Seriously, the first hour and a half were a beautiful, well written exploration of stand-up comedy, tragedy and facing mortality. And then the film wraps itself up nicely. Then Apatow adds on ANOTHER HOUR of completely pointless, stupid flailing about with a secondary story nobody gives a *beep* about, and the film goes from 10/10 to 5/10. How could nobody have told him to cut out the second half of what could have been a great film?
I agree with you totally. Leslie Mann is nice to look at and is the director's wife, but her character was pointless to the story and when George and Ira go to her house I thought it was pointlss. It added nothing but to prove that George is a jerk and lets evetyone think he's still dying. The ending of the movie where they are telling jokes was the right one, but the hour before that is a waste.
I remember reading a story before this movie came out where Judd Apaptow was saying that this was going to be his biggest film as far as story was concerned. It's running time at the time of the interview was about two hours and forty five minutes, and he was complaining that he had to cut it down. I wish someone was just there to tell him, I love your wife but she has to go. Seriously it would've helped the movie big time.
Spot on. The ending scene is very poignant, unfortunately there was a lull to get there. I still enjoy the film. The older I get the more I enjoy it. Sandler shows a range we should get more from him.
Completely agree with this. Everything up to going to the chicks house was spectacular. Then the movie just dragged through that last hour, and while Eric Bana was funny, it couldn't save the last act.
The movie isn't about tragedy and facing mortality, it's about life.
Most people that overcome something slip back to how they were, same with lotto winners. To be better you have to work on yourself, you can't just make it through one ordeal. That's why his end scene of helping Ira is so meaningful, because he's trying to help someone and not be self serving.