"Funny People" star Adam Sandler and writer-director Judd Apatow shared a cramped apartment when they were both starting out as stand-up comedians. Two decades on, they are two of the most successful mirth makers in Hollywood. Sandler has starred in 10 pictures that have earned more than $100 million apiece domestically. And Apatow has crafted some of the most successful comedies of the past few years as a writer, director and producer.

Though Sandler and Apatow may be laughing all the way to the bank, funny men aren't taken seriously by the top tier of movie awards. Perhaps "Funny People" can change all that.

Apatow has fashioned a story about a successful comic actor (Sandler) forced to examine his life when confronted by illness. Apatow's longtime protege Seth Rogen plays Sandler's sidekick, while the helmer's wife Leslie Mann is featured as Sandler's love interest.

"Funny People" scored only 60 at Meta Critic and 50 among the cream of the crop of critics surveyed by Rotten Tomatoes. There was a smattering of strong notices from the likes of Claudia Puig of USA Today, who thought "Funny People" to be "a rumination on mortality, fame and life choices, punctuated with Apatow's trademark raunchy humor." Roger Ebert of the Chicago Sun-Times and Peter Travers of Rolling Stone were equally enthusiastic. However, most critics carped about the split personality of the picture and a running time of almost 2½ hours. 

Adam Sandler earned his only Golden Globe nod for his first serio-comic role in 2002's "Punch Drunk Love." He lost the lead actor in a musical or comedy race to Richard Gere for "Chicago." Sandler has shelves full of trophies from the likes of the Kids, Teen and People's Choice Awards as well as the MTV Movie Awards.