LeBron James casts himself as high art in 'Trainwreck'
The NBA legend showcases his comedic talents in Amy Schumer's rom-com.
House Party isn't the first or best movie in which basketball legend LeBron James plays himself in front of the camera - that honor goes to 2015's Trainwreck. While House Party didn't get stellar reviews, if anyone wants to see how much fun LeBron can actually be on screen, check out Amy Schumer's hilarious rom-com.
What Is 'Trainwreck' About?
Wreckwreck, written by Amy Schumer and directed by Judd Apatow, is a romantic comedy about Amy Townsend (Schumer) , a magazine writer who regularly hooks up but avoids long-term relationships, after her father Gordon (Colin Quinn), who taught her at an early age that monogamy is unrealistic of. When Amy is assigned to write a profile on Aaron Conners (Bill Harder), a plastic surgeon known for operating on professional athletes and other celebrities, the two hit it off, but her views on relationships prevent They developed into the committed romance Aaron wanted.
Lebron James' 'Trainwreck' Performance Is More Than a Cameo
LeBron James appears in the film as Aaron's best friend and quickly shows he's athletic enough to make fun of himself, his successes, and the controversial aspects of his career. time. The comedy scene shows that despite his vast wealth, he is so frugal that Aaron even has to pick up They had a check over lunch while LeBron forgot his wallet and referred to the public's divisive real-life reaction to LeBron's going from playing for the Cleveland Cavaliers to the Miami Heat and back. These are standard themes explored by celebrity cameos, but Trainwreck's portrayal of LeBron is more nuanced than other films' take on their special guests.
Of course he's mocking himself, but he also has specific goals and motivations in the film, which help the story. Much of it revolves around his burning desire to secure a relationship with Amy that works in Aaron's favor. Trainwreck's LeBron is a hopeless romantic who works desperately to make sure his friend finds the satisfying partnership he wants. This leads to many of his funniest scenes, such as when he anxiously helps Aaron text Amy or confronts her to make sure she's as passionate about Aaron as he sees fit, asking ridiculous questions like her Did you hear his name "When you listened to the wind."
LeBron Plays Matchmaker
After a work phone call forced Amy to leave the award show, the two had an argument and broke up. This leads to both Continuing the downward spiral, Amy was fired. LeBron called Aaron and claimed he was injured, but when Aaron came to help, he found LeBron with other famous clients Matthew Broderick, Marv Albert and Chris Evert for him Intervention took place. They told Aaron that he had been avoiding really opening up in relationships and that he needed to stop doing that and get Amy back, but Aaron refused to do so.
After improving her own life, Amy begins working to get Aaron back. She published the story she wrote about him in Vanity Fair and sent him a copy. After Aaron watched the New York Knicks game at Madison Square Garden, Amy joined the Knicks city dancers in an elaborate dance to many of his favorite songs. The two reconcile and promise to get back together. While it's ultimately Amy's efforts that most directly lead to it all, LeBron's advice is a huge part of Aaron's character arc throughout the movie, and makes him willing to give her a second chance.
Like some other athletes who started acting before him, LeBron didn't have many roles to play. He's so well-known that he almost always has to play himself in live-action movies, at least barring some truly incredible makeup and/or visual effects work to disguise his appearance. But Trainwreck shows that's not necessarily a bad thing, because with strong writing and direction, he can make a fictional version of himself as interesting as any other character.
