THE CABLE GUY

"Women are a labyrinth, my friend. Can I be frank? I don't think you listen to her. I think you tell her what she wants to hear. She wants you to thirst for knowledge about who she is, all the complicated splendour that is women. When your love is truly giving, it will come back to you tenfold."

-Jim Carrey, The Cable Guy

"I'm vile and perverted. I'm obsessed and deranged. I've existed for years but very little has changed. I'm the tool of the government and industry too. For I'm destined to rule and regulate you. You may think I'm pernicious, but you can't look away. I'll make you think I'm delicious with the stuff that I say. I'm the best you can get... have you guessed me yet? I'm the slime oozing out of your TV set...."

— Frank Zappa

Going into this movie totally blind, it would be a pretty safe assumption that the only reason this movie exists at all is just a house another one of Jim Carrey's 1,000% effort cult favorite kind of characters. Especially when this movie came out. Jim Carrey had been doing one hell of a good job living his life as a real-life cartoon character on screen, so boy oh boy was I surprised when I finally watched this movie and realized it's a lot darker and stranger than I ever could have guessed.

The Cable Guy is a 1996 American psychological thriller-comedy film directed by Ben Stiller, written by Lou Holtz Jr. and starring Jim Carrey and Matthew Broderick. The film co-stars Leslie Mann, Jack Black, George Segal, Diane Baker, Eric Roberts, Owen Wilson, Janeane Garofalo, David Cross, Andy Dick, Stiller, and Bob Odenkirk.

Steven Kovacs has moved into his own apartment after a failed marriage proposal to his girlfriend results in the duo deciding to spend some time away from each other. Steven's new cable guy, who refers to himself as "Chip Douglas," arranges a deal with Steven to give him free cable. Chip sees this as an opportunity to start a friendship with Steven. Despite some road bumps, the duo hit it off. But after Chip reveals himself as a nuisance, Steven cuts ties with him. Vowing revenge, Chip goes all out to get back at Steven in any way possible. How far will Chip go in his bid for retribution, and how much torment can Steven take?

The original screenplay by Lou Holtz Jr. was a lighter comedy, described as "a What About Bob? annoying friend movie" where the Cable Guy was a likeable loser who intrudes upon the cable subscriber's life, but never in a physically threatening way. That certainly sounds a lot closer to what I was expecting, but when Carrey, Apatow and Stiller started talking, things started changing. they all liked the setup of "somebody who is really smart with technology invading somebody's life", and opted to add both slapstick and darker tones, changing into a "satire" of thrillers such as Cape Fear, Unlawful Entry and The Hand That Rocks the Cradle. The result is a surprisingly emotionally sweet movie and a hella uncomfortable autism nightmare at the same time.

It's fairly easy to summarize this movie's plot in about a paragraph, but I was amazed at just how many subjects this movie tackles so effortlessly. We open with Matthew Broderick moving into his new apartment after a proposal gone wrong, and the first 15 minutes or so this movie is all about two lonely men. Steven who is just starting to sink into feeling alone and a drift without anyone he can really talk to, and good old Chip who was never really had anyone to talk to his whole life.

Steven (as well as Matthew Broderick) is a perfectly relatable everyman character in this story. He's a wonderful straight-laced partner to Jim Carrey's craziness, and seeing Steven enjoy himself or some of the most rewarding moments in his entire movie. But of course, Creepy Carrey is a way more interesting character.

I don't think it is too far-fetched for me to say that Chip feels like the embodiment of television itself. it's not just his constant character personas and references, he's based on obsession in a fiercely manipulative way. He dazzles you with consumerist gifts, and makes you feel powerfull or like total shit whenever he wants to. He has countless powerfull connections, and this movie often makes you feel almost powerless to stop him.

But all that being said, there is a human being hiding in Chip. A lonely little kid who got a TV instead of a brother, a desperately caring person who yearns for a social life he seems doomed never to have. He wants you to thirst for knowledge about who he is, all the complicated splendour that is Chip. All of that makes this movie one of the most interesting character studies I have ever seen, but it seems like general audiences did when this movie came out and didn't agree right away.

While the movie's final gross of just over $60 million domestically and $102 million worldwide was much less than the other Jim Carrey movies released in 1994 and late 1995, the movie cost $47 million to make and didn't use significant marketing campaigns. The idea that the movie had been a disaster was widely circulated by rival studios and production companies because they were angry that Columbia set a higher market for star salaries by giving Carrey $20 million to star. There was also a fear that this movie could be a career killer for both Carrey and Stiller, but I think this movie is a wonderful transition for the kind of mature roles and films both men would find themselves in.

It's just a creepy funny nasty heartwarming good time.

9/10