Jim Carrey was riding high in the mid-1990s on the back end of two blockbusters, ACE VENTURA – PET DETECTIVE (1994) and his turn as The Riddler in the late Joel Schmacher’s BATMAN FOREVER (1995).
In 1996, his manic comedy manner came to good use in a movie that was against the grain of what he had done before, but went in a far darker direction than audiences were used to, amidst a handsome pay-cheque.
In THE CABLE GUY, Carrey is the title character, a manic depressive, television obsessed loner who becomes part of the life of designer Steven M. Kovacs’ (Matthew Broderick, FERRIS BUELLER’S DAY OFF, WARGAMES, THE PRODUCERS) when he gives him what seems to be a complimentary subscription of free cable. However, Kovacs’ suddenly finds that The Cable Guy wants more than a bit of consideration in return – and is determined to make Kovacs’ life a misery….
Since its’ initial release, THE CABLE GUY, directed by Ben Stiller (REALITY BITES, STARSKY & HUTCH with Owen Wilson), has become a cult classic and has been treated a bit more kindly, working both as the perfect vehicle for Carrey and as a potent social satire.