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Comedian

Play trailer Poster for Comedian R Released Oct 11, 2002 1h 22m Documentary Play Trailer Watchlist
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77% Tomatometer 91 Reviews 69% Popcornmeter 5,000+ Ratings
This documentary focuses on two stand-up comedians -- Jerry Seinfeld and Orny Adams -- whose careers are vastly different. Seinfeld is a veteran of the comedy trenches and is well-known for his TV sitcom, while Adams is a rising star in the business and who is nowhere near as successful. Both comics are in crisis, to some degree. Seinfeld wants to relaunch his standup career, and Adams wants regular gigs on the late-night TV circuit and eventually a sitcom.
Comedian

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Critics Consensus

Comedian is an insightful look at the hard work of creating comedy.

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Critics Reviews

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Marjorie Baumgarten Austin Chronicle Like watching a Polaroid picture develop without ever getting to see the finished picture. Rated: 2.5/5 Nov 3, 2002 Full Review Bob Longino Atlanta Journal-Constitution What it does well is place viewers at the heart of the frustration of failure, of the silence during pre-show strolls to get one's mind focused, of the genesis of a promising joke. Rated: B- Nov 2, 2002 Full Review Bill Muller Arizona Republic Seinfeld, dogged by self-doubt and clearly struggling at times, comes up with some fairly funny material. Rated: 3/5 Oct 26, 2002 Full Review Joel Siegel Good Morning America I wanted more jokes. But I'm never tired of watching the star. Rated: B+ Jan 4, 2018 Full Review Sean Axmaker Stream on Demand This is not a comedy concert film, it's about the hard work of creating comedy, about the glare of the spotlight, about the rush of a good performance, and the heartsink of comic meltdown on stage. Dec 16, 2017 Full Review Mark Halverson Sacramento News & Review Rated: 4/5 Aug 7, 2008 Full Review Read all reviews

Audience Reviews

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patrick t It was fun to watch an overly confident comic bomb. Still waiting to hear if Orney whatever got the fame he feels he deserves.. Not a funny guy. Rated 3 out of 5 stars 10/16/23 Full Review StephenPaul C LOL, the funniest 01 hour: and 22 minutes of comedian Jerry Seinfeld, performing his comedy and doing live stand-up!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Rated 5 out of 5 stars 06/26/23 Full Review Audience Member Really cool stuff. I love this glimpse into the behind-the-scenes life of stand-up. Reminded me a bit of the more recent, Rolling Thunder Review doc, on the Bob Dylan tour - just diving right into things as they're happening. I appreciated the music very much, and also the clear list of who wrote, performed etc. the music presented in the end credits. The soundtrack is well woven, edited in - I was particularly struck by a scene with old footage of I think a very young Richard Pryor, by the jazz that was playing over that, how it provided counterpoint to Pryor's comedic arm movements, like Pryor was the jazz conductor. Fun. There is a bitter-sweet, brief part involving Bill Cosby, long before the abuse came out. I found that heartbreaking to watch but also astonishing and insightful to see that exchange between two human beings, to realize the impact that must have on so many who looked up to him and loved him, how complicated that must be for them. And it's very sweet how the old hands council the young comedian, to see how he grows. Rated 4.5 out of 5 stars 01/25/23 Full Review Audience Member Found the Orny Adams segments more interesting here but will always appreciate hearing Jerry Seinfeld as well. Definitely shows the age of this doc with an appearance by Bill Cosby to be honored and gushed over. Rated 3 out of 5 stars 01/20/23 Full Review Audience Member Interesting look at the life of Stand Up Comedians in NY Rated 3 out of 5 stars 02/10/23 Full Review Audience Member Great follow up to a great show. Rated 4 out of 5 stars 02/07/23 Full Review Read all reviews
Comedian

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Cast & Crew

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Christian Charles

Director

Jerry Seinfeld

Self

Greg Giraldo

Self

Sherrod Small

Self

Jim Norton

Self

Godfrey

Self

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Comedian

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Movie Info

Synopsis This documentary focuses on two stand-up comedians -- Jerry Seinfeld and Orny Adams -- whose careers are vastly different. Seinfeld is a veteran of the comedy trenches and is well-known for his TV sitcom, while Adams is a rising star in the business and who is nowhere near as successful. Both comics are in crisis, to some degree. Seinfeld wants to relaunch his standup career, and Adams wants regular gigs on the late-night TV circuit and eventually a sitcom.
Director
Christian Charles
Producer
Gary Streiner
Distributor
Miramax Films
Production Co
Bridgnorth Films
Rating
R
Genre
Documentary
Original Language
English
Release Date (Theaters)
Oct 11, 2002, Original
Release Date (Streaming)
Nov 7, 2017
Box Office (Gross USA)
$2.7M
Runtime
1h 22m
Sound Mix
Surround