Jim and Andy: The Great Beyond--Featuring a Very Special Contractually Obligated Mention of Tony Clifton

2017 documentary

Rating: 15/20

Plot: Jim Carrey is interviewed about that time he went nuts and thought he was Andy Kaufman for a few months. Behind-the-scenes footage of the filming of Man on the Moon is shared.

"I learned that you can fail at what you don't love, so you might as well do what you love."

I have more interest in Jim Carrey now than I ever did during his heydey. He's either become a fascinating individual or he's doing a good job of acting like a fascinating individual. You get the sense that Carrey is pulling our legs as he talks about Kaufman almost inhabiting him or possessing him during the filming of Man on the Moon, but then you kind of see it in all the footage filmed when that movie was being made. Is Carrey a nutcase? A charlatan? An actual vessel that Kaufman somehow poured himself into from beyond the grave? It's hard to tell, but it's also very hard to argue with the evidence presented in this thing.

This actual made me appreciate both Man on the Moon and Carrey's performance even more. I also liked that movie fine, a very good biopic, but in the review linked above, I said that Carrey's performance eventually just starts to feel like a 2+ hour impersonation. Watching all the behind-the-scenes stuff here with Carrey's method acting on full display, the performance seems more impressive. It also seems amazing that the movie even got made in the midst of all the Carrey-created chaos. Or maybe it was Andy and Tony Clifton who created the chaos. It's really kind of hard to tell.

Carrey has a unique perspective on fame and celebrity. I'm not sure it's fair to pinpoint this moment in his career as a turning point or not, but I really hope with his painting and whatever else he decides to do with the rest of his life, that the guy can find peace and happiness.

Something learned: Carrey buried a ten million dollar check he got for The Mask with his father.

And speaking of The Mask, I might want to revisit that movie. I remember giggling uncontrollably every time I saw the preview for that when it came out, seeing it at The Indiana in Terre Haute with my wife, and being really disappointed.