MovieChat Forums > Funny People (2009) Discussion > The One Thing That Still Bothers Me...

The One Thing That Still Bothers Me...

posted 14 years ago by carlson-8
12 replies | jump to latest

This film is back in semi-rotation on HBO, and I've caught it again just to see when and why everything went wrong with it. Sorry if this issue has been already addressed, but there's one thing (out of many) that greatly irritates me.

Those giant framed photos of comedians in Mark and Leo's apartment. Photos that you would have to shell out the big bucks for, and obtain them directly from the photographer, or via exclusive memorabilia dealers, or through someone directly involved in the business. I don't buy that Jason Schwartzman's character (the only one with a steady and "large" paycheck) would have such reverence for those comedians that he would spend his cash on framed photos of them. It seemed more like Judd Apatow and Seth Rogen trying to find a way to blatantly pay respect their comic idols, and hint that they should be mentioned in the same breath as Cosby, Belushi, Rock, Dangerfield, etc.

"If I had a million thumbs I'd twiddle, twiddle, but I just have two, nothing to do, nothing to do." - Sparks

[–] Paul_Ke 14 years ago

Maybe Ira and Leo influenced or persuaded Mark to buy them.

Seems like a pretty trivial detail. Was there some more significant reason you didn't like the movie?

[–] trigun_78 14 years ago

Well Ira and Leo really loved that kind of *beep* though. They could have bought them, if they both pitched in.

COMA COMA COMA COMA COMA CHAMELEON!

[–] carlson-8 14 years ago

Paul Ke - I thought the film was one hour too long, thought the scenes with Eric Bana were a distraction, felt none of the characters were particularly sympathetic, didn't think any of the experiences made Ira a better or more innovative comedian (maybe that was the point), the ending was somewhat unsatisfying. Mark seems too narcissistic to buy expensive photos at Ira's/Leo's urging. Maybe Mark was a once-hungry comedian interested in making "art" who has decided to go for the quick cash (see Ricky Gervais' character in "Extras"), and the photos were a way to convince himself that he's still a legit comedian, but it would have been nice to have a bit of backstory on that.

trigun 78 - Those photos would take a lot out of Ira's supermarket deli paycheck (maybe the checks that Leo's parents are sending him are huge, I dunno...)

[–] Studman_Productions 13 years ago

why do you have a imdb logo by your username?

[–] Room_On_Fire 13 years ago

Agreed. Same with the shirts in the movie. Rogen and Hill seemed to wear tee's for an alternative band like The Raconteurs or a small comedy venue like Upright Citizens Brigade on their chest in each of their scenes, like they really had something to represent. It seemed to be a way to advertise to the audience how cool they are by showing what entertainment they enjoy all over their house and body.

"Oh, my God. Bear is driving! How can that be?!"

[–] kisses5050 13 years ago

gifts from peole who know what they like

http://www.cafepress.com/realmommyshirts
(make lemons all money goes to animal charity)

[–] eastcoastguyz 13 years ago

That's all that bothered you? Wow. Never heard of friends and family members giving you gifts to hang on the wall? Or buying stuff at a garage sale?

[–] yourconscience 13 years ago

if you had ridiculous amounts of money, you might buy things for your friends too, and it's never explored, but Schwwartzman could have been a HUGE fan of chris rock, dangerfield, and belushi, and face it, people who aren't actors have posters of these guys on their walls as well

[–] SpilledToBuild 13 years ago

There are many explanations for this. One example, as a couple of others have pointed out, is they may have been given to him as gifts. Another strong possibility is he printed them off the internet, had them blown up to "poster" size, and framed them.

Also, keep in mind of how many Belushi posters are tacked up on the walls of college dorm rooms everywhere. :)

[–] blameitnmyyouth 13 years ago

Is that seriously what bothers you, that ruins the movie for you. Some framed photos on the wall of the apartment that they never even mention or focus on one bit through out the entire movie. Hard to please.

[–] billymac72 13 years ago

I've been to LA a number of times and it seems such things are not very difficult to find around there.

I mean, I can see what you're saying. Stuff like that can take someone out of the fiction.

I didn't think of it when I was watching it though. I was too busy identifying who was who!

[–] floydsr 11 years ago

The original poster is totally right about this. It doesn't bother me a ton, but I agree that it was too obvious. Same as the point that in every scene a character was wearing an "I'm cool because I know what this is" t-shirt. This is going to sound self-indulgent, so I apologize in advance, but I'm an aspiring screenwriter myself. And long ago I would fantasize about what shirts or pictures a character would have. But over time, it occurred to me that all I would be doing by forcing that crap onto the screen is advertising my own (admittedly lame) tastes on everyone else. As if to say, look at how cool I am because I know about this obscure movie. Or I like this old band. It's a huge "look at me." And in this case, the pictures are actually cool, but that's part of the problem. They're a distraction. It's *beep* direction. I' m not trying to get all technical, or even artistic. But plain and simple, if you're a director, you need to know the difference between something that's cool, or looks good on paper, or seems funny, and something that actually fits. Those pictures didn't fit.