THE CABLE GUY (1996)
Rating: 4/5 stars
REVIEW BY JOHN ULMER (Copyright, 2004)
To some people, movies are more than a passion. They are a way of
life. For me, movies are not only one of my favorite hobbies, but I
feel that all films express a certain reflection of the individual
watching them. They say that you can tell a lot from a person by the
way they act, talk, walk. I believe you can also tell a lot about a
person from the sort of movies they like. And sometimes audience's
reactions, too -- I once read that most of the test subjects who
disliked "Taxi Driver" were those with anxiety, depression and/or
anger problems, and their dislike for the film was rooted in the fact
that they subconsciously found themselves relating to Travis Bickle,
one of cinema's most complex characters: sympathetic and yet, at the
same time, extremely evil.
And I think that for Chip Douglas (Jim Carrey), movies and television
are more than disposable entertainment. They are his entire life. He
is consumed by film to such an extent that he creates multiple
personas based on TV personalities. Many critics bashed Carrey's
performance for being too sadistic. I think it's perfect because it's
daring and hugely different than his other movies, and accurately
reflects the mindset of a troubled individual who has grown up on his
TV, rather than actually experiencing true life. Not many movies are
like "The Cable Guy," and most of them don't have the guts to make a
statement so bold and striking.
In "The Cable Guy" Carrey is the title character, his real name
supposedly Chip Douglas, but towards the end we're not really sure
what's true and false anymore. Chip works for a cable company and
offers to hook up new apartment tenant Steven (Matthew Broderick) up
with illegal cable. All Douglas asks for in return is a friendship,
which Steven reluctantly agrees to. But what he doesn't realize is
that Chip is an obsessive monster -- bred on films as a child and
unable to separate celluloid from reality, he pursues a "Fatal
Attraction" route and begins to stalk Steven. This is one of those
movies, like "What About Bob?", where the hero is apparently the only
one who realizes how crazy the "bad guy" is. Richard Dreyfuss went
nuts trying to convince his family of Bill Murray's insanity in "Bob."
In "The Cable Guy," Matthew Broderick has a tough time trying to
expose Chip's sadistic side.
I am not Carrey's biggest fan. But I have to admit that over time the
comedian has grown on me. And when I see him in "Dumb and Dumber" I
can't picture anyone else taking on the role. Here he is in another
role where I can see no one else portraying his character, and yet he
still hasn't convinced me that he's a great talent. Strange.
I think Carrey's comedy is distinct and the reason his films have
become more well-received over the years is because he has invented a
certain area of modern-day comedy and thrived in that cubby hole for
quite some time. I believe that humor is not existent; it is invented.
Different forms of humor come and go. Right now, Adam Sandler and Jim
Carrey are two of the highest-paid comedians the world, and yet in
fifty years, where will they be?
Comedy is constantly changing. Humor is invented and re-invented to
the point that what was once funny no longer is. That is why so many
comedies from various eras of American history seem so outdated by
today's standards. We are living in a world of Jim Carreys, Adam
Sandlers, and Mike Myers. Although they still receive jobs, Steve
Martin, Eddie Murphy, Bill Murray, and especially Dan Aykroyd -- some
of the most popular comedians of the '80s -- have found themselves all
stuck in ruts, filming kiddie movies for Disney and -- some of them
(especially Murray and Aykroyd) -- departing comedy to pursue more
serious careers in an area of film that will never become outdated:
drama (for Murray, it is "Lost in Translation"; Aykroyd is less lucky
with projects such as "Pearl Harbor," which might as well be
classified as comedy).
The movie was directed by Ben Stiller, who carefully balances the
neurotic against the sweet. The movie has its fair share of cameos,
and in a great sequence Owen Wilson stars as a confident jerk who
takes out Steven's girlfriend on a date. The Cable Guy finds out and,
thinking he's doing Steven a favor, assaults Wilson in the bathroom of
a fancy restaurant.
Perhaps the reason so many critics disliked "The Cable Guy" when it
was released in 1996 was because they found themselves relating to
Carrey's character. Maybe not. All I know is that it is one of the
most daring and surprising comedies of the '90s -- not especially
great but very unique and entertaining. I relate to its main character
because we both love movies. My obsession is much calmer than Chip's.
But the film does have a good eye for spotting good areas of satire.
Yes, it's often rather dark and absurd. But isn't that the point?
- John Ulmer
http://www.wiredonmovies.com
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