94%
16 Reviews
Tomatometer
94%
Fewer than 50 Ratings
Audience Score
Garry Shandling passed away in 2016, leaving behind legions of fans and peers who remember him as a top stand-up comic and star of two of the most groundbreaking sitcoms in TV history. One of those people is director/executive producer Judd Apatow, who pays tribute to his friend and mentor by creating this four-and-a-half hour documentary. Intimately revealing and detailed, "The Zen Diaries of Garry Shandling" includes conversations with more than 40 of Shandling's family members and friends, among them James L. Brooks, Jim Carrey, Sacha Baron Cohen, Jon Favreau, Jay Leno, Kevin Nealon, Conan O'Brien, Jerry Seinfeld and Sarah Silverman. There are also decades' worth of TV appearances, along with personal journals, private letters and candid home audio and video footage that depict Shandling in a fascinating, funny, sad and, above all, completely authentic way.
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Critics Consensus
Masterfully assembled by Judd Apatow, The Zen Diaries of Garry Shandling is an affectionate tour through the life and philosophy of the comic icon.
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Alastair McKay
London Evening Standard
It's not all pleasant - it turns out that some of those neuroses were real... As a whole, it's an extraordinary piece of work.
Jul 30, 2018
Full Review
Naomi Fry
New Yorker
At the end of Shandling's life, the documentary suggests, love had won.
Mar 28, 2018
Full Review
Sophie Gilbert
The Atlantic
"He was everything he needed and was never given, to everyone," Sarah Silverman says. The power of Zen Diaries is that it allows you to share, for a few hours, a sense of what that must have felt like.
Mar 28, 2018
Full Review
Dom Nero
Esquire Magazine
Rather than directing his torments onto others, Shandling seemed to offer a sense of collective neurosis, begging people to realize that our insecurities are perhaps the connective tissue between us all.
Apr 13, 2018
Full Review
Chris Osterndorf
The Daily Dot
Shandling lived a restless, complicated life. The Zen Diaries foolishly tries to clarify who Shandling was in a way the man himself never could, but as a primer and testament to his talent, it's a lovely tribute.
Rated: 3/5
Mar 30, 2018
Full Review
Clint Worthington
Consequence
Zen Diaries comes away with a fascinating, complex portrait of a man as unpredictable as he was hilarious, a comedy pioneer who lived in constant terror of being forgotten and ignored.
Rated: A-
Mar 29, 2018
Full Review
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david f
Really interesting, I didnt know much about Shandling but this documentary was fascinating and made me want to watch more of his stuff.
Rated 4/5 Stars •
Rated 4 out of 5 stars
03/30/23
Full Review
philip p
"He was everything he needed and was never given."
I think if I decide to look at this 4.5-hour documentary as something of a spiritual sequel to Funny People it will only make what is already a stunning achievement that much more impressive.
I didn't know much about Shandling prior to seeing this, but as of now I've already ordered the complete series of The Larry Sanders Show (for both the show itself and those DVD extras).
Rated 5/5 Stars •
Rated 5 out of 5 stars
03/30/23
Full Review
Audience Member
This documentary is one of the most beautiful and profound films I have seen in my long life. It's not "cinematic" but the lessons of Garry's life emerge through the most excruciating journey, filled with pain and disappointment, followed ultimately by love, enlightenment, and death. One indication of shandling's impact on his peers is the fierce love and tender anxiety they display in discussing their mentor. Shandling became, oddly - given the immense cynicism and vanity implicit in his on-stage persona -- the dhali lama of american comedy. one comment, by conan o'brien struck me. he said that Shandling saw what he did not as "show Biz" but rather comedy as an art form, his work as performance art. this film reveals shandling simaltaneously with life revealing itself to him. you come to understand, and echo, the love so many had for this profound, sad, intrepid man. When death comes to claim him, you feel the sense of losing a close friend. Apatow has made not just a moving tribute to a long-time friend, but a deeply meaningful instruction video on how to live life despite its harsh turns.
Rated 5/5 Stars •
Rated 5 out of 5 stars
01/09/23
Full Review
Audience Member
Unless you were a personal friend of garry shandling, you had no idea who he really was. this two-part documentary lets you into his spirit. At times, it is painful or sad to watch but the person you get to meet will enrich your life.
Rated 5/5 Stars •
Rated 5 out of 5 stars
01/09/23
Full Review
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Cast & Crew
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Cast & Crew
Episode 1
Aired Mar 26, 2018
Part 1
Garry Shandling's unlikely path toward success begins following an impulsive move to Los Angeles; a serious traffic accident results in a near-death experience; the success of the sitcom "It's Garry Shandling's Show" elevates the comic's profile.
Details
Episode 2
Aired Mar 27, 2018
Part 2
Despite the success of "The Larry Sanders Show," the comic struggles with complacency; Shandling works through unexpected emotional, physical and professional crises, finding solace in community and a mentorship of younger comics.
Details
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Alastair McKay
London Evening Standard
It's not all pleasant - it turns out that some of those neuroses were real... As a whole, it's an extraordinary piece of work.
Jul 30, 2018
Full Review
Naomi Fry
New Yorker
At the end of Shandling's life, the documentary suggests, love had won.
Mar 28, 2018
Full Review
Sophie Gilbert
The Atlantic
"He was everything he needed and was never given, to everyone," Sarah Silverman says. The power of Zen Diaries is that it allows you to share, for a few hours, a sense of what that must have felt like.
Mar 28, 2018
Full Review
Dom Nero
Esquire Magazine
Rather than directing his torments onto others, Shandling seemed to offer a sense of collective neurosis, begging people to realize that our insecurities are perhaps the connective tissue between us all.
Apr 13, 2018
Full Review
Chris Osterndorf
The Daily Dot
Shandling lived a restless, complicated life. The Zen Diaries foolishly tries to clarify who Shandling was in a way the man himself never could, but as a primer and testament to his talent, it's a lovely tribute.
Rated: 3/5
Mar 30, 2018
Full Review
Clint Worthington
Consequence
Zen Diaries comes away with a fascinating, complex portrait of a man as unpredictable as he was hilarious, a comedy pioneer who lived in constant terror of being forgotten and ignored.
Rated: A-
Mar 29, 2018
Full Review
Read all reviews
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