An unfairly criticized Jim Carrey film has gotten a new streaming home. Since January 1, The cable guy is now available to stream on Max.
Released in 1996, The cable guy was directed by Ben Stiller and written by Lou Holtz Jr. The film features Sonic the Hedgehog 3 star Jim Carrey as a cable TV installer who aggressively befriends a customer played by Matthew Broderick. While it was expected to reach greater financial heights with Carrey in the lead, the film was still profitable at the box office, earning over $102 million on a budget of $47 million, including 20 million would have gone directly into Carrey’s pocket. Its reception has also been divisive, garnering mixed reviews and respective critic and audience scores of 55% and 51% on Rotten Tomatoes.
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In the film, Carrey plays a cable installer who introduces himself as Ernie Douglas, although his friends call him “Chip.” When Steven Kovacs (Broderick) moves into an apartment after splitting from his girlfriend, Robin (Leslie Mann), his cable is installed by Chip. The cable guy essentially intrudes into Steven’s life as a new friend, which leads to some intrusive and disturbing behavior. Things go from bad to worse when Steven’s future best friend becomes his new worst enemy after Chip learns the friendship can’t continue.
The Cable Guy features many notable names
Other stars featured in the film include both members of Tenacious D; Jack Black plays Rick, Steven’s best friend, while Kyle Gass makes an appearance as a TV-watching couch potato. You better call Saul Star Bob Odenkirk also plays Broderick’s brother Steven, and his Mr. Show co-star David Cross also appears as sales manager. Director Ben Stiller can be seen in the film as Sam Sweet, a former child star on trial for the murder of his twin brother. Other notable names in the film include George Segal, Diane Baker, Eric Roberts, Janeane Garofalo, Owen Wilson and Kathy Griffin.
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The cable guy was not as widely embraced by Carrey fans as some of his other comedies of the era, like Ace Ventura: When Nature Calls And Stupid and dumber. It was so controversial that even Gene Siskel and Roger Ebert had drastically different opinions on the film, with the former calling it “very good” and the latter calling it one of the “worst” releases of 1996. Carrey also won prices. for its performance at the Kids’ Choice Awards and the MTV Movie Awards, while the film was simultaneously nominated for “Most Painfully Unfunny Comedy” at the now-defunct Stinkers Bad Movie Awards.
As for why the film struggled with critics, part of that might be because Carrey took on a much darker role than other characters he played at the time. Even though he was still playing an eccentric role, the character was still very different from what Carrey’s fans were accustomed to as an actor at that time. His role was certainly more antagonistic, but it allowed Carrey to show a different side of himself as an actor, paving the way for later delving into more dramatic performances, such as those seen in The Truman Show And Eternal sunshine of the impeccable mind. The film has also since developed a cult following, with many fans believing that the film is much funnier than people give it credit for.
Flow The cable guy on Max.
Source: Max
Steven Kovacs, a recently single man, moves into a new apartment and decides to take advantage of a cable TV deal offered by Chip Douglas, an eccentric cable installer. Initially friendly and helpful, Chip’s behavior quickly becomes obsessive as he forces his way into Steven’s life, seeking to become his best friend. When Steven tries to distance himself, Chip’s antics turn from intrusive pranks to dangerous sabotages, threatening Steven’s relationships and career.
- Release date
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June 10, 1996
- Cast
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Jim Carrey, Matthew Broderick, Leslie Mann, Jack Black, George Segal
- Writers
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Lou Holtz Jr.
- Runtime
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96 minutes
- Main genre
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Comedy
- Budget
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47000000.0
- Studio(s)
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Columbia Pictures, Brillstein-Grey Entertainment, Licht/Mueller Film Corporation
- IMDb ID
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tt0115798
- TMDB User Rating
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5,988