John Mulaney: Baby J

Last updated

John Mulaney: Baby J
John Mulaney Baby J poster.jpg
Teaser poster for the special
Directed by Alex Timbers
Written by John Mulaney
StarringJohn Mulaney
CinematographyCameron Barnett
Music by David Byrne
Production
company
Distributed byNetflix
Release date
  • April 25, 2023 (2023-04-25)
Running time
80 minutes
CountryUnited States
LanguageEnglish

John Mulaney: Baby J (stylised as John Mulaney: "Baby J") is a 2023 stand-up comedy film written by and starring John Mulaney. It was recorded in February 2023 at the Boston Symphony Hall [1] and was released by Netflix on April 25, 2023. [2] It is Mulaney's fifth stand-up special and was released five years after his fourth, Kid Gorgeous at Radio City (2018). The special consists of Mulaney recollecting his life experiences and escapades surrounding his drug addiction, including his intervention and subsequent rehabilitation.

Contents

The special received positive reviews from critics, who praised Mulaney's storytelling, honesty and deconstruction of likability, [3] though was criticized by some for the perceived shorthanded approach to the subject matter. [4]

For the special, Mulaney received the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Writing for a Variety Special, and the special as a whole was nominated for the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Variety Special (Pre-Recorded). [5]

Synopsis

The show forgoes a traditional opening, beginning with Mulaney already onstage. He begins by talking about his need for attention, and how as a child he used to pray that one of his grandparents would die, so he could receive sympathy from his classmates. He apologizes for starting the show on such a dark note, before launching into an acapella song about how his reputation changed following his relapse. He talks to a fifth grader in the audience, explains that he has "kind of a different vibe now", and tells the child never to do what he describes in the performance.

He launches into a routine about the night of his intervention, to which he arrived two hours late because he was busy purchasing drugs and getting a haircut from the makeup department at his former workplace, Saturday Night Live . After describing the "star studded" intervention, he reveals that while he is grateful to them for intervening, he still harbors some resentment towards so many of his friends for participating, because he feels indebted to all of them for saving his life, and it is too many people to feel this way towards.

A brief bit about iCloud text messages prefaces a routine about arriving at rehab, where his drugs, street drugs and prescription drugs alike, are confiscated. He describes obtaining the prescription medications by going on WebMD and finding the lowest-rated doctor in his area, who he calls "Dr. Michael". Dr. Michael practiced out of his apartment, acted suspiciously, and liked Mulaney to take off his shirt so he could give him shots, but Mulaney tolerated this because he wrote any prescription Mulaney wanted.

Mulaney returns to the subject of rehab and a nurse who, due to how his name appeared on Mulaney's phone, mistook Pete Davidson for Al Pacino and woke Mulaney up to take the call. He tells several other stories from rehab including getting in trouble for ordering Outback Steakhouse and being disappointed no one recognized him while there. After bits about his childhood alcohol usage, and ending his relationship with his drug dealer, he details the "most desperate thing" he did to get drugs. He tells the story of buying a Rolex watch just to pawn it for quick cash, ending up getting six thousand dollars for a twelve thousand dollar watch. He says that life is a lot better now, but as a reminder of how bad things got, he reads from a GQ interview from four days before his intervention that he has "absolutely no recollection of giving".

The special ends with a list of all the people at his intervention, thanking them for saving his life. The list includes Fred Armisen, Mike Birbiglia, Bill Hader, Nick Kroll, Natasha Lyonne, Seth Meyers, and Marika Sawyer.

Reception

Critical response

The special received positive reviews from critics. On the review aggregator Rotten Tomatoes, it has an approval rating of 86%, with an average score of 7.6 out of 10. The website's consensus reads, "Bearing the baggage of public scrutiny, John Mulaney reintroduces himself in a special that turns personal turmoil into comedic gold." [6]

David Sims of The Atlantic gave the special a positive review, stating "There’s undoubtedly a lot more weight on Mulaney’s shoulders, and more retrospection in his storytelling. But few comedians are currently working with his kind of natural talent." [7] Proma Kholsa of IndieWire also gave a positive review, stating "‘Baby J’ will charm new and old fans – while never letting them lose sight of the flawed, fallible human being at its center." [8] Likewise, Ethan Brehm of Popzara called the film a "masterpiece of monology" and saw Mulaney's seamless narrative as a return to form for the art of stand-up as a whole, posing that the comedian "hearkens back to decades long ago when we would spin a comedy album, not necessarily so we could memorize jokes, but because we were captivated with the subject matter." [9]

Accolades

Awards and nominations received by John Mulaney: Baby J
AwardDate of ceremonyCategoryRecipient(s)ResultRef(s)
Critics' Choice Television Awards January 14, 2024 Best Comedy SpecialJohn Mulaney: Baby JWon [10]
People's Choice Awards February 18, 2024 The Comedy Act of the Year John Mulaney Nominated [11]
Primetime Emmy Awards January 6–7, 2024 Outstanding Writing for a Variety Special John MulaneyWon [5]
Outstanding Variety Special (Pre-Recorded) John Mulaney, John Foy, Jim Jagels, and Alex Timbers Nominated

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Coen brothers</span> American filmmakers

Joel Daniel Coen and Ethan Jesse Coen, together known as the Coen brothers, are an American filmmaking duo. Their films span many genres and styles, which they frequently subvert or parody. Their most acclaimed works include Blood Simple (1984), Raising Arizona (1987), Miller's Crossing (1990), Barton Fink (1991), Fargo (1996), The Big Lebowski (1998), O Brother, Where Art Thou? (2000), No Country for Old Men (2007), A Serious Man (2009), True Grit (2010) and Inside Llewyn Davis (2013). Many of their films are distinctly American, often examining the culture of the American South and American West in both modern and historical contexts.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Robert Downey Jr.</span> American actor (born 1965)

Robert John Downey Jr. is an American actor. His films as a leading actor have grossed over $14 billion worldwide, making him one of the highest-grossing actors of all time. Downey's career has been characterized by some early success, a period of drug-related problems and run-ins with the law, and a surge in popular and commercial success in the 2000s. In 2008, Downey was named by Time magazine as one of the 100 most influential people in the world. From 2013 to 2015, he was listed by Forbes as Hollywood's highest-paid actor.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jeff Conaway</span> American actor (1950–2011)

Jeffrey Charles William Michael Conaway was an American actor. He portrayed Kenickie in the film Grease and had roles in two television series: struggling actor Bobby Wheeler in Taxi and security officer Zack Allan on Babylon 5. Conaway was featured in the first and second seasons of the reality television series Celebrity Rehab with Dr. Drew.

John Joseph Bittenbinder, known as J. J. Bittenbinder, was an American police officer, television host, and author. A member of the Chicago Police Department, he hosted the 1990s crime series Tough Target, and was a public speaker on the subject of safety.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Nick Kroll</span> American actor and comedian (born 1978)

Nicholas Kroll is an American actor, voice actor, comedian, writer, and producer. He is known for creating and starring in the Comedy Central series Kroll Show, The Oh, Hello Show, the FX comedy series The League, the Hulu sketch comedy series History of the World, Part II, and starring in and co-creating the animated Netflix series Big Mouth and Human Resources.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">John Mulaney</span> American comedian and actor (born 1982)

John Edmund Mulaney is an American stand-up comedian, actor, writer, and producer. Born and raised in Chicago, Illinois, Mulaney first rose to prominence for his work as a writer for the NBC sketch comedy series Saturday Night Live from 2008 to 2013, where he contributed to numerous sketches and characters, including Stefon, a recurring character that he and Bill Hader co-created. Since his departure from SNL, Mulaney has hosted it several times, becoming a member of the SNL Five Timers Club in 2022.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Alex Timbers</span> American writer and director

Alex Timbers is an American writer and director best known for his work on stage and television. He has received numerous accolades including two Tony Awards, a Golden Globe Award, a Drama Desk Award, as well as nominations for a Primetime Emmy Award and a Grammy Award. Timbers received the Drama League Founder's Award for Excellence in Directing and the Jerome Robbins Award for Directing.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Stefon</span> Saturday Night Live character portrayed by Bill Hader

Stefon Meyers, more commonly known as Stefon, is a fictional character portrayed by Bill Hader on the American sketch-comedy television show Saturday Night Live (SNL). Created by Hader and writer John Mulaney, Stefon is based on people Hader and Mulaney encountered in their daily lives, including a club promoter and a barista. The character first appeared in a 2008 sketch in an episode hosted by Ben Affleck, and in 2010, he became a recurring character on Weekend Update, SNL's recurring satirical news segment.

<i>Grace and Frankie</i> American comedy television series (2015–2022)

Grace and Frankie is an American comedy television series created by Marta Kauffman and Howard J. Morris for Netflix. The series stars Jane Fonda and Lily Tomlin as the eponymous Grace Hanson and Frankie Bergstein, two aging women who form an unlikely friendship after their husbands reveal they are in love with each other and plan to get married. Sam Waterston, Martin Sheen, Brooklyn Decker, Ethan Embry, June Diane Raphael, and Baron Vaughn co-star in supporting roles.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Pete Davidson</span> American comedian and actor (born 1993)

Peter Michael Davidson is an American comedian, actor, and writer. He began his career in the early 2010s with minor guest roles on Brooklyn Nine-Nine, Friends of the People, Guy Code, and Wild 'n Out before being hired as cast member on the NBC late-night sketch comedy series Saturday Night Live which he starred on for eight seasons from 2014 to 2022.

The Oh, Hello Show is a comedy act created by Americans Nick Kroll and John Mulaney that was popularized on Comedy Central's Kroll Show. A fictional New York One cable access show stars Gil Faizon (Kroll) and George St. Geegland (Mulaney), elderly men from the Upper West Side of Manhattan who are known for their turtlenecks, misinformed beliefs, and tendency to say "Oh, hello" in unison. The characters appeared on several shows and in a Broadway play called Oh, Hello that ran for 138 performances at the Lyceum Theatre from September 2016 to January 2017.

<i>Shaft</i> (2019 film) Film directed by Tim Story

Shaft is a 2019 American action comedy film directed by Tim Story and written by Kenya Barris and Alex Barnow. The film stars Samuel L. Jackson, Jessie T. Usher, Regina Hall, and Richard Roundtree. It is the fifth film in the Shaft series, a sequel to the 2000 film with the same title and was also Roundtree's final portrayal of the original eponymous character John Shaft Sr. before his death in 2023.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Taylor Tomlinson</span> American stand-up comedian (born 1993)

Taylor Elyse Tomlinson is an American stand-up comedian, writer, and television host. She has released three Netflix stand-up specials: Quarter-Life Crisis (2020), Look At You (2022) and Have It All (2024). She is the host of the CBS late-night show After Midnight, which premiered on January 17, 2024.

<i>John Mulaney: Kid Gorgeous at Radio City</i> Stand-up comedy special by John Mulaney

John Mulaney: Kid Gorgeous at Radio City is a 2018 stand-up comedy film written by and starring John Mulaney. The special was recorded live in February 2018 at the Radio City Music Hall in New York City, and released by Netflix on May 1, 2018.

<i>John Mulaney & the Sack Lunch Bunch</i> 2019 television special by Rhys Thomas

John Mulaney & the Sack Lunch Bunch is a children's musical comedy special created by John Mulaney that debuted on Netflix on December 24, 2019. The show, directed by Rhys Thomas, was written by Mulaney and Marika Sawyer and inspired by classic children's television series Sesame Street, The Electric Company and The Great Space Coaster. Eli Bolin composed the music, with lyrics from Mulaney and Sawyer.

Outer Banks is an American action-adventure mystery teen drama television series created by Josh Pate, Jonas Pate, and Shannon Burke that premiered on Netflix on April 15, 2020. The series is set in a community in the Outer Banks of North Carolina and follows the conflict between two groups of teenagers in search of a lost treasure.

<i>Do Revenge</i> 2022 film by Jennifer Kaytin Robinson

Do Revenge is a 2022 American teen black comedy film directed by Jennifer Kaytin Robinson, who co-wrote the screenplay with Celeste Ballard. It stars Camila Mendes, Maya Hawke, Austin Abrams, Rish Shah, and Sarah Michelle Gellar, and it is loosely inspired by Alfred Hitchcock's Strangers on a Train (1951) and Patricia Highsmith's novel Strangers on a Train, which Hitchcock's film was based on. It was released on Netflix on September 16, 2022, and received generally positive reviews from critics.

Baby Reindeer is a British black comedy drama-thriller miniseries created by and starring Richard Gadd. An adaptation of Gadd's autobiographical one-man show of the same name, the series is based on Gadd's real life experience of being stalked and sexually assaulted in his twenties. The series consists of seven episodes, which all simultaneously premiered on Netflix on 11 April 2024.

<i>Bupkis</i> (TV series) American television series

Bupkis is an American comedy drama television series created by and starring Pete Davidson. It premiered on Peacock on May 4, 2023.

References

  1. ↑ Slane, Kevin (January 31, 2023). "John Mulaney to film new comedy special in Boston at symphony hall". The Boston Globe . Archived from the original on May 8, 2023. Retrieved February 4, 2024.
  2. ↑ Harms, Talaura (March 20, 2023). "Netflix Will Air John Mulaney: Baby J in April". Playbill . Archived from the original on June 10, 2023. Retrieved February 4, 2024.
  3. ↑ Busis, Hillary (April 25, 2023). "John Mulaney is Not Your Boyfriend". Vanity Fair . Archived from the original on June 6, 2023. Retrieved February 4, 2024.
  4. ↑ VanArendonk, Kathryn (April 25, 2023). "John Mulaney's John Mulaney Trap". Vulture . Archived from the original on December 25, 2023. Retrieved February 4, 2024.
  5. 1 2 "John Mulaney: Baby J". Academy of Television Arts & Sciences. Archived from the original on August 11, 2023. Retrieved February 4, 2024.
  6. ↑ "John Mulaney: Baby J". Rotten Tomatoes . Archived from the original on September 23, 2023. Retrieved February 4, 2024.
  7. ↑ Sims, David (April 26, 2023). "No Really, I'm Awful". The Atlantic . Archived from the original on September 8, 2023. Retrieved February 4, 2024.
  8. ↑ Khosla, Proma (April 26, 2023). "John Mulaney's New Netflix Special Is a Critical Reminder About Celebrity". IndieWire . Archived from the original on September 11, 2023. Retrieved February 4, 2024.
  9. ↑ Brehm, Ethan (June 30, 2023). "John Mulaney: Baby J (2023)". Popzara. Retrieved February 4, 2024.
  10. ↑ Shanfeld, Ethan (January 14, 2024). "Oppenheimer Leads Critics Choice Awards with 8 Wins, Barbie Scores 6 — Full Winners List". Variety . Archived from the original on January 15, 2024. Retrieved February 4, 2024.
  11. ↑ Grein, Paul (January 11, 2024). "Taylor Swift & Travis Kelce Are Both Nominated for 2024 People's Choice Awards: Full List". Billboard . Archived from the original on January 11, 2024. Retrieved February 4, 2024.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.