Diary of a Young Comic (1979)
A time capsule of the L.A. comedy scene in the 1970s, "Diary of a Young Comic" casts Richard Lewis as a fictionalized version of himself - a young New York comic who comes out to Los Angeles to seek his fame and fortune.
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Reviews
Excellent but underrated film
I cannot think of one single thing that I would change about this film. The acting is incomparable, the directing deft, and the writing poignantly brilliant.
It’s not bad or unwatchable but despite the amplitude of the spectacle, the end result is underwhelming.
what a terribly boring film. I'm sorry but this is absolutely not deserving of best picture and will be forgotten quickly. Entertaining and engaging cinema? No. Nothing performances with flat faces and mistaking silence for subtlety.
I really like Richard Lewis, more as a concept than the actual performance. This movie is not autobiographical, the character he plays is much less neurotic than his stand up performances. It stands up okay as made-for-TV fair, I remember first seeing it during the summer when Saturday Night Live took its vacation. Basic story is a young stand-up tries to figure out how he should perform.. He tries all the different styles, impressionist, prop comic, insulting comic, but in the end finds out he should just be himself. Cameos by old school comics don't do a whole lot, and the Marilyn Monroe look a like girlfriend goes nowhere. Not bad, just TV fare. I give it a 6.