George Clooney’s Dramedy ‘Jay Kelly’ Sheds Insight Into What Public Figures Give Up For Fame

Stars…they’re not just like us! And this showbiz comedy brilliantly exposes the highs and lows of celebrity and what public figures give up for fame.

George Clooney plays Jay Kelly, who’s been a megawatt star for decades (sound familiar?). But unlike him, he’s single, estranged from his older daughter (Riley Keough) and distant from his younger one, Daisy (Grace Edwards), who’s about to start college. His closest “friends,” his manager, Ron (Adam Sandler), and his publicist, Liz (Laura Dern), are all on his payroll. For all his privilege, Jay is lonely.

An encounter with an old friend (Billy Crudup) sparks an identity crisis for Jay. In a desperate attempt to break out of his self-imposed cocoon, he crashes Grace’s two-week rail trip through Europe with his entire entourage in tow. It’s the first time in years Jay is forced to rub shoulders with the hoi polloi.

Clooney, Sandler and Dern all deliver funny but touching performances, and the film’s ruminations on the price of fame and what really makes a fulfilling life offer a poignant message for us non-stars. Streams on Netflix Dec. 5.

Jay Kelly | In theaters Friday, Nov. 14 R