Educational Media Reviews Online

Funny Pains follows Wendi Starling, a stand-up comic, as she hustles from her day job to late-night comedy gigs in New York City. Intermixed with interviews featuring Nikki Glaser, Jim Norton, Yamaneika Saunders, Mehran Khaghani, Andrew Shulz, Krystyna Hutchinson, Rich Vos, and Bonnie McFarlane, Funny Pains takes viewers on an authentic and emotional backstage tour of stand-up comedy. Underscored by the numerous comedians in the film, comedy is personal, but don’t take it personally! As Starling puts it, “comedy is about...taking something giant and making it very small and silly.” If unapologetic self-acceptance is key to success on-stage, then Starling is staking her claim. Running themes in the film and in Starling’s comedy include her real-life experiences with bipolar disorder, mental health institutionalization, sexual assault, and drug use. Therefore, this film is best suited for audiences 18 or older.

A major strength of Funny Pains is that it serves as a platform for the women comedians featured in the film to shed light on the unique challenges they face in the industry. The comics discuss their creative processes extensively, describing why personal struggles are often necessary tools for successful sets on stage. This commentary might be particularly helpful for educators seeking authentic examples for dramatic arts courses and perhaps special topics courses in comedy. At times, the structure of the film feels disjointed, particularly in the third act. However, in sum, Funny Pains is a funny and stylish documentary, rich with information about mental health issues and the comedic process.

Published and licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 license. Anyone can use these reviews, so long as they comply with the terms of the license.