The Cable Guy (1996) - Ben Stiller
Related: 1996 - black comedy - American cinema
Themes and tropes: stalking - television
The Cable Guy (1996) - Ben Stiller
[Amazon.com] [FR] [DE] [UK]The Cable Guy is a 1996 dark comedy film directed by Ben Stiller. Chip Douglas (Jim Carrey), is a cable installer who installs Steven Kovacs's (Matthew Broderick's) cable television service. Chip believes he and Steven have struck up a friendship, and for a short period of time, the two get along. Afterwards, however, Chip becomes more fanatical, stalking Steven and his girlfriend Robin (Leslie Mann). These are typical paranoid-schizoid characteristics, and characteristic of the 'intimacy seeker' stalker. [1]
Description
Amazon review
If you think Jim Carrey's comedy is an acquired taste, think of The Cable Guy as a potent bottle of bittersweet wine. The film has a lingering aftertaste, but it is just a bit too dark, a bit too extreme to invite another serving. On the other hand, you've got to give Carrey some credit for risking his $20-million paycheck (and a big chunk of box-office revenue) on this <>black comedy. A needy, psychologically unbalanced cable-television installer (Carrey) forces his friendship upon an unsuspecting bachelor (Matthew Broderick) who has just broken up with his fiancée. The movie gets edgier and more desperate--and in some respects funnier--as Carrey's cable guy gradually goes crazy. Director Ben Stiller manages to pack some pointed social commentary into the movie's many humorous detours. Although it was a box-office disappointment, The Cable Guy is nevertheless a daring comedy for those who have had their fill of Ace Ventura. --Jeff Shannon
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