ira continues to endure George's selfish behavior and comfort George while he experiences the symptoms of his disease as well as the side effects of the medication. George goes in for an update on his sickness and the doctor takes a sample of his blood.
Later at a restaurant, Ira breaks down in the middle of a restaurant in front of George, saying that George should tell more people other than him. George is initially reluctant, but ultimately agrees, speaking with comedians like Andy Dick and Paul Reiser and making amends with his estranged family. He also gets an unexpected visit from his ex-fiancé Laura, who broke it off after she learned George was cheating on her. Laura is now married to her husband of 12 years, an Australian salesman named Clarke who is often on business trips in China. They have two daughters, Mable and Ingrid. Laura reveals that Clarke, like George, has been cheating on her and that her life has been a wreck ever since she broke up with George. George apologizes for his past behavior.
Ira invites George to have Thanksgiving with him, Leo, Mark, and the cast of Yo Teach! at his apartment. Leo confronts Ira after he learns from George that Ira lied to him about asking the both of them to write jokes for George, creating tension between the two of them. Leo later accepts a role on Yo Teach!.
George goes to the doctor for the results of his test and he learns that the medicine has been working and that there aren't any traces of the disease in his blood, but there is a possibility that it could resurface. Ira is happy with the news, while George is unsure of what to do with his life. He ultimately decides that he wants a long-term relationship. He calls Laura, but is unable to tell her about his health. She invites him to visit her in Marin County.
George and Ira go to San Francisco to perform at the Orpheum, and Laura meets them there. George tells Ira to tell Laura that he's better during the intermission between Ira's act and George's act. Ira is puzzled as to why George didn't tell her already, but ultimately agrees to tell her himself. He does so, and Laura becomes speechless. She confronts George afterward, who tells her that he didn't tell her sooner because he didn't want to jinx it. He and Laura embrace and she invites the two to her house.
George and Ira arrive and spend time with her and her daughters. George and Laura go out to get groceries while Ira watches the kids. George and Laura actually sneak into the guest house to have sex, where Laura talks about possibly leaving Clarke. The two go back into the main house and tell Ira they will just order pizza. Ira, however, easily finds out that they had sex and becomes worried.
While waiting for the pizza to arrive, Clarke unexpectedly arrives home, leading to an awkward first encounter between George and Clarke and an awkward dinner. Laura asks George and Ira to keep up the façade of George still being sick as Clarke had despised George prior to learning of his illness and sympathized with him after learning of it and Clarke will suspect something if he learns George is better. George and Ira spend the night in the guest house and watch a game of Aussie Rules Football with Clarke, who is obsessed with it.
In the morning, Clarke gives George a tearful goodbye, thinking he will die soon. Then, his daughters reveal that George is actually better, as Ira had told them earlier. Clarke then confronts Laura about this as he suspects she's cheating on him. Laura tries to explain that he may not be entirely better, but Clarke doesn't believe her. When Laura then calls him out on his infidelity, Clarke leaves the house. Laura tells George that she will meet with Clarke later to tell him to find a new place. Ira tells George that he thinks they should leave and that it's not worth it to break up a twelve year marriage so that George will be happy, but George yells at him and threatens to fire him.
The next day, George, Ira, and Laura watch a video of Mable performing "Memory" from Cats which Ira and Laura find moving. George, however, finds it hilarious and checks his cell phone during the video, leaving Laura disturbed. Laura then leaves for the airport to talk to Clarke, planning to tell Clarke that, when he gets home from his trip, to find somewhere else to live. Ira tells George he's going to the store to buy cigarettes, but instead follows Laura to the airport. Laura meets up with Clarke, who tells her that he wants to give their marriage another try. Laura, now conflicted with her feelings, ultimately agrees and says her fling with George was just a flirtation. Ira catches their interaction and tries to sneak away, but Clarke catches him. Ira is forced to tell him that George is back at the house watching the kids and Clarke vows to kill him. Laura then berates Ira for entering her life and the three race back to the house.
Clarke catches George watching TV with the kids and chases him outside and starts beating him. George then yells at Ira for lying to him and then asks Laura to tell Clarke she still loves George, but Laura sides with Clarke. Clarke then feels like it was his own fault this happened and apologizes to George. Laura and Clarke go back into the house and George and Ira head back to Los Angeles. George gets mad at Ira for betraying him and officially fires him as his assistant. Ira then berates George for not learning anything from his near-death experience and still being the same person he was before learning of his sickness. George drops Ira back at his apartment and the two part ways. Leo forgives Ira for lying to him and Mark offers Ira a part on Yo Teach! if one is offered, but Ira declines.
Ira meets up with George again at a club not long after and George watches Ira, much more confident on stage, do a routine about his experience with George. The next day, George finds Ira working at the deli again and asks to speak with him. George admits that even though he is no longer sick, his attitude still needs much improvement. George offers Ira some jokes he wrote down to help Ira's act, proving that he is making an attempt to become a better person.
Meanwhile, Ira Wright (real last name Weiner) is an aspiring stand up comedian who works at a deli to make money while he struggles to make it in stand up comedy. He lives in an apartment with Leo Koenig, an aspiring stand up like Ira yet more successful, and Mark Taylor Jackson, the star of a sitcom called Yo Teach! who gloats to Ira and Leo about how much money he makes, while Ira and Leo point out how poor quality his show is. Ira has a crush on Daisy Danby, an aspiring female comic who lives nearby. Ira asks Daisy out on a date but later calls it off when he learns that she had slept with Mark not long after, as Mark had promised Ira he would do if Ira did not act.
One night at the club where Ira, Leo, and Daisy perform, George shows up unexpectedly to perform and Ira, who was set to go on after Leo, is bumped. George gives a brief dark and depressing routine that doesn't go over well with the crowd. Ira's act isn't much more successful but gets some laughs from making fun of George's routine, while George watches. George then compliments Ira in the parking lot about his routine despite the insults and then drives off.
The next morning, George calls Ira to tell him he is going to do stand up gigs and asks him and Leo if they would like to write jokes for him. Ira immediately agrees, but lies to George about Leo, telling him he's too busy. They go to a MySpace event where James Taylor is performing. George asks Ira to open for him but Ira didn't write jokes for himself so he borrows some of the ones he wrote for George. Both George and Ira are successful with their routines, however, and George hires Ira to be his joke writer and personal assistant, paying him $1,500 a week. George and Ira pick up two girls from the event and take them back to George's house to have sex with them. One of them quickly has sex with George, while the other rejects Ira stating she has a boyfriend. After the first girl leaves, the other girl ends up having sex with George anyway. When she leaves as well, George asks Ira to help talk him to sleep.
The next morning, George informs Ira of his health condition and tells him he told him because he doesn't know Ira well enough. George tells Ira not to tell anyone else, but then Ira tells Leo and Mark. George and Ira work on their stand-up routines and Ira becomes more confident on stage, while Ira continues to endure George's selfish behavior and comfort George while he experiences the symptoms of his disease as well as the side effects of the medication. George goes in for an update on his sickness and the doctor takes a sample of his blood.
Later at a restaurant, Ira breaks down in the middle of a restaurant in front of George, saying that George should tell more people other than him. George is initially reluctant, but ultimately agrees, speaking with comedians like Andy Dick and Paul Reiser and making amends with his estranged family. He also gets an unexpected visit from his ex-fiancé Laura, who broke it off after she learned George was cheating on her. Laura is now married to her husband of 12 years, an Australian salesman named Clarke who is often on business trips in China. They have two daughters, Mable and Ingrid. Laura reveals that Clarke, like George, has been cheating on her and that her life has been a wreck ever since she broke up with George. George apologizes for his past behavior.
Ira invites George to have Thanksgiving with him, Leo, Mark, and the cast of Yo Teach! at his apartment. Leo confronts Ira after he learns from George that Ira lied to him about asking the both of them to write jokes for George, creating tension between the two of them. Leo later accepts a role on Yo Teach!.
George goes to the doctor for the results of his test and he learns that the medicine has been working and that there aren't any traces of the disease in his blood, but there is a possibility that it could resurface. Ira is happy with the news, while George is unsure of what to do with his life. He ultimately decides that he wants a long-term relationship. He calls Laura, but is unable to tell her about his health. She invites him to visit her in Marin County.
George and Ira go to San Francisco to perform at the Orpheum, and Laura meets them there. George tells Ira to tell Laura that he's better during the intermission between Ira's act and George's act. Ira is puzzled as to why George didn't tell her already, but ultimately agrees to tell her himself. He does so, and Laura becomes speechless. She confronts George afterward, who tells her that he didn't tell her sooner because he didn't want to jinx it. He and Laura embrace and she invites the two to her house.
George and Ira arrive and spend time with her and her daughters. George and Laura go out to get groceries while Ira watches the kids. George and Laura actually sneak into the guest house to have sex, where Laura talks about possibly leaving Clarke. The two go back into the main house and tell Ira they will just order pizza. Ira, however, easily finds out that they had sex and becomes worried.
While waiting for the pizza to arrive, Clarke unexpectedly arrives home, leading to an awkward first encounter between George and Clarke and an awkward dinner. Laura asks George and Ira to keep up the façade of George still being sick as Clarke had despised George prior to learning of his illness and sympathized with him after learning of it and Clarke will suspect something if he learns George is better. George and Ira spend the night in the guest house and watch a game of Aussie Rules Football with Clarke, who is obsessed with it.
In the morning, Clarke gives George a tearful goodbye, thinking he will die soon. Then, his daughters reveal that George is actually better, as Ira had told them earlier. Clarke then confronts Laura about this as he suspects she's cheating on him. Laura tries to explain that he may not be entirely better, but Clarke doesn't believe her. When Laura then calls him out on his infidelity, Clarke leaves the house. Laura tells George that she will meet with Clarke later to tell him to find a new place. Ira tells George that he thinks they should leave and that it's not worth it to break up a twelve year marriage so that George will be happy, but George yells at him and threatens to fire him.
The next day, George, Ira, and Laura watch a video of Mable performing "Memory" from Cats which Ira and Laura find moving. George, however, finds it hilarious and checks his cell phone during the video, leaving Laura disturbed. Laura then leaves for the airport to talk to Clarke, planning to tell Clarke that, when he gets home from his trip, to find somewhere else to live. Ira tells George he's going to the store to buy cigarettes, but instead follows Laura to the airport. Laura meets up with Clarke, who tells her that he wants to give their marriage another try. Laura, now conflicted with her feelings, ultimately agrees and says her fling with George was just a flirtation. Ira catches their interaction and tries to sneak away, but Clarke catches him. Ira is forced to tell him that George is back at the house watching the kids and Clarke vows to kill him. Laura then berates Ira for entering her life and the three race back to the house.
Clarke catches George watching TV with the kids and chases him outside and starts beating him. George then yells at Ira for lying to him and then asks Laura to tell Clarke she still loves George, but Laura sides with Clarke. Clarke then feels like it was his own fault this happened and apologizes to George. Laura and Clarke go back into the house and George and Ira head back to Los Angeles. George gets mad at Ira for betraying him and officially fires him as his assistant. Ira then berates George for not learning anything from his near-death experience and still being the same person he was before learning of his sickness. George drops Ira back at his apartment and the two part ways. Leo forgives Ira for lying to him and Mark offers Ira a part on Yo Teach! if one is offered, but Ira declines.
Ira meets up with George again at a club not long after and George watches Ira, much more confident on stage, do a routine about his experience with George. The next day, George finds Ira working at the deli again and asks to speak with him. George admits that even though he is no longer sick, his attitude still needs much improvement. George offers Ira some jokes he wrote down to help Ira's act, proving that he is making an attempt to become a better person.
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