20 Years of Jim Carrey: His 10 Best Roles

Jim Carrey is the Greatest Actor of All-Time. 

That statement would be true if you go by number of MTV Movie Awards won. Carrey has won 10 MTV Movie Awards out of a total of 23 nominations, plus he received an MTV Generation Award for his entire body of work. You could say he is definitely MTV's Favorite Actor of All-Time, or of the past 20 years at least. But let's forget about MTV for now; Jim Carrey is my Favorite Actor of All-Time. 

No other actor has made me laugh more in my entire life, and his dramatic performances are featured in 2 of my Top 20 Favorite Movies, one of those being my Favorite Movie of All-Time. I grew up with Jim Carrey over the past 20 years. I still remember going to see The Mask in theaters 20 years ago this week when I was just 7 years old. I remember going to see The Truman Show when I was 11 and, even though I didn't fully understand it at the time, walking out of the theater that day knowing I had seen something special. Most recently in 2004, when I was just 17 years old, I was moved by a movie in a way that never happened before and hasn't happened since when I watched Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind.

Aside from all those MTV Movie Award nominations and wins, Jim Carrey is also a 6 - time Golden Globe nominee and 2 - time Golden Globe winner. His first win came in 1998 in the Best Performance by an Actor in a Motion Picture - Drama category for his performance as Truman Burbank in The Truman Show. Among the actors he beat in that category were 3 of the year's eventual Oscar nominees for Best Actor: Ian McKellen, Nick Nolte, and Tom Hanks. His second win came the following year, 1999, in the Musical or Comedy category for his performance as Andy Kaufman in Man on the Moon. Even though it was the Musical or Comedy category, he did beat two other actors that year you might have heard of: Sean Penn and Robert DeNiro.

 

For his performance as Fletcher Reede in Liar Liar in 1997 he was nominated in the Musical or Comedy category alongside two other legends: Dustin Hoffman and that year's eventual Oscar winner, Jack Nicholson. His latest nomination came in 2004 in the Musical or Comedy category for his performance as Joel Barish in Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind, a movie that is neither a Musical or Comedy. Again he was part of a strong group of nominees including two time Oscar winner Kevin Spacey and again he lost to that year's eventual Oscar winner, Jamie Foxx. All these actors that I've mentioned have received a grand total of 45 Oscar nominations between them in their careers, but not a single one of those belongs to Jim Carrey.

The four performances that I just mentioned appear at the top of my list, but they don't tell the whole story of Jim Carrey's career. Of course, any conversation about Carrey's career has to include his meteoric rise in 1994 that turned him into Hollywood's go-to comedy star and its first 20 million dollar actor. Those famous 90s comedic performances in movies such as: Ace Ventura: Pet Detective, Dumb & Dumber, The Cable Guy, and The Mask, which celebrates its 20th anniversary today, are also included on the list. As a matter of fact, I'll begin my ranking of Jim Carrey's 10 Best Roles right there. 

10) Stanley Ipkiss / The Mask in The Mask

Why I'm crazy for this Carrey performance:

Because the Academy Award nominated visual effects are nothing compared to Carrey's antics while wearing The Mask. Because of this line: "SSSSSMOKIN'", and this one: "P, A, R, T, Y? Because I gotta!". Because of his dancing scenes, starting with the "Hey Pachuco" dance with Cameron Diaz at the Coco Bongo and then the "Cuban Pete" dance with the cops on the street.

9) Count Olaf in Lemony Snicket's A Series of Unfortunate Events

Why I'm crazy for this Carrey performance:

Because this role is an example of why Carrey should play villains more often(see also: The Riddler in Batman Forever). Because when you add Count Olaf's 2 alter egos: Mr. Stefano and Captain Sham, Carrey actually plays 3 roles in this one. Because at one point in the movie one of those alter egos romances The Great One, Meryl Streep, and Carrey holds his own quite well next to her.

8) Lloyd Christmas in Dumb & Dumber

Why I'm crazy for this Carrey performance:

Because the insanely dumb, and a little vindictive, Lloyd is one of Carrey's greatest characters. Because of so many dumb moments including the first time we see him as the world's worst limo driver, to the ad-libbed "most annoying sound in the world", to driving past the Colorado exit while playing with his sleeping road mate("That John Denver's full of shit man"). Speaking of that road mate, Carrey shares the spotlight extremely well with Jeff Daniels in this one, particularly in my favorite scene when they fight because of the extra pair of gloves in Aspen and Lloyd says this: "Harry, your hands are freezing!".

7) Steven Russell in I Love You Phillip Morris

Why I'm crazy for this Carrey performance:

Because, in a weird way, Steven Russell could be considered Carrey's most romantic character. Because of Carrey's chemistry with Ewan McGregor. Because of his commitment to the role including the hairline, the weight loss, and the gay sex scenes.

6) The Cable Guy in The Cable Guy

Why I'm crazy for this Carrey performance:

Because this is the first time that Carrey showed us that he was not going to play it safe when it came to choosing his roles. Because, even though you wouldn't describe the character as a classic villain, The Cable Guy is Carrey's darkest character to date. Because of the jail phone scene opposite Matthew Broderick which perfectly captures the character's many eccentricities. Because of the scenes where Carrey gets to let loose, including the karaoke singing and the Medieval Times scene.

5) Ace Ventura in Ace Ventura: Pet Detective

Why I'm crazy for this Carrey performance:

Because this was the role that introduced Carrey to the world and made him an instant star. Because of lines like this one: "Like a glove!", and this one: "Loo hoo, seh her". Because of moments like these: Ace as the crazy german dolphin trainer, Ace talking out of his ass, "Do NOT go in there!", Ace solving the murder in the apartment, Ace at the insane asylum, "Einhorn is a man!". No wonder this performance made him a star.

4) Andy Kaufman in Man on the Moon

Why I'm crazy for this Carrey performance:

Because if Andy Kaufman is pranking us all and he is somehow still alive, he wouldn't be able to play Andy Kaufman better than Jim Carrey does. Because of Carrey as Andy Kaufman as Tony Clifton. Because this performance proved that Carrey's dramatic turn in The Truman Show was no fluke. Because of this line that sums up Carrey's career: "I think of the world as ... as an illusion and ... and we shouldn't take ourselves so seriously". Because of "Thank You Very Much".

3) Joel Barish in Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind

Why I'm crazy for this Carrey performance:

Because the introverted Joel is the one Jim Carrey character I most identify with. Because this role is proof that Carrey doesn't have to make a funny face to give a great performance(when he does it to try to wake up from his memory erasing procedure it's just a bonus). Because of Joel's puppy dog face when he begs for the procedure to stop("I wanna call it off"). Because of Carrey as little kid Joel, here and here. Because of this line: "Please let me keep this memory. Just this one", and this one: "She was ... just a girl". Speaking of that girl, because of Jim Carrey's amazing chemistry with Kate Winslet, resulting in my favorite movie couple of All-Time.

2) Fletcher Reede in Liar Liar

Why I'm crazy for this Carrey performance:

Because, for my money, Jim Carrey has never been funnier(and that's saying something). Because Carrey's physical comedy in this movie is pure genius. The two best examples are the "I'm kicking my ass!" scene and the blue pen scene: "Write it or I'll break it off!". Because a year prior to his first dramatic role in The Truman Show, Carrey gave us a glimpse of what was to come when Fletcher confronts the judge after the trial("I hold myself in contempt!"). Yes, it's a little cheesy, but in my opinion this is one of the finest acted scenes of his career, and it comes in a movie that is full of iconic Carrey moments.

1) Truman Burbank in The Truman Show

Why I'm crazy for this Carrey performance:

Because Carrey displays every side of Truman perfectly: his innocence and naiveté, his fear and paranoia, his sense of adventure, his romantic nature, and his playful and funny side. Because, aside from anything in Eternal Sunshine, Truman's pizza date on the beach with Lauren / Sylvia might be the most romantic scene of Carrey's career. Because of this line: "Good morning! And in case I don't see ya', good afternoon, good evening, and good night". Because of Carrey's acting in the ending of this movie(the best of any scene in his career), including the "hero shot"(see above), surviving the storm, Truman pounding at the wall after crashing his boat(makes me cry every time), then talking to Christof("You never had a camera in my head!"), and taking one final bow before exiting the stage. It's the perfect ending to Jim Carrey's greatest performance and the perfect ending to this list as well.

The Academy's Summer Blockbuster Bias

The Academy of Motion Picture Arts & Sciences is notorious for its biases when it comes to awarding the Oscars each year. Most notable among those are the ones against Comedies, Horror Movies, Action Movies, and a strange bias against visionary directors who were ahead of their time such as Orson Welles, Alfred Hitchcock, Stanley Kubrick, and Martin Scorsese(combined Best Director wins: 1). More recently, a new bias has surfaced against Summer Blockbusters. Will the Academy be able to look past its biases this year in order to seriously consider a technologically innovative Summer Blockbuster like Dawn of the Planet of the Apes? What about the bias against Superhero Movies which could affect another one of my favorite Summer Blockbusters of the year so far, Captain America: The Winter Soldier?

Both Captain America: The Winter Soldier(currently #1 at the domestic Box Office) and Dawn of the Planet of the Apes(currently #12 at the Box Office and climbing) are excellent movies that deal with very serious real world issues, something the Academy loves. Captain America presents a plot about government overreach that draws a parallel to Edward Snowden's NSA leaks and the ongoing debate about using drones to eliminate enemy targets. Apes presents a glimpse of what the world could be if humanity's violent, self destructive nature runs its course. This couldn't be more relevant than this week, with a commercial plane carrying nearly 300 people being shot down in Ukraine, with the Israeli Army invading the Gaza strip, and with the child refugee crisis at the U.S. border. Will these serious topics be enough for the Academy to take notice of Captain America: The Winter Soldier & Dawn of the Planet of the Apes, two high-quality Summer Blockbusters that have reached mass audiences worldwide?

By no means should these films consider their nominations a given, especially with strong Oscar-bait contenders from visionary directors and perennial Academy bridesmaids like Wes Anderson - The Grand Budapest Hotel, Richard Linklater - Boyhood, David Fincher - Gone Girl, and Christopher Nolan - Interstellar(combined Best Director nominations: 2, both for Fincher). For me, at least, both Dawn of the Planet of the Apes & Captain America: The Winter Soldier and their respective directors, Matt Reeves and the Russo brothers, measure up to these serious movies and rightfully deserve some Best Picture consideration come awards season.

There was a time when the movie that won Best Picture at the end of the year would also be at or near the top of the Box Office charts, but that was a long time ago. In fact, 12 of the 15 highest grossing Best Picture winners(adjusted for inflation, of course) premiered prior to 1977. Avatar, the highest grossing movie of all-time, came close to winning Best Picture in 2009(undeservedly, mind you) but it actually lost to the lowest grossing Best Picture winner in Oscars history, The Hurt Locker. In fact, 5 of the 10 lowest grossing Best Picture winners(adjusted for inflation) have been released in the past 10 years, including last year's winner, 12 Years a Slave.

In 2008 we got the infamous Best Picture snub of The Dark Knight, at the time the 2nd highest grossing movie of all time. This forced the Academy to increase the number of Best Picture nominees from 5 to a maximum of 10. Initially, this helped Summer Blockbusters such as Inception & Toy Story 3 receive the Best Picture nominations they deserved. What ended up happening was that it watered down the meaning of the words "Best Picture nominee" by opening the door for lousy crowd pleasers such as The Blind Side & Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close(Seriously Academy, just because Sandra Bullock appears in a movie it does not mean you automatically have to nominate it for Best Picture). Whatever meaning the words "Best Picture nominee" have left, this year's smart, high-quality, High-Grossing, Summer Blockbusters would love to see them in front of their titles come awards season.

Only one Summer Blockbuster from 2013, The Great Gatsby, was awarded with an Oscar at last year's Academy Awards. Gatsby finished the year at #18 in the domestic Box Office rankings. Of the 17 movies ranked above it, only two, Frozen & Gravity(Sandra Bullock again), won at the Oscars, and neither one of those was a summer release. Only one of the new millennium's Best Picture winners has finished the year ranked atop the Box office charts: 2003's The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King, which was also not a summer release. Of the previous 20 Best Picture winners, only 2 have been Summer Blockbusters that finished the year in the Top 10 of the Box Office charts: Forrest Gump in 1994 and Gladiator in 2000.

Since those Best Picture nominations for Inception & Toy Story 3 in 2010, none of the Summer Blockbusters that have finished the year in the Top 10 of the Box Office charts have been nominated for Best Picture. The rule change brought upon by the Dark Knight snub in 2008 has actually done more for Low-Grossing films such as The Hurt Locker in 2009 and others after it like Winter's Bone, Beasts of the Southern Wild, and another Best Picture winner, The Artist, while snubbing critically acclaimed Top 10 Box Office Summer Blockbusters such as The Avengers and Star Trek, among others. Let's hope that trend changes this year with at least one Best Picture nomination for either Captain America: The Winter Soldier or Dawn of the Planet of the Apes(Apes being more likely since it avoids the Academy's Superhero Movie bias).

There is a chance that both the Captain America & Planet of the Apes franchises will have to wait for the third installments of their respective trilogies to be released in order to receive some Best Picture recognition from the Academy, a la Lord of the Rings(Here's a tip: Don't release them in the summer!). That would mean that those third movies would have to somehow improve on what were already excellent second chapters to their stories, themselves improved from the first chapters. As we learned with the Dark Knight trilogy, improving on an excellent second chapter is no easy task. Whatever happens with the next installments in these franchises, it's safe to say that both Captain America: The Winter Soldier & Dawn of the Planet of the Apes will be remembered as Summer Blockbusters of the highest quality and, as of this writing, as Two of the Best Movies of 2014. I sure hope it stays that way until Oscar nominations are announced in January so we can also remember them as "Best Picture nominees".

Best of 2014 (so far)

Today marks the last day of the 1st half of 2014. So far it's been a pretty good year for movies, but it's still too early to see if it can match the total level of excellence from 2013. From what I've seen so far and from the movies already released or due for release that I haven't seen(The Grand Budapest Hotel, Neighbors, Boyhood, Guardians of the Galaxy, etc), 2014 looks really promising. For now I'll focus on those movies I have seen. Since we're only halfway through the year, I'm cutting my year-end lists in half. Instead of 8 Top 8 Lists, I've compiled 4 Top 4 Lists including: Best Moments, Best Characters, Best Cameos, and Best Villains. Before I get to those I'll start with my Top 5 Movies of the Year. There's plenty to talk about, so let's get to it. Here is my Best of 2014 (so far).

*Note: I reserve the right to adjust these rankings in any way in my year-end lists. And one more thing: SPOILERS

Top 5 Movies of the Year (so far)

5) Edge of Tomorrow

*A summer blockbuster that's not a sequel, threequel, or prequel? Sign me up. It is an adaptation though, plus it adds elements from some great movies such as Groundhog Day, Source Code, and Saving Private Ryan. Add some great chemistry between Tom Cruise and Emily Blunt and you have a winner, even though it underperformed at the Box Office. This is the Sci-Fi movie people should be watching this summer, not the new Transformers.

4) Under the Skin

*This movie has you in a trance from the very first shot and it doesn't let go until the very end. It features some very disturbing scenes but it complements those with a magnificent original score and a solid lead performance from Scarlett Johansson(featuring the 1st nude scenes of her career). The movie creates more questions than it answers, so I actually can't wait to watch it again(it will be available on Blu-Ray / DVD on July 15).

3) Chef

*Start with a solid ensemble cast featuring Jon Favreau, John Leguizamo, Sofia Vergara, Scarlett Johansson, Bobby Cannavale, Oliver Pratt, and Dustin Hoffman. Add a plot about following your dreams that includes some great father & son bonding moments on a cross country drive. Finish it up with the most delicious food you can imagine and you have the recipe for the Feel Good Movie of the Year.

2) Captain America: The Winter Soldier

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*The best summer blockbuster of the year, even though it came out in April. From the first moment to the last, starting with Cap jumping from that plane without a parachute, the movie's pace never lets up. There are plenty of twists and turns along the way: the main villain is not who you think it is(more on that later), important characters dying, important characters coming back from the dead. I mean, this movie has everything you want. It also features a strong cast including Chris Evans, Samuel L. Jackson, Robert Redford, Anthony Mackie, and Scarlett Johansson(her 3rd appearance in my Top 5).

1) The Lego Movie

*Everything is awesome indeed. Awesome story, awesome voice cast(featuring Chris Pratt, Elizabeth Banks, Will Arnett, Alison Brie, Nick Offerman, Charlie Day, Will Ferrell, Liam Neeson, and Morgan Freeman), awesome animation, awesome cameos, awesome twist, and, of course, an awesome song. It's the story of how we're all special and we all have the ability to create and inspire others, told through the magic of Legos.

*2 Sequels just outside the Top 5

4 Top 4 Lists

I Best Moments (so far)

4) Slo-Mo with Quicksilver in X-Men: Days of Future Past - A much needed funny moment in this emotional mutant film.

3) Toothless kills Hiccup's father, Stoick, in How to Train Your Dragon 2 - Bold choice for  a "kids" movie.

2) The crying toddler alone on the beach in Under the Skin - Very disturbing scene. You could hear a pin drop in the movie theater.

1) The man upstairs(Will Ferrell) appears at the end of The Lego Movie - Mind blown!

*Bonus: Every meal presented in Chef. Beignets, Cubanos, Brisket, Chocolate Lava Cake. Yum!

II Best Cameos (so far)

4) Robert Downey Jr. in Chef - Tony Stark and Happy Hogan together again. It's a great scene where we get to see Downey Jr. play someone other than Tony Stark.

3) About Last Night(original movie) in the About Last Night remake - Genius meta-moment where the main characters watch the original movie while on a date.

2) Every cameo in Muppets Most Wanted, including Usher playing an usher, and Christoph Waltz dancing the waltz.

1) The Millennium Falcon in The Lego Movie - In another movie full of cameos, this is the best. Featuring Anthony Daniels and Billy Dee Williams reprising their roles of C-3PO & Lando Calrissian respectively, the scene also gets a boost from Lego Batman's actions which are pretty funny(more on him coming up).

*Bonus: 2 Teases from Marvel - The Stephen Strange mention in Captain America: The Winter Soldier and the post-credits Apocalypse(the world's 1st mutant) scene in X-Men: Days of Future Past.

III Best Characters (so far)

4) Emmet Brickowski, voiced by Chris Pratt, in The Lego Movie - You gotta love the hero of The Lego Movie. From his morning routine following instructions, to his love of every chain restaurant, to his great cowboy impersonation, and, of course, all of his idiotic ideas such as ... The Double Decker Couch(with cupholders and seats that flip up with coolers underneath).

3) Laura in Under the Skin - A mysterious seductress from outer space that takes the form of Scarlett Johansson. I still don't know how I feel about what happens to her at the end of the film. Might be the most intriguing character of the year so far.

2) Professor Charles Xavier in X-Men: Days of Future Past - With the early 70s setting it's not surprising that someone was doing drugs in this movie, but Professor X? Shocking! Honestly, it was a great representation of a person struggling with drug addiction and the most interesting storyline of the film(Aside: Wolverine is key in helping the Professor beat his addiction in the film, but I was left thinking: How did he beat his addiction in the original timeline and become the Professor X we all know from the original trilogy? What if Wolverine hadn't traveled from the future? Movie time travel is so confusing.) Add in his tumultuous relationship with Erik(Magneto) and Raven(Mystique) plus the encounter between past Xavier(James Mcavoy) and future Xavier(Patrick Stewart) - one of the best moments of the year so far - and you have another candidate for the most intriguing character of the year so far.

1) Lego Batman, voiced by Will Arnett, in The Lego Movie - The supporting character of the year. From the moment he flies in on his batwing to save the day and says: "I'm Batman" he steals every scene he's in. Will Arnett does a perfect parody of the Christian Bale Batman voice and turns the Dark Knight into an egotistic d*%^bag. Turns out a d*%^bag Batman is Laugh-Out-Loud funny. Installing speakers in the Batmobile, the Bat-puns, working only in black(and very very dark gray), being the only person in the universe who doesn't know that Bruce Wayne is Batman. This is my favorite character of the year so far.

IV Best Villains (so far)

4) The Mimics in Edge of Tomorrow - Combine the Sentinels from The Matrix with the Bugs from Starship Troopers and give them the power to relive the past and you get this alien species with an incredibly unfair advantage.

3) Magneto in X-Men: Days of Future Past - No, the villain isn't Bolivar Trask or the Sentinels. The real villain in this movie is Erik Lensherr, aka Magneto, who once again betrays Charles and his fellow mutants. If only past Magneto(Michael Fassbender) could've met future Magneto(Ian Mckellen). Let's just say that the apology at the end of the film was too little too late. And another thing: after the events of this movie Magneto is officially the most hated man in Washington D.C. Not only did he kill President Kennedy, but he also destroyed the city's Baseball stadium(now we know why they couldn't get a team for over 50 years)

2) Hydra in Captain America: The Winter Soldier - Speaking of the Kennedy Assassination, turns out that Hydra has been responsible for every tragic event in the last 70 years. Who knew, right?(Aside: The debate rages on. Who was actually helping Lee Harvey Oswald? Was it Hydra or Magneto? Was Magneto working for Hydra? Does anyone actually believe Oswald was working alone?) When Dr. Arnim Zola appears inside his super Nazi computer and explains Hydra's evil plan to take over the world I was actually a little scared ... then I remembered I was watching a comic book movie(man, this movie's political undertones are fascinating). Hydra's infiltration of S.H.I.E.L.D. is so deep that throughout the movie it seems that there isn't a single good person left in the organization. That kind of ruins everything about The Avengers, but who cares, right?

1) Lord Business, voiced by Will Ferrell, in The Lego Movie - 2 things make him the best villain of the year so far. The first is Will Ferrell's voice, adding one more classic character to his fabulous resume. He delivers some great lines like: "Could you cancel my 2 o'clock, this next meeting could run a little bit DEADLY!" and, channeling Michael Corleone, "It's not personal, it's just business ... Lord Business." The second is the use of the most powerful weapon in all the land: The KRAzyGLuE, I mean, the KRAGLE!!! Another great character from my favorite movie of the 1st half of 2014.

*Dis-honorable mention: The Amazing Spider-Man 2's 3 villains: Elektro, Green Goblin, and the Rhino, who together don't add up to one decent villain.