The Cable Guy
June. 14,1996 PG-13When recently single Steven moves into his new apartment, cable guy Chip comes to hook him up—and doesn't let go. Initially, Chip is just overzealous in his desire to be Steven's pal, but when Steven tries to end the 'friendship', Chip shows his dark side. He begins stalking Steven, who's left to fend for himself because no one else can believe Chip's capable of such behaviour.
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Reviews
Good movie but grossly overrated
Excellent but underrated film
Great movie. Not sure what people expected but I found it highly entertaining.
The film's masterful storytelling did its job. The message was clear. No need to overdo.
Well ,I opened my movie vault today and came across the cable guy on DVD ,Jim Carrey has to be the funniest man in the world ,when life makes me mad Jim's there to make me laugh ....thanks Jim Carrey love you
One among the best performances by Jim Carrey. The only thing I couldn't figure out is why the movie has such a low rating. The story may not be too deep or anything, but it is pretty good. This is one among the best comedy thrillers I've seen. Don't let the low ratings fool you. It's definitely worth watching.Plus, movies directed by Ben Stiller are almost always unique.
"The Cable Guy," as most know by now, was a major departure for Jim Carrey. With Carrey playing a cable installer fixated on an unsuspecting customer, "The Cable Guy" is easily his darkest movie. The idea of an obsessive cable guy is quite humorous, but this is taken to the extreme to reveal a very disturbing character in the Cable Guy. The Cable Guy is one of these films that is funny in places and in other places generates a sort of nervous laughter, giving the comedy meaning rather than just comedy for the sake of comedy.For comedy to work, it must be taken seriously; real laughs come from playing it straight, and Stiller is a master of this technique. He is to be commended here for extracting a tempered performance from Carrey by reining in his natural tendency toward over exuberance (which has worked for him in other projects, but would have been detrimental here). There are some hilarious moments in this film: Chip throwing a Karaoke party for Steven; a scene that takes place at a Medieval Times restaurant (with a terrific cameo by Janeane Garofalo as their waitress); and a bit with ongoing news coverage of a murder trial in which Stiller plays twin brothers Stan and Sam Sweet. But there are just as many uncomfortable moments, which tend to leave the viewer somewhat uneasy, such as the scene in which Chip dupes Steven's family into playing "Porno Password." We feel Steven's discomfort as well as his frustration with his own inability to control what ultimately becomes an ugly situation. Or when Chip confronts Robin's date (Owen Wilson) in the restroom of a restaurant.The Cable Guy has a stellar enough lead performance and enough good points to be worth the watch. In fact, it's much easier to appreciate it now with a decade's hindsight, now that we've seen a lot more range from Jim Carrey. The film certainly has its moments of brilliance; the Sam Sweet side-plot (with a good and minor cameo from director Ben Stiller) and its conclusion is a wonderful touch, that compliments the ending and its point, and Jim Carrey's karaoke scene - beyond the obvious chuckles you may get from his lisping and catatonic singing - is also a disturbing one, and one shouldn't overlook the choice of a song (Jefferson Airplane's 'Somebody To Love'). The Cable Guy is not as good as it might have been but it's a daring creation, certainly the most daring one for Stiller as a director.Overall rating: 7 out of 10.
I just have to say I love this film. I have heard it be called Carrey's worst film and I couldn't disagree more. It is one of my favorites of his and I think it is completely underrated. It is important to remember this isn't a straight up comedy but rather a comedic psychological thriller so it isn't about having non stop laughs but rather an interesting story with occasional laughs. I love its darker/twisted story and all the actors pull their weight. I think Jim Carrey is great in this and gives his character a good level of depth so that he isn't just 2D wacky character but one with a deeper reason behind his eccentric behavior. All in all I recommend people watch this with a more open mind and without coming into it expecting it to be a typical Carrey comedy.