There’s only one thing you honestly need to know about Trainwreck: it’s really funny. That’s great news for Judd Apatow and his fans. His first two films—The 40-Year-Old Virgin and Knocked Up—heralded a new era for R-rated comedies and helped introduce us to a slew of comedians who came to define the genre for the past decade (whether you like it or not is another issue). But his last two—Funny People and This is 40—divided audiences and disappointed at the box office.*
Amy Schumer’s humor has usually been hit-or-miss for me, but Apatow owes her much of the credit for his return to form, because her writing is ultimately what makes the movie. Both of them are adept at the crass humor that defines it. Apatow has been criticized for his male-centric movies and their portrayal of women, whom he often relegates to minor roles, and I get that some of his past movies are far from shining beacons of feminism. (Although I can’t say it really affected my enjoyment of them personally, growing up as a white dude, for better or for worse). Along with Trainwreck, Apatow also produced Bridesmaids and HBO’s Girls**, suggesting that he acknowledges this and knows that women deserve better portrayals onscreen. Schumer’s voice, which pretty obviously offers a modern feminist perspective, shines through and it never feels like the two are wrestling for control.
It’s always stood out to me that Apatow handles dramatic moments better than most comedy directors, like after the baby is born in Knocked Up or when Steve Carell’s secret is revealed to his girlfriend in The 40-Year-Old Virgin. Here, the subplot involving Amy’s sick father and her relationship with her sister are surprisingly meaty and satisfying. Also interesting to note is that despite all of the dick jokes and progressive thinking, Trainwreck’s story plays out like a pretty old fashioned romantic comedy—although a well made one.
Like most of Apatow’s other movies, this one is too damn long. The final stretch gets a little tedious. Comedies have to go above and beyond to justify being over two hours long, and Trainwreck pushes its luck in this aspect. It also relies too heavily on an onslaught of celebrity cameos for laughs, and at a certain point it begins to feel desperate. With that said, LeBron and John Cena are memorable in supporting roles. LeBron’s dry humor actually makes the rumor of a Space Jam 2 starring the basketball player seem like it could theoretically not suck and ruin ‘90s kids’ lives forever. He can play off of Bill Hader; maybe he can work with Bugs Bunny?
Despite these flaws, Trainwreck made me laugh out loud frequently, and it does a solid job of balancing edgy jokes with sweet moments. It’s a great date movie, and it’s a great movie on its own. Less great: sitting in the theater next to an old white guy who smells weird. Even worse: knowing that’s probably my future self.
*For what it’s worth, I thought Funny People was, true to its name, pretty funny. Though I can see why the lengthy and melodramatic third act turned people off; it’s certainly Adam Sandler’s last remotely interesting or challenging role. Trainwreck similarly uses the audiences’ familiarity with the movie’s star to add another level to the comedy and the drama. This is 40, however, was a pretty miserable experience; all of the funniest moments were in the trailers, and the rest of it could just be described as two hours of a depressed middle aged couple doing nothing but going about their business, yet without the type of insightful storyline that could support the concept. It was like a shitty Revolutionary Road desperately looking for laughs. Trainwreck is cynical at times but not on nearly the same level as This is 40. Apatow probably won’t have to endure as many awkward conversations with his wife because of his latest movie, anyway.
**I recently started watching Girls, and I have to say that although Lena Dunham is a pretty questionable human being, there’s no denying that she’s a good writer. Seasons 1 and 2 are funny and seem to offer raw, very real portrayals of modern women, at least as much as I could ever know. Dunham and Schumer’s writing and humor are strikingly similar in this regard. Although I’m halfway through season 3 of the show now, and the quality of the writing has noticeably decreased. Everyone’s just an asshole now, but the worst part is that they’re all boring assholes, so I’m not even intrigued to see what dickish things they do next. Seriously, Jessa is an actual crazy person and she just needs to OD already. That’s harsh, but hey, she’s fictional. Much like I’ve done with Dunham, I’ll have to give Inside Amy Schumer more of a chance. Trainwreck is evidence of what she is can accomplish when she brings her A-game, and a few flat sketches on a sketch comedy show are hardly proof that it totally sucks.
Seth Birkenmeyer 