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In the world of film, I think Judd Apatow is the new Woody Allen.

Almost anyone who grew up in the 1970s has heard of Woody Allen. He has directed and written movies like Bananas, Manhattan, and Annie Hall. Allen’s films tend to be about the ridiculous aspects of life – such as relationships, death, social pressure, and idiosyncrasies --- as shown in this scene from his film Bananas:

ALLEN: "I…I have to tell you something and I don’t know how to break it
Why, is something the matter? Have you seen x-rays of me?
(laughing) I saw x-rays of you (laughing)
I fail to see the humor in this…
Oh, you didn’t see the x-rays
Wha- tell me whatsa matter-
No, nothing I’m just-
Cuz I’m worried, you know when you’re heart beats…my heart is beating-
I know, I know, I know I just don’t think we should see each other anymore.”

If you know anything about pop culture today, then you’ve probably heard of Judd Apatow. He’s the man behind off-beat comedies such as Knocked Up, The 40 Year Old Virgin and Pineapple Express.  Although I think they tend to be less intellectual and more vulgar than Allen’s films, Apatow’s movies too address the absurdity of life and relationships. Knocked Up, one of Apatow’s most popular movies, is about an unplanned pregnancy and the relationships that result from it.
   
(kids laughing)

“They seem to love bubbles.
Oh God, they go apeshit over bubbles.
They’re really going apeshit
I mean…that’s an incredible thing about a child. I mean, what’s so great about bubbles?
They float, you can pop ‘em. I mean I get it, I get it.
I wish I liked anything as much as my kids like bubbles.
That’s sad
It’s totally sad. Their smiling faces just point out your inability to enjoy anything.
Am I gonna be ok, man?
Oh, who knows? Is anybody ok? I’m not ok. You’re asking the wrong guy. Just don’t ask me to lend you any money, ok?
Can I just have some?
No"

My sister, Jeannette, who is a big fan of both Allen and Apatow movies, likes them for one reason in particular – the dialogue.

JEANETTE: They both have a lot of witty dialogue between typically male characters, it seems, or… references to pop culture or to… a lot of Woody Allen movies have references to New York culture or to things that were going on at the time… The same is true of Apatow movies…like in the 40 Year Old Virgin at the end when he starts dancing to The Age of Aquarius… That was great!

Not only do both directors produce movies filled with clever dialogue, they also use scores of obscure cultural references. Matt Socey, host of WFYI’s Movie Sociology, says it is these references that make both directors immensely popular with their audiences:

SOCEY: “It’s referential humor when it comes to history or pop culture…That, you either get it or you don’t get it. But if you do get it, it’s a 500 foot home-run, out of the ball park hilarious.”

However, it’s not just their comedic similarities that make this comparison legitimate, but the peculiar heart-warming characters that their films share. For example, Isaac Davis, the neurotic comedy writer looking for the right relationship in Allen’s Manhattan:

ALLEN: “An idea for a short story about…uh…people in Manhattan who are constantly creating these real unnecessary neurotic problems for themselves ‘cause it keeps them from dealing with more unsolvable, terrifying, problems about the universe…(mumbling)…Well it has to be optimistic… wha-… alright, why is life worth living, that’s a very good question. Well there are certain things that make it worthwhile. Like what? Well, for me, I would say…Groucho Marx, to name one thing…and uh…Willie Mays…the second movement of the Jupiter Symphony, and um…Louis Armstrong, recording of Potato Head Blues…um, Swedish movies, naturally; Sentimental Education by Flaubert; uhhh…Marlon Brando; Frank Sinatra; ummm… those incredible apples and pears by Cezanne; uh… the crabs at Sam Wo’s; Tracy’s face… (Music)”

Both Apatow’s and Allen’s movies are more than just silly comedies. They help put life’s everyday burdens and anxieties into perspective by making people laugh and by providing characters, such as Allen’s ditzy but loveable Annie Hall or Apatow’s goofy pothead Ben, which people recognize and can relate to. 

SOCEY: “What Apatow has been getting praise for that last few years, he’s been making comedies that involve three- dimensional characters and he’s given a little bit of heart and in some cases a lot of heart.”

Probably the most valuable gift that that both Allen and Apatow give with their films is that they address life’s really frightening and disconcerting issues in a manner that takes the dread out of them and makes them more manageable. Alvy Singer probably explains the basic subject matter covered by both directors best during the opening scene of Annie Hall:

There’s an old joke, um, two elderly women are at a Catskill Mountain resort and one of them says, “Boy, the food at this place is really terrible.” And the other one says, “ Yeah, I know… And such small portions!” Well, that’s essentially how I feel about life - full of loneliness, and misery, and suffering, and unhappiness, and… It’s all over, much too quickly.

For Y-Press, I’m Nick Greven