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Movies / On DVD / Man on the Moon
Man on the Moon

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Man on the Moon (1999)

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Reviews Counted:116

Fresh:72

Rotten:44

Average Rating:6.1/10

Consensus: Jim Carrey is eerily dead-on in his portrayal of Andy Kaufman.

Runtime: 1 hr 59 mins

Genre: Dramas

Synopsis: In a remarkable and touching performance, Jim Carrey tones down his usual idiosyncrasies to play late avant garde comedian Andy Kaufman in MAN ON THE MOON. In life, Kaufman was a complex,... In a remarkable and touching performance, Jim Carrey tones down his usual idiosyncrasies to play late avant garde comedian Andy Kaufman in MAN ON THE MOON. In life, Kaufman was a complex, controversial, and, at times, insane performer, and Carrey captures this, as well as the subtle nuances of his more toned-down private life. Director Milos Forman stages faithful recreations of Kaufman's pranks, method-like immersion in characters, and even scenes from TAXI, the hit TV show that made him a star, but also follows the comedian through his tragic diagnosis with cancer and his loving relationship with his girlfriend Lynne Margulies (Courtney Love). Danny DeVito, Kaufman's real-life TAXI co-star, plays George Shapiro, the manager who discovers him and is willing to put up with all his antics, acknowledging Andy's wry genius. Along the way on his self-made rocky road of stardom, Kaufman reinvents himself as a foreign man who mangles jokes, and as Elvis; lip-syncs the MIGHTY MOUSE cartoon theme after a full minute of dead air time on Saturday Night Live; becomes a "professional" wrestler, and subsequently manages to sabotage his TV career. The supporting cast in MAN ON THE MOON is excellent, including Paul Giamatti has his comedic partner-in-crime, and many members of the real cast of TAXI. [More]

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

Starring: Jim Carrey, Danny DeVito, Courtney Love, Paul Giamatti, Vincent Schiavelli, Peter Bonerz, Gerry Becker, Leslie Lyles, Norm MacDonald

Director: Milos Forman

Director: Milos Forman
Screenwriter: Scott Alexander, Larry Karaszewski
Producer: Danny DeVito, Michael Shamberg, Stacey Sher
Composer: Peter Buck, Mike Mills, Michael Stipe

[See More Credits]

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Release:

May 30, 2000

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Reviews for Man on the Moon

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1 - 20 (sorted by date)
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The main problem with this film though is the running time -- it's too short.

Full Review Source: Dark Horizons | comment Comment
01/15/08
Garth Franklin
Garth Franklin
Dark Horizons

A teeming, fast-paced spin through a particularly strange show-biz life.

Full Review Source: eFilmCritic.com | comment Comment
09/27/07
Rob Gonsalves
Rob Gonsalves
eFilmCritic.com

Ends up asking more questions than it answers.

Full Review Source: Big Picture Big Sound | comment Comment
07/14/07
Joe Lozito
Joe Lozito
Big Picture Big Sound

We're constantly kept guessing as to what's real or false. Intriguing.

Full Review Source: Time Out | comment Comment
06/24/06
Derek Adams
Derek Adams
Time Out

Carrey gets inside Kaufman's skin.

Full Review Source: Combustible Celluloid | comment Comment
05/26/06
Jeffrey M. Anderson
Jeffrey M. Anderson
Combustible Celluloid

Whether you like the film will probably depend on whether you thought Kaufman was funny the first time.

Full Review Source: Film Threat | comment Comment
12/06/05
Ron Wells
Ron Wells
Film Threat
N/R

Click to read the article

Full Review Source: Reeling Reviews | comment Comment
04/09/05
Robin Clifford
Robin Clifford
Reeling Reviews

Forman makes this a thematic sequel to Amadeus, focusing on a misunderstood genius whose commitment to artistic vision came before acceptance, popularity, and his loved ones.

Full Review Source: Looking Closer | comment Comment
01/15/05
Jeffrey Overstreet
Jeffrey Overstreet
Looking Closer

Not everyone knows Andy Kaufman, but the world knows Jim Carrey. Soon it will know more about Kaufman's unique style of humor.

Full Review Source: Courier-Journal (Louisville, KY) | comment Comment
06/25/04
Judith Egerton
Judith Egerton
Courier-Journal (Louisville, KY)

More of an illustrated résumé than a character study, entertaining but seldom insightful.

Full Review Source: Northwest Herald (Crystal Lake, IL) | comment Comment
07/15/03
Jeffrey Westhoff
Jeffrey Westhoff
Northwest Herald (Crystal Lake, IL)

postulates that Kaufman was the consummate actor, someone who stayed 'on' even in his offstage life, to the point of losing whatever personality he had. It's an intriguing theory, but it doesn't always make for a smooth viewing experience...

Full Review Source: Kalamazoo Gazette | comment Comment
07/15/03
James Sanford
James Sanford
Kalamazoo Gazette

No review available.

comment Comment
05/20/03
Susan Tavernetti
Susan Tavernetti
Palo Alto Weekly

Will appeal to Kaufman fans and Carrey fans alike, and even if you're not a fan of either, you can't deny the intriguing quality of this strange story and the skill with which it's told.

Full Review Source: Film Quips Online | comment Comment
02/08/03
John R. McEwen
John R. McEwen
Film Quips Online

No review available.

comment Comment
01/29/03
Wesley Lovell
Wesley Lovell
Oscar Guy

The problem is that while Kaufman's life story has its required quota of bizarre-yet-true events, it's doomed to failure as mainstream entertainment because Kaufman wasn't terribly likeable as a person.

Full Review Source: Sight and Sound | comment Comment
12/02/02
Leslie Felperin
Leslie Felperin
Sight and Sound

Andy Kaufman biopic is hollow, even with Jim Carrey's chameleonlike performance.

Full Review Source: Netflix | comment Comment
11/07/02
James Rocchi
James Rocchi
Netflix

An affectionate but unvarnished portrait through the eyes of people who loved Andy...

Full Review Source: Cincinnati Enquirer | comment Comment
10/15/02
Margaret A. McGurk
Margaret A. McGurk
Cincinnati Enquirer

Carrey's portrayal is dead-on, with all the little mannerisms and voice inflections.

Full Review Source: Montreal Film Journal | comment Comment
09/10/02
Kevin N. Laforest
Kevin N. Laforest
Montreal Film Journal

Presents the life of a madcap trickster who desperately wanted to be the biggest star in the world.

Full Review Source: Spirituality and Practice | comment Comment
08/21/02
Frederic and Mary Ann Brussat
Frederic and Mary Ann Brussat
Spirituality and Practice

As drama, it's a near miss. Yet as an introduction -- or a reminder -- of a singular talent, it has its appeal.

Full Review Source: San Francisco Chronicle | comment Comment
06/18/02
Mick LaSalle
Mick LaSalle
San Francisco Chronicle
Top Critic Icon Top Critic
 
 
1 - 20 (sorted by date)
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Latest News for Man on the Moon

November 09, 2006: Box Office Guru Preview: New Pics Challenge "Borat's" Mandate
This weekend, multiplexes hope to cram in lots of moviegoers thanks to a wide selection of new films. Six movies open or expand nationally on Friday making for what will be one... More...

March 09, 2006: Cusack Checks In to King's "1408"
Popular actor John Cusack has signed on to star in the movie adaptation of Stephen King's short story "1408," says Variety. The story, which is available on King's... More...

January 03, 2006: Vincent Schiavelli Passes at 57
Character actor Vincent Schiavelli, the long-faced veteran of over 150 film and television appearances, died of lung cancer December 26 at home in Sicily. He was 57 years old. More...

October 26, 2005: Dimension Signs Writers & Director for a New King Adaptation
Working for Dimension Films, director Mikael Hafstrom and screenwriters Scott Alexander & Larry Karaszewski will bring Stephen King's short story "1408" to the big... More...

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