Judd Apatow, who has directed several outrageous, bawdy comedies, has now made a more introspective movie about a lonely comedian with an inoperable and probably fatal disease. The comedian (Adam Sandler, playing a variation of himself), seeking perhaps a second lease on life, takes on a younger, down-on-his-luck stand-up comic (Seth Rogen) as an assistant, and confides in him about his illness.

The ClearPlay Factor

The 2 1/2 hour Funny People is a bit shorter on ClearPlay, as ClearPlay removes a couple of scenes of sexual intimacy. But it’s the language and vulgarity where ClearPlay gets its workout: more than 300 incidents of language, including profanity (about 150 F-words and variants), frank sexual talk, crude humor, etc. The ClearPlayed version is still for mature teens and above, due to references to infidelity and adultery.

But is it Funny?…

Apatow may be a prisoner of his own success, as one of the criticisms leveled against Funny People was that it wasn’t all that funny. Hey, folks, it’s not really a comedy. Instead, it’s a pretty good drama about a deeply flawed individual going through a life crisis. Sure, the characters are mostly comics, and there are some funny moments. But mostly, it’s an insightful look at second chances, and what we can do with them.

Marty Nabhan— ClearPlay Straight Man

Rated R for language and crude sexual humor throughout, and some sexuality.; 146 min | 153 min (unrated version); Directed By Judd Apatow