Billy Crystal stars as Buddy Young, Jr., a stand-up comedian who had the chance at mass stardom, but never rose above his own negativity. The older Buddy (Crystal with a terrible make-up job – he looked more believable in The Princess Bride) looks back at the defining moments of his life through flashbacks. Unfortunately, I didn’t think Crystal’s performance was emotionally deep enough to carry the film. He’s great at the one liners, but falls flat in the important scenes. The movie also feels too long and could easily have used more liberal editing.

The supporting cast, however, is really good. Buddy’s brother is excellently played by David Paymer (who was nominated for an Oscar). Helen Hunt also shines as the newbie comic agent doing her best to handle such an irascible old man.