The Cable Guy
(1996)
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Originally planned as a silly vehicle for Chris Farley, in the hands of director Ben Stiller and star Jim Carrey, The Cable Guy became an opportunity for Carrey to flex some of his darker comedic muscles as stalker Chip Douglas. Matthew Broderick plays Steven, an average Joe who is forlorn over his recent breakup with girlfriend Robin (Leslie Mann). When he moves into a new apartment, Steven comes in contact with Chip, who shows up to hook up the cable. Before he knows it, and whether he likes it or not, Steven has a new best-friend in the obnoxious and clingy Chip. However, Steven soon learns that obnoxious is a walk in the park compared to Chip's behavior when Steven tells him he doesn't want to be his pal anymore. What's worse, no one -- including Robin or his family -- believes Steven when he accuses the seemingly harmless Chip of being a malevolent menace. George Segal and Jack Black also star along with Stiller, who plays twins loosely-based on the Menendez brothers.~ Matthew Tobey, All Movie Guide |
Jim Carrey was afforded the opportunity to do something different in this jet-black satire on the power of television, and he responds with a performance that brings a dark edge to his wacky, man-of-the-people persona. Carrey is on top form as a manic cable-television technician who takes a special interest in customer Matthew Broderick. Although merely over-friendly at first, psycho-stalker Carrey starts invading every aspect of Broderick's life with both hilarious and sobering results. Director Ben Stiller effectively lines up his targets and Carrey effortlessly hits them, and, though this suffers at times from dull patches, it is much better than you've heard it is. For Carrey, it proved a stepping stone on his way to acclaim in the critical and box-office success The Truman Show.