Released in 1996, The Cable Guy came out when Jim Carrey was the biggest comedy star on the planet. The two Ace Ventura movies, The Mask, Dumb and Dumber, and Batman Forever were all huge hits for Jim Carrey. I was so excited for this movie it was like all the other Jim Carrey movies that had come out the years before this had been leading up to The Cable Guy.
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The Movie Review
The Cable Guy is not your typical Jim Carrey comedy movie and at the time of release, I do not think people knew what to make of it. It is a dark comedy and I enjoyed it and it is a movie that I think has gotten better and more appreciated over time. I liked this as a teenager, but I appreciate it much more as an adult and I think that it is one of the more underrated movies from Jim Carrey’s filmography.
Jim Carrey plays the role of a guy called “Chip”. Chip is a cable guy and he is hired by Matthew Broderick’s Steven to install cable at his new place. Chip is kind of weird, but Steven going off his friend’s advice, asks Chip if he can hook him up with the best channels for free.
Chip and Steven’s Friendship
Chip is one very odd dude, but he and Steven hit it off and the two start hanging out. Chip starts to worm his way into Steven’s life, getting more and more extreme and intrusive with his behavior. Steven feels like he is going nuts as Chip starts to ruin his life, it is both funny and unnerving at the same time and Jim Carrey does such a great job.
A Dark Comedy with Stellar Performances
This is not your typical manic Jim Carrey, make you laugh with his slapstick humor. There are still little parts of that here, but most of the comedy here comes from its dark humor. I also feel that Matthew Broderick deserves just as much credit as Jim Carrey as it is his reactions to what Chip is doing to him that drive this movie.
An Impressive Supporting Cast
While the movie is led by Jim Carrey and Matthew Broderick, I am sure most people have forgotten what a stacked cast this movie has. The supporting cast features the likes of Leslie Mann, Jack Black, George Segal, Ben Stiller, Eric Roberts, David Cross, and Andy Dick to name a few off the top of my head.
It is fair to say that by the time this movie started getting made, being in a Jim Carrey movie was probably something a lot of actors wanted to be part of. I got a huge kick out of all the famous faces that kept popping up on screen. I watched this with my wife who had never seen it before (she did not care for this movie) and she was mind blown by the cast in this movie.
Final Thoughts
The Cable Guy is a movie that you either like or do not, you either get or you do not get. At the time it was released, I think people had an idea of what a Jim Carrey movie should be and this was certainly not that. However, as a black comedy, I think it is a lot of fun and I have honestly enjoyed it a little more each time I have watched it over the years.
