Funny People, starring Seth Rogen and Adam Sandler, was a much more entertaining movie than I expected since the premise involves a burned-out, dying comedian trying to attach meaning to his life. Rogen and Sandler are excellent actors, with the ability to portray emotion without overacting or falling into a sea of pathos. Director Judd Apatow casts his wife and daughters in supporting roles, which is distracting but does not manage to kill the movie.



Seeing Reign on Me several years ago made me realize that Sandler can act. He can guide his character through tragic circumstances in a funny way without losing his grip on the story. His emotions are always believable on screen. In both Reign on Me and Funny People, Sandler jumps into the character head first. He loses himself in the story. After seeing Funny People, it's difficult to remember that Sandler the real-life comedian is married, has children, and reportedly had an excellent relationship with his late father.