Welcome to Movie Jail, a facility like any other, only its inmates are Hollywood writers, directors, actors and producers. This column will serve as a Movie Jail trial. We will put one defendant on trial; lay out arguments for the Prosecution and Defense. And we leave it up to YOU, the reader, to decide whether the defendant is guilty of his or her crime. What crime? The crime of consistently being a stinking shithouse.
The Defendant
Jim Carrey
The Case
The Prosecution: Fun With Dick & Jane, Mr. Popper’s Penguins, Batman Forever, A Christmas Carol, How the Grinch Stole Christmas, Lemony Snicket’s A Series of Unfortunate Events, The Majestic*
Ladies and gentleman of the jury, it may seem that we are railroading comedic actors by putting guys like Adam Sandler and Eddie Murphy on trial, but when the prosecution bears witness to these type of actors playing it safe, no longer pushing the comedic envelope, the prosecution has to step in. Like Eddie Murphy, what happened to Mr. Carrey? He started off creating some crazy characters for IN LIVING COLOR, and catapulted his career into the comedy stratosphere with Ace Ventura: Pet Detective and Dumb and Dumber. And then what happened? We don’t begrudgeg Mr. Carrey for his dramatic turns in the fantastic The Truman Show, but we DO begrudge him for dipping into that kiddie pool of Mr. Popper’s Penquin and the Dr. Suess nonsense one time too many. That, in the prosecution’s charge, is what he’s guilty of. We don’t mind his dramatic work, but even then, they are too far in between and don’t make as big of a splash as The Truman Show once did. A quick stint in Movie jail with Sandler and Murphy, and that should be enough to steer Mr. Carrey onto the road to redemption.
The Defense: Ace Ventura: Pet Detective, Dumb & Dumber, Liar Liar, The Truman Show, The Cable Guy, I Love You Phillip Morris, Man on the Moon, Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind*
Ladies and Gentleman of the jury, the defense feels that this is a way different case than the prosecution will have us believe. For one thing, Mr. Carrey has taken way more risks with his career in terms of his dramatic choices than Sandler and Murphy. You don’t go from a $20 Million pay day to taking risks like The Truman Show, Man on the Moon or The Majestic. Both Truman and Moon are successful because of Mr. Carrey’s performance. There isn’t a guarantee that any one of those decisions would have a favorable outcome. Case in point, The Majestic, which has its fans, but bombed both critically and disastrously at the box office. Did that stop Mr. Carrey from taking chances? Absolutely not. When’s the last time Sandler or Murphy took chances the way Carrey has? As for his foray into kids’ movies, a man gotta eat! And we argue that those flicks are better than anything Murphy has done in years. Plus, we’re all waiting for the next Jim Carrey comedy that’ll bring him back to his former glory. Let’s face it, he’s got a better shot at it than anybody.
IN CLOSING…
So, what’s to be done with Mr. Jim Carrey? Is it a lost cause to expect another great Jim Carrey comedy? Or has he comfortably become Hollywood’s Utility Star, seamlessly going from comedy to drama and back? Should he, as the prosecution suggests, be thrown in Movie Jail “Scared Straight” style so that he gets back to making better movies? And the most important question to be asked, once all evidence is taken into consideration, we ask you The Jury, is Jim Carrey GUILTY or NOT GUILTY? Let’s hear YOUR arguments, either side, by STRIKING BACK BELOW.
*The court recognizes that all movies are subjective, so relax.
WHAT SAY YOU, GUILTY OR NOT?
LAST WEEK’S VERDICT
It is the jury’s decision that after reviewing last week’s evidence, the court finds Ben Stiller NOT GUILTY of all charges. The jury believes that Mr. Stiller’s output has been more positive than negative, and the fact that he puts on acting/writing/directing/producing hats, lends credibility to his career as a Hollywood renaissance man. Now where’s ZOOLANDER 2?
| PREVIOUS VERDICTS | |
| GUILTY | NOT GUILTY |
| Adam Sandler Eddie Murphy Vince Vaughn Tim Burton The Farrelly Brothers | Robert De Niro Val Kilmer Nic Cage John Travolta Oliver Stone Ben Stiller |