The Jim Carrey Outlandish Comedy On Max That No One Ever Talks About
Long before he was twirling his mustache at the thought of capturing and disposing of Sonic The Hedgehog, Jim Carrey was leading some of the funniest oddball comedies of the 1990s and early 2000s. Films such as Ace Ventura: Pet Detective, Dumb and Dumber, Liar Liar, and Bruce Almighty were genre-defining outings, which makes it incredibly strange that later installments in Carrey’s filmography, such as Yes Man, aren’t talked about as much. If you’re a die-hard Jim Carrey fan, you can stream Yes Man on Max today, and see for yourself how underrated the 2008 film really is.
The Creators
Yes Man was written by the trio of Andrew Mogel, Jarrad Paul, and Nicholas Stoller, based loosely off of the 2005 memoir of British comedian Danny Wallace, who spent a year saying “yes” to just about everything, and recording the results. The movie was directed by Peyton Reed, who is best known for his work helming all three of the Marvel Ant-Man films.
The Cast
Like his character, Jim Carrey tried to make an effort to say “yes” to as much as possible during the filming of the project, resulting in the acclaimed comedian demanding to do many of his own stunts on the project.
The cast of Yes Man includes Bradley Cooper, Zooey Deschanel, John Michael Higgins, as and Our Flag Means Death‘s Rhys Darby, who truly steals every scene he’s in.
Carl’s Covenant
Yes Man‘s plot centers on a man named Carl Allen, who has become a miserable shell of himself following a recent divorce, causing him to become highly reclusive and avoidant of his own closest friends. After a chance encounter with a former colleague, Carl is convinced to attend a motivational seminar, where he is inspired to say yes to every new opportunity that he is presented, as part of a “covenant with the universe.”
Carl Starts To Change
Before long, Carl’s life begins rapidly improving, as he meets new people, goes to new places, and tries out a host of new hobbies. Carl’s newfound confidence makes him more open and approachable to people such as his dorky boss and his quirky new love interest, and even, somehow, leads him to newfound success in his work as a loan approval officer at a bank.
As the plot of Yes Man continues, Jim Carrey actually slowly learns to play guitar and speak conversational Korean, and even goes bungee jumping, much to the chagrin of the film’s insurance carrier.
Stream It Now
GFR SCORE
Obviously, saying yes to every single request becomes untenable at points, but you can see that for yourself by streaming Yes Man today on Max. In my personal opinion, this is a classic Jim Carrey flick that deserves to be mentioned alongside all-time greats like Me Myself and Irene, The Truman Show, and The Mask.
The film’s message, while a little contrived, offers a genuinely solid and easy-to-follow mental health guide which can help you to get out of a rut, even if it means stepping out of your comfort zone.
