The Cable Guy (15th Anniversary Edition) (1996)

Too, too bad that this marvelously wicked comedy didn't get the respect it deserves when it was originally released. Ben Stiller captured a unique modern nightmare: having the strained small talk we exchange with the cable guy, plumber or repairman inadvertantly turn into an invitation for a full-fledged friendship. Jim Carey's performance is a tour de force that works on multiple levels. Carey's notrious and spectacular over-the-top antics are beautifully combined with subtle emotional nuances. One moment it's so funny that you cry; the next it's so sad that you laugh. Carey conveys much more depth here than you've seen in his other roles without moderating his comic genius. Matthew Broderick plays the perfect straight man. Frequently the funniest moments are his horrified reactions to Carey's outrageousness. Look for hilarious cameos by Owen Wilson and the guy from "High Fidelity."

"The Cable Guy," as most know by now, was a major departure for Jim Carrey. The rubber-faced goofball of hits like "Dumb And Dumber" and "Ace Ventura: Pet Detective" was still present, but he was appearing in a radically different form. With Carrey playing a cable installer fixated on an unsuspecting customer, "The Cable Guy" is easily his darkest movie. However, I've got a soft spot for a good black comedy, and this one is about as black (and as good) as they come.

Although goofy behavior had been Carrey's trademark since his "In Living Color" days (remember Fire Marshal Bill?), "The Cable Guy" was the first movie in which his madcap antics hinted at something dark beneath the surface. Indeed, by playing such a twisted character, Carrey was finally able to let loose and reveal the full range of his comedic gifts (aren't bad guys always more fun?). In contrast to the likes of "Ace Ventura" and "Dumb And Dumber," which were basically just live-action cartoons (albeit amusing ones), "The Cable Guy" provides Carrey with a creepy, unsettling vehicle where he gets to show some real malevolence. When Carrey plays basketball prison-style while Filter's "Hey Man Nice Shot" plays in the background, it's both hilarious and disturbing at the same time. And even when Carrey hams it up, as when he does a vibrato-heavy rendition of Jefferson Airplane's "Somebody To Love" while a group of freaky friends dances around him, there's an undercurrent of the surreal.

In an equally dramatic departure from Carrey's norm, "The Cable Guy" even had a message mixed in with all its weirdness. It turns out Carrey's nameless cable installer, who gets his pseudonyms from old TV shows, was left by his mother to be raised by the TV, and has attachment issues stemming from his inability to relate to others. The plot is set against the backdrop of a former child star's trial for killing his twin brother, and director Ben Stiller (who also plays the murderous brother) takes several opportunities for pointed satire of our TV-addled culture. It's not until the end that the subject is addressed at length, but the pernicious effects of TV are a prominent theme of the movie. When the cable guy laments in his closing monologue that he learned about the facts of life from watching "The Facts Of Life," it's strangely poignant.

And how about a hand for Matthew Broderick as Steven Kovacs, the unfortunate object of Carrey's fixation? It's hard to believe this guy almost faded into obscurity in the five years or so after "Ferris Bueller's Day Off." If not for his classic turn in "Election," I'd say Steven was the role Broderick was born to play. At first Steven just regards the cable guy as a nuisance, but his annoyance over his new friend's increasingly creepy behavior grows as the film wears on until it turns to outright fear and desperation, and Broderick captures it perfectly. Few, if any actors, make a better hapless guy than Broderick, which is especially ironic given that he became a star playing the uber-cool Ferris Bueller.

Watching this movie, it's hard to believe it was such a letdown at the box office. I firmly believe entertainers should be rewarded for taking risks, but apparently Carrey's fans weren't quite ready for him to play such a troubled character in such a dark movie. That's too bad, because those who haven't seen this movie are really missing out. "The Cable Guy" doesn't go down as easy as Carrey's other comedies, but it's a lot more rewarding in the end.

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I'm with most other Amazon reviewers -I don't know why this movie got such a bum rap from most critics. I think it's because Carrey wasn't doing his usual Ace Ventura shtick which I personally don't care for (was not able to sit through either of the Ace Ventura movies). This movie was very funny, good dialogue, good characterization -the Stephen character was very real and so was the Cable Guy even though he was nutty. My least favorite scene was the one where he beats up Robin's date. Not because it was violent but because it was pretty pointless, didn't contribute anything to the plot, just not very funny IMO (though I see that some other people disagree). I also thought the karaoke scene dragged on a bit. But the whole Medieval Times episode was a scream! Ditto for the Porno Password scene and the basketball game and the scene where the Cable Guy visits Steve in jail, as well as the Menendez brothers-like trial subplot with Ben Stiller. The way the Cable Guy kept modeling everything in his life on TV shows and movies was an inspired touch -it may not be terribly profound or original social commentary but it was an interesting way of making the point. Finally, I thought the ending was just perfect. The Cable Guy is being airlifted to the hospital and the paramedic in the chopper says "Hang in there, buddy!." The Cable Guy asks, his eyes lighting up, "Hey! Am I really your buddy?" "Sure you are," replies the unsuspecting paramedic ... and we see the Cable Guy's face dissolve into a demented grin. Wow!

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Directed by Ben Stiller, "The Cable Guy" is an underrated film with many layers. Matthew Broderick's cable-challenged character Steven, and his crazy friend Rick, played by Jack Black, are trying solve his problematic relationship with his girlfriend. Jim Carrey stars as Chip the not so mentally stable Cable Guy, who puts in one of the most incredible, gut-wrenching performances of his entire career. His uncanny performance of "Somebody To Love" is like watching John Belushi's SNL duet with Joe Cocker.

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Jim Carrey is "The Cable Guy" in this dark comedy from director Ben Stiller. In one of his best (and underrated) performances, Carrey stars as a lonely, pathetic and very disturbed individual desperately in need of friendship and some very serious psychiatric care. Neglected by his mother as a child, and left in the care of the "babysitter" (the television) for nurturing, he has grown into adulthood as a man orbiting somewhere along the fringes of reality. Even his name is an enigma; using various aliases from the sitcoms he grew up with, he is "Chip Douglas" (My Three Sons) when he happens into the life of the unsuspecting Steven Kovacs (Matthew Broderick). Steven is coping with problems of his own; when he proposes to his girlfriend, Robin (Leslie Mann), she responds by kicking him out of their apartment. Steven rents a new place and, of course, has to get the cable hooked up. Enter the Cable Guy. Acting on the advice of his friend, Rick (Jack Black), Steven approaches Chip with the idea of setting him up with free movie channels for a fifty dollar gratuity. "Ever hear of anything like that?" he inquires. Chip responds with a feigned admonition about "Illegal cable," then readily agrees to "Juice him up." Unwittingly, Steven thereby forms a bond with Chip, who he later learns can be "His best friend, or his worst enemy." For comedy to work, it must be taken seriously; real laughs come from playing it straight, and Stiller is a master of this technic (As both actor and director). He is to be commended here for extracting a tempered performance from Carrey by reining in his natural tendency toward over exuberance (which has worked for him in other projects, but would have been detrimental here). There are some hilarious moments in this film: Chip throwing a Karaoke party for Steven; a scene that takes place at a Medieval Times restaurant (with a terrific cameo by Janeane Garofalo as their waitress); and a bit with ongoing news coverage of a murder trial in which Stiller plays twin brothers Stan and Sam Sweet. But there are just as many uncomfortable moments, which tend to leave the viewer somewhat uneasy, such as the scene in which Chip dupes Steven's family into playing "Porno Password." We feel Steven's discomfort as well as his frustration with his own inability to control what ultimately becomes an ugly situation. Or when Chip confronts Robin's date (Owen Wilson) in the restroom of a restaurant. There is an edgy humor to these scenes, but the underlying hostility has an unnerving effect. With a supporting cast that includes George Segal and Diane Baker (as Steven's parents), Andy Dick (as the Medieval Host), and Eric Roberts (as himself), "The Cable Guy" is a tense and entertaining film. Some Jim Carrey fans may be a bit put off by this one, though, for it is not the typical Carrey offering. This is a glimpse at the effects of a deranged mind. It is a dark and somewhat disturbing movie, and in the end, issues are left unresolved; but addressing Chip's psychoses was never intended here. This film was made, not to enlighten, but to entertain; and in that, it succeeds. If it is just laughs and light fare you're looking for, however, be advised: this is definitely not where you want to go.

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