Judd Apatow: A Beginner's Guide
Over the past few years, Judd Apatow has quickly become one of the leading comedy-makers of the 21st century. Since his directorial debut in 2005 with The 40-Year-Old Virgin, Apatow keeps attracting more and more viewers to his unique films, establishing himself as a comedy giant. He directed three other movies, Knocked Up, Funny People, This is 40, and produced many others such as Anchorman, Superbad, Pineapple Express, Forgetting Sarah Marshall, and Bridesmaids. When it comes to Judd Apatow’s filmography, he can quickly be characterized by several aspects: first, his unique sense of humor, sometimes described as sophomoric or toilet humor, appealing to a silly sense of immaturity. Another very present element that makes Apatow’s films so unique is his love for flawed protagonists or “misfits.” Through these creations, he constantly challenges the conventional character development of Hollywood movies and actively defies the idea that films should “teach us a lesson.” By contrast, Apatow embraces human imperfections and plays with it in all of his films: whether it is a lack of relationship experience, midlife crises, cancer or pregnancy, Apatow plays with unusual plots to reveal his characters’ flaws through his storytelling skills, making them so much more relatable. Here are six films/TV shows either directed, written or produced by Apatow to watch when exploring his ingeniously crafted comedic world.
The 40-Year-Old Virgin
It all started here. The ultimate “buddy comedy,” The 40-Year-Old Virgin offers all the ingredients necessary for a good movie: a great heart, a lovable protagonist and unique friendships. Pushed by his colleagues, a nerdy 40-year-old guy with no sexual experience feels the pressure mounting after meeting a single mother. Against all odds, this movie is not another immature sex romp about a lonely guy. Instead, Apatow deals with its subject matter in a cute and mature manner, avoiding endless sex jokes and cheap laughs. The cast is wonderfully selected, with Paul Rudd, Romany Malco and Seth Rogen playing Andy’s (Steve Carell) friends. They all contribute to Andy’s situation and, more generally, to the plot as they use their own personal problems as advice to guide him. The movie, directed by Apatow, was co-written by himself and Carell and originated as a skit starring Carell. Carell’s natural sense of humor and Apatow’s talent for plot building resulted in an intelligent comedy where characters don’t use offensive or disrespectful jokes.
Knocked Up
Apatow’s second film successfully lives up to the hype and critical acclaim of his debut. Knocked Up is a perfect example of Apatow’s very effective storytelling, using a simple narrative to let his humor shine through. The movie follows party animal Ben Stone, as he has to deal with the unexpected pregnancy of his one-night stand. Compared to Apatow’s first film, Knocked Up has a little bit more heart to it, and can be very sweet at times: a real love story embedded in what looks at first like a sitcom cliché. Breaking from his position of anti-romantic cynicism, Apatow shows a more heart-warming side to his comedic genius. While The 40-Year-Old Virgin and Knocked Up are primarily movies about men, Apatow manages to avoid imprisoning the women characters present in stereotypical roles, giving them their own lives and humanity.
Funny People
Taking on a more serious tone this time, Funny People delivers Apatow sensibility in a complex comedy-drama. Trading his great laughs for subjects with more depth, Apatow approaches delicate topics with a new sense of irony while managing to still maintain unmatched humor. Funny People is about a comedian, George Simmons (Adam Sandler), as he learns of his terminal, inoperable health condition and decides to form a genuine friendship by taking a new performer under his wing as his opening act. Adam Sandler and Seth Rogen’s hilarious performances carry out the flowing plot and offer interesting insights into the complex nature of relationships and humanity in a broader sense. Unlike his two other films, Funny People really shows Apatow’s capacity for creating characters that seem more like “real people.” Breaking away from his initial style the film not only shows variety in his storytelling skills, but also demonstrates his ability to avoid depending too much on his public.
The King of Staten Island
The King of Staten Island is Apatow’s most recent film, directed by himself and written by him, Pete Davidson, and Dave Sirus. The film has been described as a "semi-biographical" story based on Davidson’s life, whose father was a firefighter who died during the September 11 attacks and who also struggles with mental illness. Apatow and Davidson work perfectly together, as their humor is considerably similar, particularly in the way that they know how to approach sensitive topics with comedy while still making sure to never cross the line into offensive or inappropriate jokes. The plot is beautifully crafted, once again showing Apatow’s love for imperfect protagonists and their journey navigating through the obstacles of life in a manner that allows them to reach happiness and become a more confident person. Compared to his other films, this one is a less outrageous comedy, focusing more on the psychological depth of its characters — perhaps highlighting Apatow’s desire to explore a more modern and complex world outside of media and pop-culture fanatics.
Freaks and Geeks
Freaks and Geeks is an American teen series created by Paul Feig and executive-produced by Judd Apatow. It is well-known for kicking off the careers of James Franco, Seth Rogen, Jason Segel and Linda Cardellini. Freaks and Geeks was more than a high school TV show: it looked at the painful reality and confusion of growing up, which made it different from the other idealized versions of high school popular throughout the 90s. Of course, the series still relied on “stereotypical” elements (namely, hierarchies) in order to recreate the familiar feelings that would transport viewers back to their own high school days. But it is that realism that really attracted and keeps drawing audiences to the show, and allowed both Feig and Apatow to flex their comedic talent through a mix of very real behavioral comedy. Once again, Apatow’s honest writing allows for his characters to be relatable and real, creating their own wonderful universe.
Love
Love is a TV series created by Judd Apatow and husband-and-wife co-creators Paul Rust and Lesley Arfin. Presented as a "down-to-earth look at dating," the program follows Mickey and Gus, two people attempting to build a trusting relationship with each other while navigating the exhilarations and humiliations of intimacy, commitment and other struggles of life. Apatow’s style is immediately recognizable: the nerdy guy whose life is suddenly changed after unexpectedly meeting someone new who will force him to grow at a personal level. While Love is a funny, light and extremely engaging TV show, Apatow and Rust, just like the creators of BoJack Horseman or Master Of None, don’t hesitate to tackle more hurting and truthful topics as well, which is what makes these series so unique. Love’s ability to replicate life with all its complexity creates a more realistic rather than escapist rom-com, making it utterly relatable and even more hilarious.