Man on the Moon

1999 Comedy Drama

Comedian Andy Kaufman gave performances that were bizarre and difficult to categorize, in which he might do or say almost anything: show cartoons, impersonate Elvis Presley, play conga drums while singing children's songs, read aloud from The Great Gatsby, or take the audience out for milk and cookies. Written by Scott Alexander and Larry Karaszewski and directed by Milos Forman (the team behind The People vs. Larry Flynt (1996)), this biopic takes an in-depth look at Kaufman's life and art, with Jim Carrey as Kaufman, who could (and would) be any number of different people onstage: the quiet and childlike man, the little foreign guy, the overbearing showbiz "professional," the violently obnoxious wrestler, or the world's worst lounge singer. As Kaufman rose from comedy clubs to guest appearances on Saturday Night Live and a spot on the TV sitcom Taxi, his performances became more complex and dangerous -- so much so that when word got out in 1984 that he was suffering from lung cancer, many fans and associates thought it was just another bizarre stunt; the disease took his life later that year. Man on the Moon features Danny De Vito as Kaufman's manager George Shapiro, Courtney Love as his girlfriend Lynne Margulies, Paul Giamatti as his friend Bob Zmuda, and David Letterman, Judd Hirsch, Marilu Henner, Carol Kane, and Christopher Lloyd as themselves. more..

Director: Milos Forman

Starring: Jim Carrey,Danny DeVito, Courtney Love, Paul Giamatti, Vincent Schiavelli

Reviews

  • Jim Carrey's performance is an impersonation on the level of genius.

    Owen Gleiberman - Entertainment Weekly

    26 April 2013

  • Less a biography than an essay on theatrical illusion and the changing nature of comedy. Love it or hate it, you've never seen anything quite like it.

    David Sterritt - Christian Science Monitor

    26 April 2013

  • Less a conventional biography than a performance film - one that stuns and delights.

    Lou Lumenick - New York Post

    26 April 2013

  • A movie of moments whose ultimate legacy may be to get Carrey out of formula comedies forever.

    Mike Clark - USA Today

    26 April 2013

  • Remains a frustratingly opaque study. There's something missing, namely Kaufman.

    Jay Carr - The Boston Globe

    26 April 2013

Awards

  • Best Edited Feature Film - Comedy or Musical

    American Cinema Editors (2000)

     
  • Funniest Actor in a Motion Picture (Leading Role)

    American Comedy Awards (2000)

     
  • Best Director

    Berlin International Film Festival (2000)

  • Best Actor

    Boston Society of Film Critics Awards (1999)

  • Best Picture

    Broadcast Film Critics Association Awards (2000)