Step 1: Get ready to have your Funny bone tickled, doused in sentiment and then, tickled again.
Step 2: Draw from experience. Funny People takes from aspects of writer/director Judd Apatow’s own life, which always makes for a more authentic movie. He started as a young stand-up comedian but then eventually realized his niche was more about writing funny, and less about performing funny. And so Seth Rogen’s character Ira Wright is born, an up-and-coming comedian who isn’t quite making it in the stand-up circuit – until he meets George Simmons (Adam Sandler), a former stand-up, now mega movie star, who hires Ira to write jokes for him once he decides to go back on stage. The catch is, George is dying of a rare leukemia and ends up needing Ira for way more than just writing jokes. Throw in Apatow’s real-life wife Leslie Mann as George’s old flame Laura – who comes back into the star’s life for all the wrong reasons – and watch the dynamic unfold.
Step 3: No need to reinvent the wheel. All the people in Funny People do little in stretching 
themselves, which lends itself to a comfortable familiarity. Sandler basically plays himself – minus the life-threatening disease – while as Apatow’s alter ego, Rogen gives a surprisingly sweet, understated performance. His Ira really cares about George, even though the latter says and does some pretty crappy things to Ira. For all the raunchy, frat-boy humor Apatow dishes out, I think he might just be more like the thoughtful Ira. Don’t worry, Judd, I won’t tell. Also making hilarious appearances are Jonah Hill and Jason Schwartzman as Ira’s roommates, especially Schwartzman who plays an actor having some success on a really bad sitcom called Yo, Teach! In fact, Schwartzman is probably based on a younger Sandler, who was Apatow’s longtime roommate when they were going through the stand-up comedy trenches together. But the surprise comic talent in the film is Eric Bana, getting to play his native Australian as Laura’s jealous husband. I’m sure he doesn’t get offered funny parts very often, so kudos to Apatow for giving him a chance to shine.
Step 4: And how cute are Judd Apatow and Leslie Mann’s kids, Maude and Iris, playing Laura’s kids in the movie? Stick with dad, girls.
Step 5: All you need is friends and family. Apatow knows this and works it to its full capacity, incorporing all his buddies, his wife, and now, for the first time, his old friend Sandler. Problem is, the movie tries to amalgamate too much. The first half is near perfect as Ira interacts with his roommates, and then he and George start their tenuous relationship. But once Laura enters the picture, and George goes into I-got-to-get-her-back mode, Funny People drags a little in the funny department. The film could have shaved about 15 minutes off and it would have zinged.
Level of difficulty in watching Funny People: Entirely easy. Are you kidding? It’s the Apatow gang, not much can go wrong.