Ellen DeGeneres: Here and Now (2003 TV Special) User Reviews

"Procrastinate now. don't put it off."

[jmbwithcats · 8/10 · 30 August 2004]

Ellen DeGenerous takes us on a tour of the American Dream, from the home, to the office, to the local bar, to the airport, even to our pets at home. Ellen is witty, funny, easy to empathize with the human condition, with her finger on the pulse. I laughed straight through this HBO special, and didn't want it to end. Cute, sassy, and satirical, Ellen romps through the social hierarchy of woes, trials and tribulations -- sharing the tidbits, embarrassments, we all can relate with in signature Ellen fashion. I've seen this special several times now, and am alway impressed at how fresh, and light, and just how damn funny Ellen is.

I saw her in Finding Nemo, and she was remarkably hysterical, with her signature uncertain innocence, and sharp intuitive spirit.

Hilarious! You've not laughed this hard in a long time!

[Robby735 · 9/10 · 14 December 2003]

This 1 hour special was simply hilarious. Ellen is great! She is definitely one of the best comedians I have seen in a long time. I am looking to buy this on DVD or tape now. The great thing is that you don't have to be a stand-up comedian fan to love this, you just love it! Thanks Ellen for making my gut hurt from laughing =]

Is that the biggest popcorn you have....that bucket?

[blanche-2 · 8/10 · 16 August 2013]

Ellen DeGeneres: Here and Now is a standup act that Ellen DeGeneres did for HBO, and it is excellent. Ellen talks about procrastination and the importance of it, and everyday things like call waiting, stuffing yourself in the dark of a movie theater, tripping and then pretending you're running, laughing when you fall in front of people, even if you're bleeding, and technology.

No one has delivery like Ellen. The way her voice trails off that makes the punchline sound like an afterthought - hilarious.

She talks about things that we all can relate to, things we've all thought. And she makes some good points. "You can't save time," she points out. "You can merely spend it. That makes procrastination so right." But in this case, don't procrastinate - see this.

Funny Funny Funny!!!!!

[ForReal84 · 23 May 2005]

I have to say that Ellen is one of the funniest people I have ever had the pleasure of watching. She talks about things that we can all relate too. From pretending to run when we trip, to waving to someone that isn't who we think " That's not Nancy." She talks about the things that we all think, but often don't say because we would look strange. Everything about this comedy special is funny, from her facial expression, to her jokes, she made me laugh out loud. I have seen this special about ten times and every time I laugh like it's the first time I've seen it. She has this energy about her that not too many people have. I think that she truly is one of the funniest people that we have in the entertainment industry. I really enjoyed watching this and suggest that anyone who is looking to laugh should see this. I promise you that you'll laugh every time she speaks. I give this special film an A.

Procrastinate NOW!

[Rogue-32 · 10/10 · 10 July 2003]

Caught this on HBO the other night and absolutely loved it - DeGeneres has always had an extraordinarily keen sense of how to express what we all feel, and she does it brilliantly in this performance; hilarious insights into the weird stuff that we all do and the insane things in life that drive us all crazy, delivered with her impeccable timing and relaxed charm.

Laughed until I Couldn't Breathe

[Devans00 · 10/10 · 6 December 2003]

This recording of the latest Ellen Degeneres comedy tour was sooooooooooooooooo funny! If you like comedy where you are laughing so hard you can't catch your breath, this is the ticket. Her observations of everyday stuff is so right on and her delivery makes it even more ithilarious. Near the end, she quotes Salt-N-Pepa's Shoop for a "things that make you go hmmmm" moment. The only warning is that women may get more of a kick out of the show then men.

Excellent

[copado4 · 10/10 · 13 May 2005]

This is the best I have ever seen! Ellen is hilarious and clean. I was comfortable watching with my daughter and she loves it too! It reaches all the generations! AWESOME! I must get my mother to see this. you can relate with her on everything she says because you have either been there or know someone who has!I would love to see her show live.She is not like most comedians that have to cuss in order to be funny.She is simply herself, honest and loving.I wish the show was longer because I was was ready to continue laughing. my favorite part was about the toilet paper! She is brilliant and very open about herself and those that don't like her just because of her sexuality are missing out on the most brilliant comic out there

Ellen shines in this brilliant, witty, poignant look at life today, and how much has changed!

[JoySLeigh · 8/10 · 20 March 2015]

Ellen is the "Dalai Lama" of our era's sociological crisis, understanding the fundamental issue that has critically impacted human nature as a whole, and on an individual level. "Here and Now" is a masterful presentation that brings to our attention the heart of American life today. It's amazing how eloquently she nail's the vague, deeply unsettling core adversity that represents the hallmark of American citizens lives today, while making us laugh hysterically at our weakness.

I've always admired Ellen, seeing in her a wise, compassionate, deep soul that loves and understands people. She has courageously sacrificed herself to offer humanity a kind service with the gift of her humor, even as she vulnerably exposed her true self publicly, knowing she would face the heavy burden of society's judgment. In "Here and Now", Ellen has never been more beautiful, witty, humble and radiant, a woman who has attained her full potential with grace, and this all makes the subject matter of her show more touching on a personal level.

This is a must-see for all, especially for baby-boomers and early Gen-Xer's, who will so easily relate and laugh at ourselves and our lives, poignantly bringing us back in touch with life before the chaos, when things were so much simpler, and joy could be experienced in the little things that mattered.

Bravo, Ellen! What a beautiful way to share your vision and help us all more aware that we can make life what we want it to be more like - if we choose. I could not help but enjoy the show even more so, for "seeing" that lovable little blue fish called Dori in my mind - they both share so much in common.

Very funny

[amidalasky · 8/10 · 10 May 2005]

It's become hip in many circles to say how unfunny Ellen Degeneres is, that she only gets attention because she's a lesbian, that if she was male and straight, no one would pay to see her stand-up act. I think that's flatly untrue. Ellen isn't a laugh a minute -- sometimes she drags out bits much too long -- but overall she is quite funny. She picks apart minutiae with sharp but never mean-spirited wit, and doesn't use curse words (well, that's not entirely true; I recall her using the s-word once in a previous televised stand up routine), and makes us all laugh at our own silliness.

My favorite bits are "pickle juice in your eye," "We are so comfortable with that uncomfortable feeling," and "She tripped -- no, she's running. No, she tripped. YOU TRIPPED!"

Did We Watch the Same Movie?

[Mason1024 · 5/10 · 16 January 2008]

In sharp contrast to most reviews here, the "Ellen DeGeneres: Here and Now" disc that I rented was marginally funny at best. While Ellen's general style is right in the vein of good comedy, her observations in this performance just lack an edge... maybe an absurdity or exaggeration that makes all the difference between you or me talking about, say, airport security shenanigans and a professional comedian addressing the same subject. This was no funnier than discussing the same topics with regular people--a few good laughs, but that's about it. Oftentimes she'd make an observation and I would wait expectantly for the joke that puts it in hilarious perspective, only to find her moving along to the next lukewarm observation. Hopefully her other material is of better caliber.

As a health warning, if you thought this DVD was truly hilarious, you may want to stay away from comics like Bill Hicks, Eddie Izzard, Richard Pryor, Chris Rock, Dave Chappelle, Mitch Hedburg or countless others who might be funny enough to actually kill you.

I've never laughed harder!

[HeartMonger · 13 January 2004]

I swear I have never laughed harder at something so truthfully spoken. Ellen DeGeneres has proved once again that she can speak for alot of people(male and female, gay and straight)on life's tortures and pleasures. The especially funny part is when she speaks about Car Windows. This is a piece of comedy gem that should not go unwatched by anyone who wants to laugh! Truly original. Don't miss it!

awesome

[idiofreak · 10/10 · 9 November 2004]

and hilarious. i enjoyed her commentary - so much of it so true. as funny as her comments were, it is sad to think about how negatively this world is progressed, and maybe in laughing about it, we can realize how ridiculous it has become. Many of Ellen's morals were strikingly Taoist in nature - such as her entire point that you cannot save time, you can merely spend it.. "and that's why procrastination feels so right!" Read "The Tao of Pooh", and you will see the similarities, including her hilarious take on modern news coverage.

Also, as a lesbian fan of hers, I found her opening remarks cute. More gay jokes? "What happened to our leader????!":) Peace out.

Wow!!!!!!!

[alexia1984 · 10/10 · 30 June 2003]

Oh my God!!! I never really watched anything With Ellen Degeneres, to be quite honest i knew she was a lesbian with Anne Heche as her partner and she had a show. I'm not sure if this is a show? or just a one time stand up thing but this was soooo hilarious, i mean i like comedians like martin, chris rock, and chris tucker, it's hard to have a "white" girl make me laugh, but she was better than all of them put together!!!!!!!!!!!!! i was crying sooo hard i mean she is really hilarious i love her i have a new respect for her! it's great u all should really watch this :)

That's my girl!

[eyrush · 10/10 · 1 July 2003]

I have been a fan of Ellen's since before Electricity! I am so incredibly glad that I got a chance to see Ellen perform this 'Here and Now' stand-up routine LIVE! I saw her at GW's Lisner Auditorium April 16, 2003 and oh my goodness was she hilarious! There was no way I was going to miss this HBO special. I was so worried that they would cut out a few of the jokes that I enjoyed from seeing her live, but they didn't! I was thrilled! Ellen is so gifted at everything that she does. She has a very high bar for what she does. I don't blame her one bit. You don't see many (As a matter of fact ANY) comics doing a whole routine with no cursing, foul language, political statements or anything that would attack another human being or racial slurs. That's why Ellen is the Queen of comedy.

I really love Ellen's sense of humor, the way she looks at the world. Her timing is impeccable. She's incredibly gifted. She's a comedian, she knows the rhythm and so she can take the scene and give it the flow and the build and she's a pleasure to watch.

I love her honesty, sincerity, generousity and most of all her personality. She's so down to earth. If you've ever met her or will ever meet her, you will see that in her. She's an amazing woman.

Thank you Ellen for making my experience of seeing you LIVE IN THE FLESH :D an unforgettable night! You had me laughing hysterically!

I had pleasure talking to you. Thank you for allowing me to speak to you. Thank you for the autograph and the hug. :D You are on awesome chick!

Your HBO special rocked! I can't wait for your new talk show. Good luck with all of your dreams.

Very funny

[vmsequel · 10/10 · 22 January 2023]

Great to see a comedian who is really funny without cursing. All the content is so relatable. I loved it. Very few comedy shows are about every day life and she delivers the material so well that you can't help but laugh.

I don't believe that you can only be funny if the material is crass and full of 'f' words. Truly talented comedians can make you laugh without shocking you. Ellen is very talented.

Most of her show is about things that happen to us and I can truly relate, like waving to the wrong people or opening jars, etc. It is so true how when you want someone to roll down a window you show the crank sign even though we don't have them anymore

You need to watch, I am not making my point because I'm not funny

Thank you Ellen!

Stood the Test of Time

[baileycrawly · 10/10 · 3 November 2019]

Ellen knows how to be genuinely funny without relying on vulgarity and shock value. Much of this early-2000s stand-up routine is every bit as funny and relevant as the day it was recorded (in some cases even more so). I've been coming back to this special time and time again for the last number of years and it never fails to get a laugh from me and lift my spirits.

Great observations

[slater-92518 · 10/10 · 21 June 2021]

Very well put together with flow and intelligence...