The Comedian is a 2016 American comedy-drama film directed by Taylor Hackford and written by Lewis Friedman, Richard LaGravenese, Art Linson, and Jeff Ross. The film stars Robert De Niro, Leslie Mann, Danny DeVito, Edie Falco, Veronica Ferres, Charles Grodin, Cloris Leachman, Patti LuPone, Greer Barnes and Harvey Keitel.
| The Comedian | |
|---|---|
 Theatrical release poster | |
| Directed by | Taylor Hackford |
| Screenplay by | |
| Story by |
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| Produced by |
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| Starring | |
| Cinematography | Oliver Stapleton |
| Edited by | Mark Warner |
| Music by | Terence Blanchard |
Production companies |
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| Distributed by | Sony Pictures Classics |
Release dates |
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Running time | 120 minutes |
| Country | United States |
| Language | English |
| Budget | $9.3 million[1] |
| Box office | $1.7 million[2] |
The film had its world premiere at the AFI Fest on November 11, 2016, and was released by Sony Pictures Classics on December 9, 2016. The film opened to negative reviews from critics.
Plot
editJackie (Robert De Niro) is an aging comic icon, determined to reinvent himself after growing frustrated with audiences only wanting him to reenact jokes and scenes from a cult classic TV show he starred in decades earlier as a beloved main character.
He attends a comedy club for nostalgia night at Governor's Comedy Club in Levittown, New York (near Hicksville, New York), hosted by Jimmie Walker. After punching out an audience member trying to film his routine, Jackie is sentenced to 30 days in jail. During his 100 hours of community service he meets Harmony Schiltz (Leslie Mann), who works at a soup kitchen as part of her community service.
Cast
edit- Robert De Niro as Jakov Berkowitz / Jackie Burke
- Leslie Mann as Harmony Schiltz
- Danny DeVito as Jimmy Berkowitz, Jackie’s younger brother and a restaurant owner
- Edie Falco as Miller, Jackie's longtime agent
- Veronica Ferres as Karoll
- Charles Grodin as Dick D'Angelo
- Cloris Leachman as May Conner
- Patti LuPone as Florence Berkowitz
- Harvey Keitel as Mac Schiltz
- Lois Smith as Miriam
- Hannibal Buress as himself
- Greer Barnes as himself
- Happy Anderson as Heckler
- Jim Norton as himself
- Gilbert Gottfried as himself
- Billy Crystal as himself
- Bobby Rydell as himself
- Brett Butler as herself
- Richard Belzer as himself
- Nick Di Paolo as himself
- Kelly McCrann as Frankie
- Craig Castaldo though he also goes by Craig Schwartz and by Radioman as soup kitchen patron #1
Production
editAt one point it was hoped that Martin Scorsese would direct the film. Instead, Mike Newell joined on as the film's director,[3] only to be replaced a few months later by Taylor Hackford.[4] Jennifer Aniston was at one point attached to play Harmony Schiltz but was later replaced by Leslie Mann.[5]
Principal photography on the film began on February 21, 2016, in New York City,[6] and other locations including Manhattan, Levittown, East Meadow and Mineola.[7][8]
Release
editIn October 2016, Sony Pictures Classics acquired U.S distribution rights to the film, with plans to release the film in December, in order to qualify for awards.[9] The film had its world premiere at the AFI Fest on November 11, 2016.[10] It hit theaters in a limited release on December 9, 2016, with a wide opening on February 3, 2017.[11][12] It was originally scheduled to open on January 13, but was pushed back to February 3.[13][14]
Reception
editBox office
editIn North America, The Comedian was released alongside Rings and The Space Between Us, and was projected to gross $1–3 million from about 800 theaters in its opening weekend.[15] It ended up debuting to just $892,021, finishing 21st at the box office. Deadline Hollywood attributed the film's poor opening to negative critical reception and lack of award buzz, similar to Gold the week prior.[16]
Critical response
editOn review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes the film holds an approval rating of 24% based on 109 reviews, with an average rating of 4.7/10. The site's critical consensus reads, "The Comedian boasts an incredibly talented cast, but they're put to poor use in an aimless rom-com whose handful of memorable moments never add up to a compelling story."[17] On Metacritic, the film has a score of 40 out of 100, based on 37 critics, indicating "mixed or average reviews".[18]
Accolades
edit| Award | Category | Recipient(s) | Result | Ref(s) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hollywood Film Awards | Hollywood Comedy Award | Robert De Niro | Won | [19] |
References
edit- ^ "FILM TAX CREDIT – QUARTERLY REPORT - CALENDAR YEAR 2018: FIRST QUARTER" (PDF). New York State: 7. March 31, 2018. Retrieved July 8, 2020.
- ^ "The Comedian (2016)". Box Office Mojo. Retrieved March 10, 2017.
- ^ McNary, Dave (May 20, 2015). "Robert De Niro's 'The Comedian' Taps Mike Newell to Direct". variety.com. Retrieved November 18, 2015.
- ^ Fleming, Mike Jr. (July 7, 2015). "Taylor Hackford Stands Up To Direct Robert De Niro In His Passion Project 'The Comedian'". deadline.com. Retrieved November 18, 2015.
- ^ McNary, Dave (January 19, 2016). "Leslie Mann Replaces Jennifer Aniston in Robert De Niro's 'The Comedian'". Variety. Retrieved February 27, 2016.
- ^ "On the Set for 2/26/16: Dwayne Johnson & Zac Efron Start Shooting 'Baywatch', Peter Dinklage & Julia Ormond Wrap 'Rememory'". SSN Insider. February 26, 2016. Archived from the original on February 28, 2016. Retrieved February 27, 2016.
- ^ "'The Comedian', starring Robert De Niro, filming underway in New York City". OLV. March 9, 2016. Archived from the original on May 4, 2016. Retrieved March 12, 2016.
- ^ https://moviesfilmedonlongisland.com/portfolio-item/comedian-the/
- ^ Fleming, Mike Jr. (October 5, 2016). "Add Robert De Niro To Oscar Short List; Sony Classics Lands 'The Comedian'". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved October 6, 2016.
- ^ McNary, Dave (October 14, 2016). "Robert De Niro's 'The Comedian' to Premiere at AFI Fest". Variety. Retrieved October 14, 2016.
- ^ McGovern, Joe (November 21, 2016). "The Comedian trailer: Robert De Niro yuks it up as a broken-down insult comic". Entertainment Weekly. Retrieved November 21, 2016.
- ^ Cabin, Chris (November 21, 2016). "'The Comedian' Trailer Finds Robert De Niro Being Funny or Something". Collider. Retrieved November 21, 2016.
- ^ A. Lincoln, Ross (December 23, 2016). "'The Comedian' Set For Wide Release February 3". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved December 23, 2016.
- ^ McNary, Dave (December 23, 2016). "Robert De Niro's 'The Comedian' Gets Release Date". Variety. Retrieved December 23, 2016.
- ^ "'Rings' Hopes To Choke 'Split' In Genre Scrimmage Over Super Bowl Weekend – Box Office". Deadline Hollywood. February 2017.
- ^ "'Split' Dings 'Rings'; Auds Keep Distance From 'Space'; 'Comedian' Bombs: Sunday Update". Deadline Hollywood. 6 February 2017.
- ^ "The Comedian (2016)". Rotten Tomatoes. Retrieved April 2, 2018.
- ^ "The Comedian reviews". Metacritic.com. Retrieved February 11, 2017.
- ^ "Robert De Niro to Be Honored With Hollywood Comedy Award". Hollywood Film Awards. October 31, 2016. Retrieved November 2, 2016.
