Jim Carrey

An Actor with a Place in the World of Film, But I'm Not Sure Where

by Bruce (April 11, 2002)

Jim Carrey is probably the worst marketed actor of all time. Films in which he is supposed to be serious get billed as comedies and then flop. Films that are meant to be family comedies or dark comedies are billed as the average run-of-the-mill comedy, get lots of hype, then flop. It's only when Carrey gets no press that he does well.

Jim Carrey's history is well known. He grew up poor in Toronto, sent his resume into The Carol Burnett Show at age 10, had a series of miserable failures but paid his dues to be a star. What I find remarkable enough is that, to steal a line from Cracker, is that he was better when no one knew his name and he was pompous. Carrey's early stuff is great.

Earth Girls are Easy (1989), Once Bitten (1985), All in Good Taste (1983), and Ace Ventura: Pet Detective (1994) are all very funny. Carrey isn't over the top in these films like he was in Liar, Liar (1997), nor did he try to do too much like in The Truman Show (1998).

Carrey is also best when the attention isn't all upon him. In Living Colour was great because it was a variety show, Carrey got his time and was very funny. The Cable Guy (1996) was a great dark comedy because it wasn't about him, it was about Matthew Broderick's character. In that regards that's why Dumb and Dumber (1994) was great while Me, Myself and Irene (1999) blew.

What about Carrey as a serious actor? I believe he can do it. I thought he was great in Man on the Moon (2000) but I never really liked Andy Kaufman. The Truman Show sucked because Carrey tried too hard to win the Oscar.

Jim Carrey's place in the world of film? He's not a legend, sorry to say, not now at least. He's not Buster Keaton or The Three Stooges. He needs to focus on one thing. He's either a comedian or a serious actor. Tom Hanks pulled it off because Tom Hanks never put himself in the box of comedian, but yet he made some very funny movies.

Will there ever be a movie based on Carrey's life like the one based on Kaufman? I think so. Give it twenty years after he dies. I think it would be a very good film about a guy no one quite understood.