C’mon Hollywood: Let’s get Jim Carrey back on track!

Last Updated on August 2, 2021

We all know that Jim Carrey is a funny guy. With a resume full of projects that range from ACE VENTURA: PET DETECTIVE and LIAR LIAR  to his work on SATURDAY NIGHT LIVE and IN LIVING COLOR, it’s hard to find someone who hasn’t been amused by at least one thing he’s appeared in. However, as funny as Carrey can be, his filmography isn’t without its clunkers, especially lately. With generic and bland bullshit like FUN WITH DICK AND JANE and MR. POPPER’S PENGUINS, it sucks to see him playing things so safely. I still like him as an actor and he hasn’t been in anything overwhelmingly terrible yet, I suppose, but if he doesn’t start changing things up a bit soon, I’m afraid he’ll fall into a territory that Eddie Murphy has been occupying for a while now. 

I know a lot of people are looking forward to DUMB AND DUMBER TO and while it might turn out to be something nostalgically (and surprisingly) funny, I can’t help feel totally cynical towards the notion of a sequel. It’s incredible we’re getting a follow-up that has Jeff Daniels and Jim Carrey returning as well as having the original writers and directors attached, but when said writers/directors were behind some truly awful comedies (MOVIE 43, THE HEARTBREAK KID), I have a hard time feeling anything but apprehension. Sequels to comedies are almost always terrible and as hard as they try, there’s no way they’ll be able to capture the gleefully moronic brilliance of DUMB AND DUMBER. The disturbing and haunting memories of sitting through DUMB AND DUMBERER: WHEN HARRY MET LLOYD isn’t helping matters, either. 

As silly as most of his films are, Jim Carrey really is a great actor. He has a total and complete commitment to character that puts him far ahead of the pack. He’s the kind of actor that’ll do pretty much anything for a laugh and it’s that kind of dedication to one’s craft that makes him good, no matter what the role. Even something like KICK-ASS 2 benefitted from his performance as Colonel Stars and Stripes. While that movie totally sucked, it was a blast watching him onscreen and he was easily the best part of that movie. His supporting role in THE INCREDIBLE BURT WONDERSTONE also had him stealing the show from the likes of Steve Carell and Steve Buscemi. 

So, what can the guy do? For starters, he could begin picking better comedic material. I feel like he should take a gamble and choose something different. Jim Carrey is associated with whacky comedies that understandably rely on his rubber face and off-the-wall energy for laughs, but putting that aside for a bit to delve into different styles of comedy could be exactly what he needs. By trying something a little riskier and darker, like his turn in I LOVE YOU, PHILLIP MORRIS, he not only got to try something new, but he was able to get quite a bit of praise for his turn as openly gay con-man Steven Russell. 

While he’s obviously a cat who’s best known for his comedic talent, it seems like people forget that he also has some very powerful dramatic performances under his belt. Flicks like ETERNAL SUNSHINE OF THE SPOTLESS MIND and THE TRUMAN SHOW are absolutely incredible and show off Carrey’s acting chops as well as his natural ability as an actor. It’s a shame he hasn’t been apart of more serious work, especially after seeing how well he can do with dramatic material. Movies like THE MAJESTIC and MAN ON THE MOON showed us that even while the film itself may not be perfect, he can still give an extremely convincing and moving performance. Another dramatic role for him would be great for us to see and, who knows, maybe he’ll make like Jonah Hill and garner some Oscar buzz for it. 

I’d also like to see him do some work in television. T.V.’s been rocking the shit lately, so what’s keeping him from entering that medium? Yeah, he’s made brief appearances on THE OFFICE and 30 ROCK, but I want to see him do something bigger and be given a character that he can really sink his teeth into. I do, however, think a sitcom would be way too easy. An episodic, situational comedy would be a disservice to his talents. If he was given the chance to go deeper into a character in something well written and well made, I know he could absolutely knock it out of the park. Bryan Cranston was given that chance even after seven seasons playing the goofy father on MALCOM IN THE MIDDLE and look what that turned into. 

So, C’mon Hollywood! Jim Carrey’s proven he’s got what it takes to give both comedic and dramatic performances and excel at both, so the lackluster films the public has had to put up with of late is unacceptable. Hopefully Carrey can realize that and take on either something of quality or something completely different and give us all a welcome surprise. I think we, as filmgoers, deserve that. I think he does, too.