Jim & Andy: The Great Beyond (2017)
January 12, 2019 9:49 AM - Subscribe

A behind-the-scenes look at how Jim Carrey adopted the persona of idiosyncratic comedian Andy Kaufman on the set of Man on the Moon (1999).
posted by jouke (4 comments total)
 
Saw this when it came out, enjoyable. I was blown away by how much of a self absorbed pain in the ass Jim Carey was/became in order to make a fairly good movie.
posted by skewed at 4:47 PM on January 12, 2019


The footage of Jim totally in character as Andy is entertaining.

I do agree with the reviews that say that the doc does come off as kind of a puff piece for Jim's ego.
posted by Fukiyama at 5:11 PM on January 12, 2019


After seeing this documentary I think I don't care for Andy Kaufman.
But with Jim Carreys voice over I can see how Andy Kaufman is interesting for comedians. Deciding to bomb consciously and see how far he could take it. Taking on this identity and not taking it off.

The documentary is not only about Andy Kaufman. It's also very much about Jim Carreys career. Him reflecting on it. I see Fukiyama's point: there's a bit of the vibe of "the wealthy comedian explaining his genius to the common man".
I can see how identity becomes an intangible thing as a comedian and actor.

While Carreys philosophising sometimes goes over into unwitting charicature it is interesting to hear somebody speak who seems to have gained all the conventional goals: great wealth, great acclaim, surely enticing Hollywood partners.
And still is not happy.
posted by jouke at 7:26 AM on January 13, 2019 [2 favorites]


There's a similar mark missed by both Man on the Moon and last years My Dinner with Hervé. It's partly pure physicality, Andy and Hervé were both baby faced, almost cute. Both very loved as performers. Carey and Dinklage are both incredible actors, but not in the "cute" part of the spectrum. And the interesting part (for other comedians) is mostly the end game of their careers where they were fighting the, what... 'stigma of cute' and that left an element of cruelty of drama, interesting, but missed expressing a huge important part of the objects lives.

(had a roommate from the same part of Long Island as Kaufman, don't know if he knew him personally but Andy was really thought well of, deeply, personally, in addition to all the omg wtf funny parts)
posted by sammyo at 4:27 PM on January 15, 2019


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