Man on the Moon


Suffice it to say that I had been anxiously awaiting this film as well. As a huge fan of Milos Forman (director of the above mentioned One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest and The People Vs. Larry Flynt as well as Amadeus) and an even bigger fan of the late, brilliant Andy Kaufman, I listened with glee to the intense buzz about Jim Carrey's great performance and finally got my ass to the theater. It pains me to say anything really bad about this film because it was very well done. Classy from the direction to the performances to the mostly faithful story of Kaufman's life (penned by those oddball-character loving boys, Scott Alexander and Larry Karaszewski, who also wrote Ed Wood and The People Vs. Larry Flynt as well as the upcoming H.R. Pufnstuf), the movie is certainly enjoyable. The problem is that there just wasn't enough time to get in depth about Kaufman's life and exploits. Sadly, events were just glossed over and the movie had a jumpy feeling as it spanned years in moments. Kaufman's adoration of Elvis Presley and transcendental meditation are only briefly addressed as well as his remarkable friendship and writing partnership with the talented Bob Zmuda. Fans of Kaufman would do well to read Zmuda's book, "Andy Kaufman Revealed!", a fascinating and comprehensive look at Andy's life and motivations and inspirations. In fact, it's possible that reading this book gave me TOO much information to enjoy the film as much as I would have otherwise. The movie only scratches the surface of what the book examines in detail. As a bonus, you can learn more about Zmuda himself, an intriguing individual in his own right. As far as all the Oscar for Jim Carrey talk goes, I would hate to see him win for this performance. He's excellent at mimicking Andy, and completely immerses himself in each Kaufman character, but I wouldn't call it great acting. It's more of a series of great impressions. Frankly, Kevin Spacey ran acting circles around him in American Beauty, but unfortunately, I am not a member of the academy. Also, Courtney Love is a fine actress but has nothing to do in her thankless role. In closing, I'd recommend seeing the film and then reading "Andy Kaufman Revealed!" If you can only do one, read the book.