Comedian (2002)

Director:

Christian Charles

Release Date:

July 2003 (Norway)

Genre:

Documentary

Tagline:

If you loved 'Seinfeld', the same guy's in this.

Plot:

A look at the work of two stand-up comics, Jerry Seinfeld and a lesser-known newcomer, detailing the effort and frustration behind putting together a successful act and career while living a life on the road.

Plot Keywords:

Comedy Club | Surprise After End Credits | Ambition | Stand Up Comedy | Museum

Awards:

2 nominations

Cast

Jerry Seinfeld	...	Comedian
Greg Giraldo	...	Comedian (as Greg Geraldo)
Sherrod Small	...	Comedian
Jim Norton	...	Comedian
Allan Havey	...	Comedian
Colin Quinn	...	Comedian
Cynthia Koury	...	Comedian
Orny Adams	...	Comedian
George Wallace	...	Comedian
Robert Klein	...	Comedian
T. Sean Shannon	...	Comedian
Gary Greenberg	...	Comedian
Shawn Seymour	...	Comedian
Richard Spector	...	Comedian
Michael Britt	...	Comedian
Craig Figueiredo	...	Comedian
Nicole Severine	...	Comedian
Nicole Beatty	...	Comedian
Tom Papa	...	Comedian
Mario Joyner	...	Comedian
Ray Romano	...	Comedian
William Stephenson	...	Comedian
Ángel Salazar	...	Comedian
Godfrey	...	Comedian
Dom Irrera	...	Comedian
Gary Valentine	...	Comedian
Chris Rock	...	Comedian
Brad Perry	...	Comedian
Garry Shandling	...	Comedian
Kevin Nealon	...	Comedian
Jay Leno	...	Comedian
Jimmy Brogan	...	Comedian
Bill Cosby	...	Comedian
Mustafa Abuelhija	...	Other Appearance
Manny Dworman	...	Other Appearance
Estee Adoram	...	Other Appearance
Anat Barnes	...	Other Appearance
George Shapiro	...	Other Appearance
Rory Rosegarten	...	Other Appearance
Diane Barnett	...	Other Appearance
Chris Misiano	...	Other Appearance
Chris Mazzilli	...	Other Appearance
Jessica Seinfeld	...	Other Appearance (as Jessica Seinfeld-Sklar)
Michie Mee	...	Other Appearance
Richard Miller	...	Other Appearance
Terry Dimonte	...	Other Appearance
Brett Walkow	...	Other Appearance
Barry Katz	...	Other Appearance
John Johnson	...	Other Appearance
Tom Pecora	...	Other Appearance
Paul Schorsch	...	Other Appearance
Henry Benavides	...	Other Appearance
Mark Magnusson	...	Other Appearance
Daniel McKenna	...	Other Appearance
Michael Nelson	...	Other Appearance
Mike Lacey	...	Other Appearance
Elizabeth Clark	...	Other Appearance
Kevin Dochtermann	...	Other Appearance

Directed by
Christian Charles

Produced by
Amy R. Baird	....	associate producer
Jerry Seinfeld	....	executive producer
Gary Streiner	....	producer

Cinematography by
Christian Charles
Mark Plumber
Gary Streiner

Film Editing by
Chris Franklin

Sound Department
Michael Emery	....	sound
Valerie Junge	....	supervising sound editor
Frank Morrone	....	sound re-recording mixer
Steve F.B. Smith	....	stereo sound consultant: Dolby

Editorial Department
Jenn Chambers	....	assistant editor
Jen Style	....	assistant editor
Miky Wolf	....	assistant editor
Bill Stephan	....	video to film transfer (uncredited)

Music Department
Chris Franklin	....	music supervisor
Christopher S. Parker	....	music clearances

Other crew
Terran Benveniste	....	production assistant
Omri Green	....	delivery supervisor (uncredited)
Yori Tondrowski	....	production assistant (uncredited)

Production Companies

• Bridgnorth Films
• New Material

Distributors

• Europa Filmes (2005) (Brazil) (DVD)
• Miramax Films
• Miramax Home Entertainment (2003) (USA) (DVD)

Also Known As:

Anatomy of a Joke (USA) (working title)

Runtime:

82 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.33 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital

Certification:

Portugal:M/6 | New Zealand:R16 | Singapore:NC-16 | USA:R

Filming Locations:

Ed Sullivan Theatre - 1697 Broadway, Manhattan, New York City, New York, USA

Company:

Bridgnorth Films

Movie Connections:

Referenced in The Benchwarmers (2006)

Soundtrack:

Les Brers in A Minor

"Comedian" is a documentary about crafting a career in stand-up comedy, starring and produced by Jerry Seinfeld.

My first memory of this movie's release was seeing its trailer poster - an intrusive billboard-sized mural in Mid-town Manhattan. It pictured Jerry Seinfeld awkwardly striding across a city street in a suit, microphone and stand in tow. The poster told me 'here is a superstar, a living legend of the small screen, stripped of his entourage of writers; stripped of his supporting cast of characters, his Kramers and Costanzas; sent to live among us once again and say I bet I can make you laugh.' I remember thinking 'I bet you can't' as I descended into the subway.

Perhaps I was harsh. But watching "Comedian" I learned I pale in comparison to the comic's toughest audience: himself. "Comedian" gives us a taste of the life that exists between 20 minute sets; the intimate moments of a seasoned stand-up comic, earning his weight in laughs. The movie could work on its own as a story about the unique turns that lie in wait of one pursuing a profession in comedy. But what makes "Comedian" special is the voyeuristic quality of its backdrop. We're used to Jerry Seinfeld's Seinfeld. Here we see Jerry Seinfeld's Jerry, a cool if not sometimes meekly understated professional who still gets the jitters before taking the stage at unknown Midwestern laugh-ins. "Comedian" pulls the celebrity curtain down, serving us fizzy gin and tonics with Rocks and Romanos on the side. The movie makes you feel like you are at your home town's shadiest club and comic greats are eating peanuts just a few bar stools away. Silently we mutter 'sure Jerry is performing a set tonight, but not before I buy him a cocktail.' If the movie works, we believe that Jerry Seinfeld is a working man - and we're nervous for him. Our hero, off to slay a dragon each night he performs. We wish him luck on the road, one he navigates in a beamer.

Afterword: "Comedy" is refreshing in its suggestion that accomplished stars can be working stiffs too, if their star hangs from a comic cellar's rafter. To wit, Chris Rock recounts a cutting-edge set he caught recently at a theater in Newark, N.J. The comic was a long-time favorite of his, but he didn't recognize most of the jokes. He delivered a 2 1/2 hour, uninterrupted set, a task regarded by Seinfeld in the movie as a "physical feat." The man was killing the crowd (along with Chris) with brand new material he had never heard. His name was Bill Cosby.