I have never been a big fan of Judd Apatow’s.  I find his films to be crude, lewd and rude, without enough dramatic counterbalance.  But perhaps I’ve been too rash in my dismissal of Apatow, because Trainwreck is somewhat different for me.  It’s still crude and offensive, but it is also touching and rather clever, probably because it is written by its star, Amy Schumer, and not Apatow himself.

Schumer is Amy, a writer on the staff of a men’s magazine whose personal life is a mess.  Assigned to profile a sports surgeon (Bill Hader), Amy finds real, actual love for the first time, and she doesn’t know how to handle it.  That’s pretty much the story, which is certainly not groundbreaking, yet the details of Amy’s escapades, friendships and, yes, regrets, are conveyed with a warmth that belies the crudity.  I was particularly impressed by Amy’s scenes with her father (Colin Quinn), and a short but emotional speech she delivers about him.

In order for a movie like this to succeed it must connect in some way with its audience.  Trainwreck does, on multiple levels.  Despite the crudity that I bemoan, it is pretty funny.  Having Amy be completely ignorant about sports and then putting LeBron James in the cast as himself, whom she doesn’t recognize, is brilliant.  Amy’s lifestyle is relatable and her choices, while often regrettable, are the stuff of good drama.  Turning them into comedy material is bold, brave and smart.  I think that is what really wins me over about this movie: it’s smart.

I don’t know anybody like Amy, or Amy Schumer for that matter, yet this movie makes me wish I did.  For every ridiculous thing that she thinks and does, Amy is a woman of substance.  Maybe she is a heroine for this young century; that is not for me to say.  Yet her dilemma is a universal one to which many people can relate.  Her life may be a trainwreck, but this movie certainly is not.  ☆ ☆ ☆.  5 August 2015.