The Zen Diaries of Garry Shandling

2018
8.4| 4h19m| en
Details

A look at the life and career of stand-up comedian and actor, Garry Shandling through his personal diaries.

Director

Producted By

Apatow Productions

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Reviews

Breakinger A Brilliant Conflict
Sanjeev Waters A movie that not only functions as a solid scarefest but a razor-sharp satire.
Rosie Searle It's the kind of movie you'll want to see a second time with someone who hasn't seen it yet, to remember what it was like to watch it for the first time.
Sarita Rafferty There are moments that feel comical, some horrific, and some downright inspiring but the tonal shifts hardly matter as the end results come to a film that's perfect for this time.
YolkyPalky Judd's documentary is comprehensive of Garry's life, from childhood beginnings to his end days. I doubt many people realized the childhood pain Garry suffered and carried with him his whole life when his brother died. Childhood trauma, which often occurs from a fractured or broken relationship like a parent or sibling dying, sudden departure of a parent from the family, etc., is often the root cause of many emotional and psychological problems in adulthood. Judd's film underscored this by emphasizing the impact of the death of Garry's brother in childhood.It was also incredible to see how many other comedian's lives Garry touched and influenced along the way. It was as though Garry became somewhat of a muse in the world of comedy and comedians would seek him out for counsel and advice.I suppose I could critique one thing about the movie. The one thing that was kind of swept under the rug and hidden from the audience, and I don't blame Judd for not emphasizing this, was Garry's apparent use and perhaps even addiction to opiate painkillers. You can see how Garry was an emotionally tormented soul, and the movie emphasizes how Garry spent a lifetime searching for truth, happiness, and contentment. The thing about opiate painkillers is they don't just numb physical pain, which Garry surely had after major surgery, but they also numb emotional pain, which surely made Garry susceptible to it's trappings. The toxicology report found Xanax, Oxycodone, and Hydrocodone in Garry's system at time of death. I think it was known among Garry's friends that he had a problem. The film could've addressed this issue head-on instead of not really addressing it at all, especially considering others in the film, or talked about in the film, like Tom Petty and Prince, died from similar reasons.Overall a terrific look back at a comedy genius and Garry will surely be missed by everyone who knew him, and those who didn't as well.
zif ofoz This is a rather long docu on the brilliant comedian Garry Shandling. If your are or were a fan of this famous man you will love the insight offered by others into Shandling's career in show business and his climb to fame.But if you just remember him from his TV shows and standup comedy then this docu is tedious and almost repetitive. Sometimes it's best not to see how the magic of putting on a show is done by going back stage and seeing what it's really like.
joshlangg My guess is that Garry Shandling would be very appreciative of how well of a job that Judd Apatow did on this wonderful documentary that chronicalized his life and spirituality. I had not had much exposure to Garry's comedy before watching this. After watching it, I have come away with the fact that he very well may have been the best performer of his time due to the way he held his material to such high standards and also because of the countless amount of people who he mentored. There is more to learn in this documentary than just how effortlessly funny Garry really was (although the worked tirelessly on his material). It shows the journey to enlightenment. How to accept ones place in the universe. How to resist being egotistical in an effort to not take life more seriously than it needs to be taken. Thank you Judd. Thank you Garry.
steveo122 Career driven good guy keeps his soul clean. Worthy subject; worthy tribute. And, no, not too long.

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