The Cable Guy (1996)

User Rating:

5.8/10   

Director:

Ben Stiller

Writer (WGA):

Lou Holtz Jr. (written by)

Release Date:

14 June 1996 (USA)

Genre:

Comedy | Thriller

Tagline:

Once you let him into your house, you'll never get him out of your life!

Plot:

A lonely and disturbed cable guy raised on television just wants a new friend, but his target, a designer, rejects him, with bad consequences.

Plot Keywords:

Friend | Cable Guy | Television | Break Up | Karaoke

Awards:

3 wins & 1 nomination

US TV Schedule:

Mon. July 6	11:15 AM	HBO
Sun. July 12	10:00 AM	HBO
Fri. July 17	6:00 PM	HBO

Cast

Jim Carrey	...	The Cable Guy
Matthew Broderick	...	Steven M. Kovacs
Leslie Mann	...	Robin Harris
Jack Black	...	Rick
George Segal	...	Steven's Father
Diane Baker	...	Steven's Mother
Ben Stiller	...	Sam Sweet / Stan Sweet
Eric Roberts	...	Eric Roberts
Janeane Garofalo	...	Medieval Times Waitress
Andy Dick	...	Medieval Times Host
Harry O'Reilly	...	Steven's Boss
David Cross	...	Sales Manager
Amy Stiller	...	Steven's Secretary
Owen Wilson	...	Robin's Date
Keith Gibbs	...	Basketball Player

MPAA:

Rated PG-13 for dark thematic elements and crude humor.

Runtime:

96 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English | French

Colour:

Colour (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby | SDDS (8 channels)

Certification:

UK:12 (cut) | Iceland:12 | South Korea:15 | Philippines:PG-13 | Australia:M | Belgium:KT | Denmark:12 | Finland:K-12/9 | Germany:12 | Italy:T | Netherlands:AL | Norway:11 | Portugal:M/12 | Singapore:PG | Spain:13 | Sweden:11 | USA:PG-13 (certificate #34332)

Filming Locations:

Carson, California, USA

Company:

Columbia Pictures Corporation

Trivia:

The clip of the movie starring Clint Eastwood that the cable guy is watching as a child is from Play Misty for Me (1971).

Goofs:

Continuity: The telephone handset suddenly appears in Chip's hand as he talks to Steven in jail.

Quotes:

Steven: You're right. That's incredibly insightful.
Chip Douglas: I know. It was Jerry Springer's final thought on Friday's show.

Movie Connections:

Referenced in The 40 Year Old Virgin (2005)

Soundtrack:

Hey Man, Nice Shot

watch it again. highly underrated

the most astonishing thing about the cable guy is that it simply wasn't liked by critics! however, this was to be expected given the way it was promoted. Not just another Jim Carrey "stupid humour" movie as it was unfortuanately promoted as, the cable guy was an entirely different genre; a comedy so dark it bordered on horror/thriller. and it is utterly brilliant.

to watch this movie a second time is highly recommended, as is an open mind to the dark web that Ben Stiller weaves masterfully. The actors fill their roles extremely well; Broderick perhaps a little underwhelming, but Carrey's astonishingly dark and eerie portrayal of his character carries the film. the cameos are brilliant, and show the respect the movie received by those who read the script, with many top actors willing to appear for only short roles. in the vein of other Stiller comedies that must not be taken at face value, such as the classic Zoolander, this film genuinely needs a repeat viewing. and try to forget Carrey was ever Ace Ventura before you watch the movie. naysayers will be converted!

full marks!