Yes Man (2008)

Director:

Peyton Reed

Writers (WGA):

Nicholas Stoller (screenplay) and
Jarrad Paul (screenplay) ...

Release Date:

17 December 2008 (USA)

Genre:

Comedy | Romance

Tagline:

One word can change everything.

Plot:

A guy challenges himself to say "yes" to everything for an entire year.

Plot Keywords:

Friend | Homeless Man | Divorce | Year | Banker

Awards:

2 wins & 7 nominations

Cast

  (Cast overview, first billed only)

Jim Carrey	...	Carl Allen
Zooey Deschanel	...	Allison
Bradley Cooper	...	Peter
John Michael Higgins	...	Nick
Rhys Darby	...	Norman
Danny Masterson	...	Rooney
Fionnula Flanagan	...	Tillie
Terence Stamp	...	Terrence Bundley
Sasha Alexander	...	Lucy Burns
Molly Sims	...	Stephanie
Brent Briscoe	...	Homeless Guy
Rocky Carroll	...	Wes
John Cothran Jr.	...	Tweed (as John Cothran)
Spencer Garrett	...	Multack
Sean O'Bryan	...	Ted

Also Known As:

Yes Man (Hong Kong: English title)

MPAA:

Rated PG-13 for crude sexual humor, language and brief nudity.

Runtime:

104 min

Country:

USA | Australia

Language:

English | Korean | Estonian

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital | DTS | SDDS

Certification:

USA:PG-13 (certificate #44749) | UK:12A | Finland:K-11 | Ireland:15A | South Korea:15 | Australia:M | Norway:11 | Singapore:PG (edited for re-rating) | Singapore:NC-16 | Portugal:M/12 | Czech Republic:12 | India:A (cinema release) | Canada:14A (Alberta) | Sweden:7 | Canada:G (Quebec) | Canada:PG (British Columbia/Manitoba/Ontario) | South Africa:13LS | Netherlands:6 | Chile:TE | Philippines:PG-13 (MTRCB) | Switzerland:12 (canton of Geneva) | Switzerland:12 (canton of Vaud) | Taiwan:GP | Hong Kong:IIA | New Zealand:M | Argentina:13 | Peru:PT | Brazil:14 | France:U | Mexico:B | Iceland:7

Filming Locations:

Echo Park, Los Angeles, California, USA

Company:

Warner Bros. Pictures

Trivia:

Jim Carrey performed his own bungee jump stunts.

Goofs:

Continuity: When Carl is avoiding Peter's phone-calls, Peter rings Carl's doorbell. When Cal gets up to get the door, his cell phone is clearly on the arm of the couch. When he gets to the door and begins talking to Peter, his phone is in his hand.

Quotes:

[first lines]
Carl Allen: No.

Movie Connections:

References Interview with the Vampire: The Vampire Chronicles (1994)

Soundtrack:

Water Music

Pure joy. A great film, true to its rom-com genre roots. I was uplifted, and grandly entertained!

Yes Man was a delight to watch. Critics had panned it a bit, but unfairly, in my view. Granted, it is formulaic, but it IS a rom-com, and rom-coms have formulas. What made this film so great was the natural charm of Zooey Deschanel. She is beautiful, of course, but not in a "model-y" kind of way. She has always had a freshness and honesty about her that makes her appealing. When I first saw her in "Almost Famous," playing the older sister, I wished I had an older sister like that. When she played the girl lead in Big Trouble, she was quirky, but without any of the self-aware conceit that can often accompany quirky young female actors. I will be kind and avoid names, but perhaps you can picture in your mind some of the "Tragically Hip" and oh-so-cool young actresses who do quirk with a smirk. Zooey Deschanel has an innocence and a friendly quality that really make her shine, in the way a flower shines.

Jim Carrey was also very good in this. He is who he is--- goofy and loopy and elastic. This wasn't a "Serious Role," such as Truman Show serious--- but wasn't over the top like Ace Ventura. Maybe he's mellowed with age. I liked him as a wild kid, but like him even more now that he is a bit "evened out." He is still hilarious--- but also a bit more human, and a bit more approachable.

This movie runs through its rom-com paces, but each new scene, while a bit predictable, was nonetheless a pleasure. I felt uplifted by the end, and am very glad I went, even in the blizzard occurring where I am now staying. It was worth it!