Norm Macdonald could make a familiar joke funny by taking longer than seemed sensible to tell it. We rate that stubbornly unhurried delivery, though his presence in a cast is no guarantee of a worthwhile film.
Fi1m perspective
Macdonald leaves a pause where another actor might put a facial expression. The voice stays flat, the body does little, and he lets a setup take its time. We laughed at his moth routine on Conan O’Brien because the protracted telling became funny in itself. It is a particular comic skill, and there is no reason to expect a conventional leading role to make better use of it.
On Saturday Night Live, which he joined in 1993, Macdonald worked under producer Lorne Michaels and applied that manner to news parody and impressions. The move to leading roles brought Dirty Work (1998), which he co-wrote, and The Norm Show (1999–2001). The later emphasis on stand-up, talk-show appearances and voice work looks to us like a more useful way to employ his gifts, with less pressure to carry a conventional story between the jokes.
Klaus (2019), in which he voices Mogens, is the firmer recommendation among his film appearances here. Sergio Pablos gives us handsome drawings and an odd collection of quarrelsome people, with enough warmth to make their company worthwhile. It still requires patience with the insults and the familiar redemption story. Voice work makes sense for Macdonald because so much of his comedy depends on what he does with a sentence, rather than what he does with his body.
Jack and Jill (2011), with Macdonald as Funbucket, is one to avoid. Adam Sandler has two roles and too few jokes, while Al Pacino supplies some welcome foolishness. We found the persistent bullying and crude humour wearying, and the occasional relief did not make the evening worthwhile. There is no need to endure it out of loyalty to someone in the cast. For the deadpan timing, seek out the stand-up or the talk-show appearances; for a film, start with Klaus.
Biography
Norm Macdonald (1959–2021) was a Canadian comedian, writer and actor. Born Norman Gene Macdonald in Québec City, he began in stand-up comedy and worked as a writer on Roseanne before joining the cast of Saturday Night Live in 1993. He anchored the Weekend Update segment for three seasons.
After leaving SNL he starred in the sitcom The Norm Show (1999–2001) and the film Dirty Work (1998), which he co-wrote. Macdonald appeared in numerous comedies and provided voices for animated projects, including Lucky in the Dr. Dolittle films and Mogens in Klaus (2019).
He later hosted the podcast Norm Macdonald Live and the Netflix series Norm Macdonald Has a Show (2018). Macdonald died in Los Angeles on 14 September 2021.
