I Want Someone to Eat Cheese With (2006)

72% of critics liked it
(50 reviews)
38% of users liked it
(4,454 ratings)

Jeff Garlin, best known for his role as Larry David's manager on Curb Your Enthusiasm, has directed standup comedy specials for Jon Stewart and Denis Leary, and makes his feature-film debut with his own adaptation of his one-man stage show, I Want Someone to Eat Cheese With. Garlin stars as James,… More Jeff Garlin, best known for his role as Larry David's manager on Curb Your Enthusiasm, has directed standup comedy specials for Jon Stewart and Denis Leary, and makes his feature-film debut with his own adaptation of his one-man stage show, I Want Someone to Eat Cheese With. Garlin stars as James, an overweight, depressed actor who does improv at Second City. James lives with his mother (Mina Kolb) and constantly cheats on his diet. His life seems to be in a downward spiral. He quits his acting job on a sleazy prank show, his girlfriend (Rebecca Sage Allen) breaks up with him, and his agent (Richard Kind) dumps him. When he visits his friend's daughter's elementary school for Career Day, he embarrasses himself in front of the attractive teacher (Bonnie Hunt) by rambling inappropriately about his personal problems in front of the kids. He hears about a Chicago-based remake of Paddy Chayefsky's Marty, one of his favorite movies, and the role he seemingly was born to play, but he can't even get an audition. One day, after giving up on Compulsive Eaters Anonymous, he seeks solace in an ice cream parlor, where he meets Beth (Sarah Silverman), who quickly wins his heart by offering him free ice cream, and asking him a sexually provocative question. But his attraction to the sexually aggressive and somewhat demented Beth may bring James more problems than it solves. The film, which features appearances by Amy Sedaris, Dan Castellaneta, Wallace Langham, Roger Bart, Paul Mazursky, David Pasquesi, and Joey Slotnick, had its world premiere at the 2006 Tribeca Film Festival. ~ Josh Ralske, Rovi

Play Trailer

Rating, Runtime: Unrated, 1 hr. 20 min.
Directed By: Jeff Garlin
Genres: Comedy, Romance

In Theaters: Apr 28, 2006 Wide
On DVD: Apr 15, 2008
Studio: IFC First Take

Critic Reviews

Richard Roeper, Ebert & Roeper
It's a nice little movie.
Terry Lawson, Detroit Free Press
Cheese is such a small, endearing and well-observed piece -- sort of Curb Your Enthusiasm without the excruciating bits.
G. Allen Johnson, San Francisco Chronicle
Garlin's directing has little pacing, and many of the borderline gags could have been salvaged with some sharper editing. And there's a shocking amount of jokes and situations that just don't work.
Roger Ebert, Chicago Sun-Times
It celebrates its modesty, it becomes our friend, we're surprisingly touched by it even though it doesn't rock us. If there is such a thing as a must-see three-star movie, here it is.
Jonathan Rosenbaum, Chicago Reader
The cameos and local details, and even some of the gags, keep it perky.
Sid Smith, Chicago Tribune
I've no clue how the world will take to I Want Someone to Eat Cheese With. For Chicago, it's a scrumptious, four-star banquet.
Kam Williams, NewsBlaze
Jeff Garlin exhibits an endearing enough vulnerability to pull off the Woody Allen imitation, and with the help of a stellar supporting cast which includes Bonnie Hunt, Sarah Silverman, Amy Sedaris, Tim Kazurinsky, Elle Fanning and Dan Castellaneta.
Prairie Miller, NewsBlaze
Though the title could use some trimming too, the movie pulls off that delicate balancing act between creating a sympathetic big guy with a huge eating disorder, while keeping the fat jokes tastefully funny.
Prairie Miller, NewsBlaze
Though the title could use some trimming too, the movie pulls off that delicate balancing act between creating a sympathetic big guy with a huge eating disorder, while keeping the fat jokes tastefully funny.
Amy Nicholson, I.E. Weekly
The more James groans to an unsympathetic ear, "Why would they remake Marty--it's timeless?" we wonder why Garlin didn't take his own advice
Marta Barber, Miami Herald
You have to like James and his outlook on life. It may not be glamorous, but it's one that eventually allows James a higher lever of satisfaction.
S. Jhoanna Robledo, Common Sense Media
Offbeat indie romantic comedy for teens and up.
Marjorie Baumgarten, Austin Chronicle
Garlin wrote, directed, and stars in this endearing schlub-in-Chicago movie, which is based on his solo stage show of the same title.
David Fear, Time Out New York
Despite Garlin's chops and cameos from a who's who of Second City alumni, the film can't find a consistent comic groove.
Sean Means, Salt Lake Tribune
Some of James' adventures go nowhere, but his encounters with females ... are loaded with humor and warmth.
Josh Larsen, Sun Publications (Chicago, IL)
..about as small as movies get, yet often, unexpectedly, as moving.
Peter Sobczynski, eFilmCritic.com
It may not exactly conform to what many people might expect to see from a current-day romantic comedy, it is one of the more satisfying examples of the genre to come along in recent months.
Jeff Vice, Deseret News, Salt Lake City
This is a film that can't quite decide if it wants to be a show-business spoof, a romantic comedy or an embarrassment comedy along the lines of HBO's Curb Your Enthusiasm.

Read all 18 critic reviews

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Featured Audience Ratings

Nicki M

I think this was really badly marketed. From the cover it looks like a romantic comedy, only of course you expect it to have an edge as it stars Sarah Silverman, and just the title alone, you know you can expect something a little bit different. However, it is not really that type… More
I think this was really badly marketed. From the cover it looks like a romantic comedy, only of course you expect it to have an edge as it stars Sarah Silverman, and just the title alone, you know you can expect something a little bit different. However, it is not really that type of movie at all. It is a slight, quiet little film about an overweight man who wants to find love. Sarah Silverman is barely in it, (which is a blessing, at least from my point of view - I really don't find her endearing at all), and when she is, she turns out to be not all that nice. It is brief at 80 minutes, and thought it has it's moments, including a cameo by Amy Sedaris, it falls pretty flat and is ultimately unsatisfying on any level. My husband compared this to a Woody Allen movie, and I think he is right. If they marketed it more in that area, I think it would have been a lot less disappointing.
Wahida K

Sarah Silvermann is my Idol.
Stefanie C

with the number of comedians in this film, i expected it to be funny. this movie is so dull, it was unbearable to finish watching it. definitely filed in the forgettable, to-trades.
Ken S

Great simple character piece. No flashy camera work, no preposterous "running across the city to win back the woman I love scenes' Everything a movie needs to be and nothing more.
William G

Rambling and repetitive rom-com favors neuroses over chemistry.
Leo L

Great movie by Jeff Garlin. Interesting story plot about a man who searches for love and desires to be content. Good cast. Definitely worthy.
Nate H

Good enough to make Sarah Silverman legitimately funny! Garlin is a hoot and the film, though a little aimless, is pleasant.