Comedian (2002)

76% of critics liked it
(88 reviews)
65% of users liked it
(6,361 ratings)

The world of stand-up comedy is explored from the perspectives of two very different talents -- one wet behind the years, another already a legend -- in this documentary from TV-commercial director Christian Charles. Comedian follows Jerry Seinfeld and Orny Adams as they navigate their way through… More The world of stand-up comedy is explored from the perspectives of two very different talents -- one wet behind the years, another already a legend -- in this documentary from TV-commercial director Christian Charles. Comedian follows Jerry Seinfeld and Orny Adams as they navigate their way through the cutthroat world of New York's comedy clubs, each working toward the ultimate goal of an appearance on Late Night with David Letterman. For Seinfeld, hitting the clubs is a way of proving himself after his years of sitcom success; for the up-and-coming Adams, nightly stand-up routines are an avenue to bigger and better things, preferably comedy festivals, talk show appearances, and sitcom roles. The two occasionally cross paths at such Manhattan comic haunts as The Gotham Comedy Club and Caroline's, where they debate ups and downs of the trade. Comedian also reveals many candid, behind-the-scenes discussions between Seinfeld and such comic legends as Chris Rock, Robert Klein, Dave Chappelle, and Jay Leno, as well as rare glimpses of the star's personal life. ~ Michael Hastings, Rovi

Rating, Runtime: R, 1 hr. 40 min.
Directed By: Christian Charles
Genres: Documentary, Comedy

In Theaters: Oct 11, 2002 Wide
On DVD: May 13, 2003
Studio: Miramax Films

Critic Reviews

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.
Joe Baltake, Sacramento Bee
Go see Comedian and laugh -- and learn.
Roger Moore, Orlando Sentinel
Charles did a great job of catching Seinfeld with his guard down, or what passes for unguarded for this most guarded of celebrities.
Robert Denerstein, Denver Rocky Mountain News
Demonstrates that even good comics aren't especially interesting when caught offstage.
Bill Muller, Arizona Republic
Seinfeld, dogged by self-doubt and clearly struggling at times, comes up with some fairly funny material.
Ann Hornaday, Washington Post
What begins as an indulgent vanity piece (Seinfeld was a producer of the film) ends up as a fascinating portrait of creativity at its most compulsive.
Pablo Villaca, Cinema em Cena
Um olhar fascinante sobre os bastidores da comédia stand-up.
Gerry Shamray, Sun Newspapers of Cleveland
In the bonus department, there are several deleted scenes on the disc that I would have kept in the film.
David Cornelius, eFilmCritic.com
It's both endlessly intriguing and side-splittingly funny.
Sarah Chauncey, Reel.com
Seeing Jerry Seinfeld curse himself offstage is as startling as seeing him going blank in the middle of a bit on stage.
Mark Robison, Reno Gazette-Journal
Think sausage. It's gristly, filled with fat, and even if you like standup comedy, you might not want to see it done.
Linda Cook, Quad City Times (Davenport, IA)
Being funny is serious business.
Betty Jo Tucker, ReelTalk Movie Reviews
Choppy editing and too many repetitive scenes spoil what could have been an important documentary about stand-up comedy.
James Rocchi, Netflix
Digital-video documentary about stand-up comedians is a great glimpse into a very different world.

Read all 14 critic reviews

Critic ratings and reviews powered by RottenTomatoes.com

Fresh (60% or more critics rated the movie positively)

Rotten (59% or fewer critics rated the movie positively)

Featured Audience Ratings

Ken S

A great peek into the world of the Stand up.
rocko p

Comedian follows two comics and up-in comer (Orny Adams) and a veteran (Jerry Seinfield) Both entertaining and a slap in the face for anyone who thinks after a hit sitcom you can just go back on stage and kill using your presence. Just not the truth, If I can paraphrase Steve Martin… More
Comedian follows two comics and up-in comer (Orny Adams) and a veteran (Jerry Seinfield) Both entertaining and a slap in the face for anyone who thinks after a hit sitcom you can just go back on stage and kill using your presence. Just not the truth, If I can paraphrase Steve Martin stand-up comedy is the single most difficult thing in show business because every other aspect of show business you can hide behind something so the audience doesn't see you wether it's a camera or a script. With stand-up your audience is right in front of you. It's a real no holds barred business. Lot's of great cameos keep this film from being a pbs special. A new favorite documedy of mine.
Sunil J

Interesting enough. A lot of great comedians are featured in this.
matt s

A good doc. Orny Adams is a worrying bitch, he makes me not want to worry ever again. Seriously, if anyone wants to make it in entertainment should watch this and take "Barry"s advice - relax. It was cool to see the community of comedians calming down a legend. I enjoyed it… More
A good doc. Orny Adams is a worrying bitch, he makes me not want to worry ever again. Seriously, if anyone wants to make it in entertainment should watch this and take "Barry"s advice - relax. It was cool to see the community of comedians calming down a legend. I enjoyed it even though I wanted to see what happened to Adams - hopefully, failure.
Marion R

I thought this was a very interesting watch. Seinfeld a comedian who is trying to get back into the groove of being a stand-up comic. There are plenty'O cameos from fellow comics. There is also another comic called "Orny Adams" who is an up and coming comic who is a… More
I thought this was a very interesting watch. Seinfeld a comedian who is trying to get back into the groove of being a stand-up comic. There are plenty'O cameos from fellow comics. There is also another comic called "Orny Adams" who is an up and coming comic who is a complete asshole. There is no other way to describe him. It was interesting to see his story as well. It has a couple good jokes there to keep you entertained a neat insight.
Christopher B

Self indulgent but semi interesting (only because I like the subject matter) documentary.

Read all 6 featured audience ratings

Cast

            Jerry Seinfeld as Himself

            Greg Geraldo
            
            Sherrod Small
            
            Jim Norton
            
            Godfrey
            
            Allan Havey
            
            Colin Quinn as Himself

            Cynthia Koury
            
            Orny Adams
            
            George Wallace (II)
            
            Eddie Ifft
            
            Robert Klein
            
            Mario Joyner
            
            T. Sean Shannon
            
            Gary Greenberg
            
            Shawn Seymour
            
            Richard Spector
            
            Michael Britt
            
            Craig Figueirido
            
            Nicole Severine
            
            Nicole Beatty
            
            Tom Papa
            
            Ray Romano
            
            William Stephenson
            
            Angel Salazar
            
            Andrew Grose
            
            Dom Irrera
            
            Gary Valentine
            
            Chris Rock as Himself

            Brad Perry
            
            Garry Shandling as Himself

            Kevin Nealon as Himself

            Jay Leno
            
            Jimmy Brogan
            
            Bill Cosby
            
See full cast