Since the start of the 2020s, Jim Carrey's career has seen quite the resurgence thanks to the Sonic the Hedgehog movies. The funniest part is that he's done so by bringing back what made him a star in the first place.
His over-the-top antics as Dr. Robotnik made the character come to life as more than just a mad scientist trying to take over the world. Anyone who's seen Carrey's earliest work knows that his larger-than-life antics in movies like Ace Ventura and The Mask are what made him a Hollywood mega-star overnight in the 90s.
However, those same people also know Carrey almost killed his blossoming career when he starred in what turned out to be one of the most hated films of that decade called The Cable Guy. Granted, it didn't take long for Carrey to re-establish himself as a top comic actor, but when his career gets discussed, The Cable Guy typically gets brought up among his biggest blunders.
That's a shame because there's much to like about the movie because of what Carrey brought to the table. His performance as the titular character brought something unique compared to what he's best known for both then and now.
While many have come around on the film since its release nearly 30 years ago, it is a shame that one of Carrey's most hated performances was also one of his best.
What is The Cable Guy about?
Note: the 1990s were a little different technology-wise so some of these terms may be a little outdated for younger audiences.
Without delving into too many spoilers, The Cable Guy centers around Ernie "Chip" Douglas, an eccentric cable installer who forces a new friendship with his client, Steven Koufax, played by Matthew Broderick, after granting Steven's request to install the movie channels for free.
As Chip tries to insert himself more and more into Steven's life uninvitedly, the less the latter can take his clinginess. Eventually, tension reaches a boiling point where Steven tries to call off their friendship entirely. However, with every attempt he makes to do so, Chip's obsession with Steven only continues to grow even after Steven directly tells him to get out of his life.
From there, the movie balances comedy with psychological thriller. As bad as things may have been when Chip deludes himself into thinking Steven is his friend, it only gets worse when Chip then deludes himself into thinking Steven is his enemy.
Carrey's performance as Douglas stands out like his other films because it's what he does. However, what made him stand out this time was that Douglas makes for quite the villain when the film peels back the layers of his character.
That's why The Cable Guy was hated
Love or hate how Carrey operates, he always gives every film production its money's worth when he shows up on set. With The Cable Guy, Carrey did not mail in his performance as Chip at all. The problem was that his performance was different and not in a good way. In other words, it's not what the people wanted.
Audiences didn't take to the movie when it premiered primarily because they didn't take to Carrey's performance as Chip. Because they were so used to Carrey being a goofball - and usually the protagonist - seeing him play the diabolical Douglas not only didn't sit right. It was straight-up intimidating.
It didn't help that the movie was marketed as a light-hearted comedy where Carrey played, at worst, a socially awkward goofball, when really, being a weirdo was just the tip of the iceberg when describing Chip Douglas.
So, audiences were taken by surprise to see that Douglas' character quirks went way beyond being just a little bit off. They weren't peculiar (which is what audiences had been accustomed to seeing from Carrey) as much as they were psychotic.
The funny part about that exact description is that nowadays, not only could that work with audiences, but Carrey would have been the perfect guy for the job because he's shown the myriad of characters he can play over the last three decades. Plenty of movies fall victim to simply coming out at the wrong time, and The Cable Guy is a good example of that.
So why is this one of Carrey's best performances?
Carrey deserves props for being self-aware, even at the height of his popularity. He understood that audiences would soon tire of his act, so he took on the role of the deeply troubled Douglas to branch out and show his versatility as an actor.
With Douglas, Carrey played a character with many issues, but when it comes down to it, he just wants a friend. Unfortunately, his inability to recognize boundaries, the fact that developing friendships takes time, and the fact that rapport naturally comes prevent him from getting past his demons.
At the height of his issues is that because he was raised on television, he can't discern reality from fiction, so he lives in his own little world where he plays a different character. Sadly, because he's socially stunted, he does not take rejection well, leading to the film's insane antics in its third act.
Carrey's performance made Douglas funny because of his eccentricity and ineptitude. When things take a turn for the worse, he becomes terrifying but manages to stay pretty comical while he's at it. That's difficult for a comic actor to pull off, but Carrey does it effortlessly.
Maybe he should have realized that audiences weren't ready for that yet, but that doesn't detract from his well-rounded performance. He was also given a tall order because Chip constantly alters his persona depending on his state of mind.
Chip Douglas' problems indeed make him his own worst enemy. Yet, when it's all said and done, you can't help but feel sorry for him. Putting all of his issues aside, he's unbearably lonely. That doesn’t excuse that he’s creepy, obsessive, clingy, deranged, socially inept, malicious, and manipulative, among his many flaws, but it explains it.
Carrey managed to pull off a funny, intimidating, and tragic character all into one. Maybe The Cable Guy came out at the wrong time, but it does seem hilarious in hindsight how hated the movie was when Carrey put in his all.
While The Cable Guy is not one of Carrey's best movies, it's definitely one of his best acting performances primarily because he dared to go out of his and everyone else's comfort zones. The film may not be everyone's cup of tea, which it certainly wasn't back in the 90s, but anyone who says Carrey didn't do his job is wrong on all counts.
The Cable Guy can be streamed on Hulu, but only with the Max package.
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