Billy Crystal: 700 Sundays

I have watched this so many times. I am so glad that this one man show was filmed because I would have never been able to see it otherwise.

Funny, touching and entertaing, Crystal tells stories about his family and Commodore Records and proves to be an excellent storyteller. The rawness of certain stories only amplifies the honesty. His family's jazz lab makes some stories from his early life exceptional, but the family focus gives a universally-relatable feel to most of the special. The love ia evident throughout and gives an insight to a great entertainer that will take you through a range of emotions.

This was beautifully executed and I loved every moment of it! Gave me a whole new insight to Billy Crystal and his background. The story told was a bit melancholy at times but only helps bring out the broad spectrum of what Mr. Crystal has lived through. Wow! Thanks Billy =)

Crystal delivers a heartfelt and craftfully put together story of his fairytale upbringing and early adulthood. Along the way we get a history lessons, almost Forest Gump like, of the greatest characters in jazz and baseball from the 50s and 60s. Around the middle of the 2-hr long show Crystal delivers an unforgetable silent movie rendition of a barbeque party at his house that will literally make you Rolling On The Floor Laughing. Crystal is one of the most clever and creative comedians ever, and this show should be on your short list of things to see before you die. Brilliant, just brilliant.

First of all, I am not a fan and I found this brilliant. Not perfect, as some very dignified reviewers seemed to have asked for, but brilliant. It has better parts and weaker parts, now he delivers amazing timing and physical comedy, then he flirts rather annoyingly with the camera. The show has some vulgar bits (not even close to some of today's disgusting stand-up 'stars') and also some touching bits, sure, but that's how life is, too. The silent movie scene was wildly hilarious, while some of the sad parts prove he's not a drama actor. Anyway, this is a honest take and I will forgive even his poses for the camera for the sake of one of them (I don't remember where it occurs): it pictured perfectly the bittersweet and almost touching humor of the poor Jewish folks or of any people forced to deal with a hard life in a subdued, non-grandiloquent way.

Unabashedly sentimental, at moments arguably too shticky, but there's a lot of heart and laughs, along with a good set of smiles in Billy Crystal's one-man show remembering his youth, especially the 700 Sundays he had with his father before his untimely death.

From the telling, Crystal had a remarkable childhood, and came from a remarkable family. His father owned a music store and promoted concerts, and knew and was loved by many of jazz's all time greats. His family come off as sweet if eccentric. As related here, this was a family without many of the painful skeletons in their closets that most of us grew up with. It's sort of the Jewish version of Norman Rockwell's America, but I don't mean that as a put down. Crystal seems to truly appreciate the blessings he's had, and to honor and love the people who made him who he is. He doesn't deny that life can be painful, but that doesn't mean for a second he's going to say it's not wonderful and worthwhile.

If a few moments of emotion feel forced in the unforgiving close up lens of a camera, there's a lot that ring true, no matter that Crystal has performed variations of this monologue on stage hundreds of times.