WithSonic the Hedgehog 2now in theaters,Jim Carreyfinds himself back in once familiar territory as the king of the box office. While the last decade plus has seen him take a bit of a step back from the limelight he once dominated, 2018’sSonic the Hedgehogwas seen as a comeback, a return to form for the comic mastermind audiences love so much. That love started for most way back in 1994, giving Carrey one of the most successful years any actor has ever had.
In 1994, Carrey was popular for being the crazy white guy from the sketch comedy show,In Living Color. His most memorable character was “Fire Marshall Bill,” an insane fire marshall who ended up burned or maimed in every sketch. Carrey’s physical comedy and exaggerated mannerisms became what he was known for, leading him to a style of comedy that would change the landscape of film in the 90s.
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Producers noticed Carrey’s zany performances and cast him inAce Ventura: Pet Detective. On paper, a story about a detective who solves missing pets cases hired to find the Miami Dolphins mascot sounds a little stupid. In Carrey’s hands, that stupidity is what made the movie work. An absurd premise needed to be led by an equally absurd personality to become believable. Since the rest of the cast was composed of realistic portrayals existing in a realistic world, with characters who are just as dumbfounded by what they’re seeing as we are, Carrey was allowed to get away with anything he could come up with.
Audiences had never seen anyone like Carrey before. He was like a mix ofJerry LewisandRobin Williamsturned up to eleven. His over-the-top improvised body movements (for example, Carrey spends one scene literally talking out of his butt), facial expressions, and delivery left viewers shocked and rolling with laughter. He was more like a cartoon Bugs Bunny come to life than he was a person, foreshadowing what was to come.
Released in February 1994,Ace Ventura: Pet Detectivewas a surprise success. Making $107 million worldwide on a $15 million budget, the film was number one at the box office for four weeks. It permeated pop culture like few films have done. Every teenager in America was going around quoting Ventura’s absurdities. You couldn’t walk by a bathroom without someone saying, “Do not go in there.” “Lew-Who Zah-Her” became a favorite insult. And “alrighty then,” Ventura’s favored catchphrase, became a go to in any situation.
Carrey’s next film,The Mask, was in post-production, whenAce Venturawas released. Based on a comic,The Maskbecame the perfect vehicle for Carrey to go completely nuts. Written specifically with Carrey in mind, the film tells the tale of a sad sack bank teller named Stanley Ipkiss who finds a magical wooden mask. When he puts it on he is transformed into a cartoonish, green faced, mischievous crime fighter.
Every idea imaginable was thrown at the wall, no matter how crazy. The trick behind this was to simply keep the cameras rolling. What pushed the film past what Carrey accomplished inAce Venturawas the use of its Academy Award nominated special effects. If Carrey could imagine it, it could be created and put on the screen, turning him into theLooney Tunesmaniac he was always meant to be.
Just as impressive as Carrey’s hyper comedy was the understated drama that he got to show off when playing the shy, lonely Ipkiss. The ability to pull back and give such a sympathetic portrayal of why a man would so desperately want to be transformed hinted at the dramatic range to come with Carrey in his later roles. The Jekyll and Hyde character shown inThe Maskearned Carrey a Golden Globe nomination and the film’s $351 million gross launched his career into the stratosphere. He was sssmokin’.
Rounding out the year came the king of stupid movies, the Farrelly brothersDumb and Dumber. In this film, two morons go on a road trip to return a suitcase to a woman Carrey’s character has a crush on, completely oblivious that the suitcase is filled with ransom money for the woman’s kidnapped husband, and that his captors are now pursuing the duo. The script had been in developmental hell for years.Eddie Murphywas once attached to the project.Nicolas Cage,Steve Martin,Martin Short, andGary Oldmanall said no thanks to starring.
It was Carrey’s success inAce Venturathat got him the gig, and a substantial pay increase, from around $400,000 to $7 million. Carrey earned every penny. The smallest of things would make his depiction of Lloyd Christmas iconic, from the bowl haircut that he did himself, to ripping a cap from his tooth with a beer bottle just because he thought Lloyd should have a chipped tooth. The character’s success works, however, because of total confidence in the face of complete obliviousness. Lloyd doesn’t know he’s dumb. He thinks he’s smart and funny, a ladies man, and he can’t understand why his life isn’t going well.
InAce VenturaandThe Mask, it’s the Jim Carrey show. InDumb and Dumber, the focus isn’t solely on him. This is a buddy movie. Here he has a sidekick, inJeff Daniels’ Harry Dunne, who could match his comedic genius. The two played off against each other perfectly, from their simple interactions of squirting mustard and ketchup into their burning mouths or singing to a would be assassin, to their temporary falling out that leads to Lloyd spiking Harry’s drink with Turbolax. Carrey’s comedy is usually so intense that the viewer can see no one else but him when he’s on screen. Here he was able to step back in moments and let someone else shine in his presence.
The approach worked.Dumb and Dumbermade $247 million, ending 1994 with three straight weeks at number one. LikeAce VenturaandThe Mask, it continues to permeate everyday life to this day, the one liners living permanently in our pop psyche. How many times have you gotten your hopes up even when the odds are against you and said, “So you’re telling me there’s a chance?” Jim Carrey’s 1994 would alter the course of film. Stupid movies were now in, and with the proof that a comedy could lead the box office, the cinemas became inundated with buddy comedies and high concept silly films, fromTommy Boyto the Farrelly brothersThere’s Something About Mary.
Carrey had so transformed the landscape that he became Hollywood’s first $20 million man for 1996’sThe Cable Guy. While that film wasn’t a success at the time, it was surrounded by the likes ofBatman Forever,Liar Liar, andThe Truman Show. Carrey would stay one of the biggest names in acting for the next decade plus, earning more Golden Globe nominations, critical acclaim, and massive box office success along the way, but nothing he has done since will ever match what he accomplished in 1994. No one can match that. His wacky, high energy comedy single handedly changed what kind of movies get made. Few actors can say they’ve had such an impact.
