The film maker that I chose to research was Judd Apatow. Apatow not only directs films but also writes and produces. Through his production company Apatow Productions he has produced a number of hits such as; “This is 40”, “Knocked Up”, and “40 Year Old Virgin”, “Bridesmaids”, “Superbad”, “Pineapple Express”, “Forgetting Sarah Marshall”, and the list goes on. While Apatow’s production company put out quite a number of box office hits Apatow himself directed; “Trainwreck”, “This is 40”, “Knocked up”, and “The 40 Year old Virgin”. His breadth of writing includes “Funny People”, “Walk Hard: The Dewey Cox story”, “Fun With Dick and Jane”, and a number of others. His portfolio ranges from the young adult slapstick comedies to middle age rut comedies-with the occasional stoner film. Apatow is not only one of the biggest names in comedic filmmaking but also wildly successful. I chose to write about Judd Apatow not because I necessarily think he is the greatest comedic filmmaker-because there are a host of other filmmakers who also succeed in comedy-but because his work is not only immensely popular but also a large percentage of the big box office comedies for the last 10 years. His portfolio of work spans so many popular hits that I think it is important to recognize where these conventionally funny films are coming from. Because that is what they are. They are not indy, not dark, in no way take any deeper thought. They are just funny. They appeal to large masses of people and in my opinion succeed fairly well in their genre.
Judd Apatow was born in Syosset, New York on December 6th, 1967. He grew up working for his High School station interviewing actors and TV personalities. After High school he decided to move west to California where he would study screenwriting. Before officially deciding that he wanted to be a screenwriter he gave his hand at standup comedy. One of Apatow’s biggest successes early on in his career was the TV show, Freaks and Geeks. Although Freaks and Geeks didn’t make it past the first season it helped to further his credibility and enable him to work with other actors and industry members.
Years before he began directing Apatow was producing. One of his first films was “Anchorman: The Legend of Ron Burgandy”. “Anchorman”, while being incredibly slapstick, has become a classic (to be quoted by frat boys for years to come). Following Anchorman Apatow produced “Superbad” and “Pineapple Express”. Both films featured Seth Rogan and similar “impossible adventure” plotlines. In Superbad the two main characters are on a mission to repair their less than stellar high school reputations on their last night as seniors. Of course nothing goes as planned and they spend the majority of the night wandering around getting themselves into incredibly improbable situations. The same wild and crazy adventure type story can be seen in the film “Pineapple Express”-except with quite a bit more marijuana. Much like the iconic “Harold and Kumar”.
The first big screen project that Apatow directed was the incredibly successful “40 Year Old Virgin”. Not only did he direct the film but also wrote and produced it. “The 40 Year Old Virgin” was the story of everyone’s strange best friend-the one guy who never grew up or became socially aware. It was not only relatable but laugh out loud funny. Apatow’s first box office movie earned $110 million domestically and $68 million overseas. With movie goers and critics alike the film was praised for its outlandish comedy. On Rotten Tomatoes the film received an 85% critic rating and an 84% audience rating. Roger Ebert even states, “’The 40-Year-Old Virgin’ is surprisingly insightful, as buddy comedies go, and it has a good heart and a lovable hero”. According to IMDB audiences felt the same-an average of 7.2 out of 10.
After “The 40 Year Old Virgin” came Apatow’s next big success as a director; “Knocked Up”. “Knocked Up” was another story of a middle age man coming to terms with adulthood-in a different way. After two people have a one night stand that ends in a pregnancy they need to figure out how to co-parent when only one of them is a functioning adult. In regards to audience and critic reviews the film faired as well as “40 Year old Virgin”. Rotten Tomatoes gave the film a 90% overall and IMDB audiences rated it 7 out of 10.
In yet another tale of middle age antics his next directorial film was “This is 40”. Featuring almost the same cast as “Knocked Up”, “This is 40” is a look inside the lives of an ordinary 40 something couple struggling with the everyday responsibilities of family, work, relationships, and money. It was a laugh to anyone who has been married with kids and wondered, how long does it really take to use the bathroom? Unfortunately critics and filmgoers didn’t feel this film was up to the same standards as his previous movies. IMBD users gave the film a 6 out of 10 and Rotten Tomatoes giving it a sad 51%. Many people mentioned the length of the movie as a large factor. One critic stated, “Apatow's descent as a storyteller is continuing, and his ear for comedy isn't at its peak.”
Throughout his films Apatow has become known for using a select cast of friends and even family. One of the more prominent actors in Apatow films is Leslie Mann-which also happens to be his wife. In fact, in the films “This is 40” and “Knocked Up” Mann and Apatow’s two daughters also play starring roles. In addition to family some of the other reoccurring actors are; Paul Rudd, Steve Carrell, Jonah Hill, Seth Rogan, and Jason Segel.
Throughout his career Judd Apatow has won a number of awards and nominations. Although a few of his films didn’t fair so well with critics the majority were wildly successful. Not only has Apatow created a name for himself but also for his brand of comedy.
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