I am probably the most gullible person I know. I usually fall for every practical joke that comes my way. I rarely pull pranks on people, but because of my relatively outgoing personality, people pull them on me all the time. In point of fact, I hate practical jokes. I hate them with a passion, because 99% of the time they're only funny for the person that's pulling them.
Andy Kaufman made a career out of amusing himself and pulling fast ones on others, and it's interesting that not everyone understood this. There is a scene in the film Man on the Moon, where Kaufman says he want to be the biggest star in the world. I think he lived out that dream, because he was his own biggest fan; he amused himself far more than any other entertainer up to that point in time. These days, people like Howard Stern are similarly self-absorbed, but there's definitely something lacking. Kaufman added an air of innocence and feigned total ignorance to the events he masterminded, creating palpable, though sometimes bizarre results.
The comedian is played by Jim Carrey, who was most assuredly snubbed by the academy out of a best actor nomination that year for his bright and thoroughly convincing performance. The picture opens automatically with the long-jawed Ace Ventura star, and there is never the slightest doubt that he is Kaufman -- the likeness, mannerisms and delivery are uncanny.
The film is directed by another misunderstood genius -- Czechoslovakian Milos Forman. He is a director that thrives on profiling eccentrics who use their fame to incite people. In Amadeus, The People vs. Larry Flynt, and now Man on the Moon, he explores the enigmas of pop culture; the inviduals who planted themselves clearly outside the norms of their day. And in each of these three pictures, a supporting character tries to discover the truth behind the enigma (Antonio Salieri, lawyer Alan Isaacman, and George Shapiro, here played by Danny DeVito). Of course, there's also his first American breakthrough hit One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest, which is an obvious influence here considering Kaufman's seeming bouts of madness.
Interesting casting happens here, since Courtney Love, who plays Andy's girlfriend Lynne, has apperared twice in Forman's films, as has Danny DeVito and character actor Vincent Schiavelli, here an ABC executive. It's also nice to see some of the original actors who appeared on Taxi with Kaufman playing themselves, including Christopher Lloyd, Judd Nelson, Carol Kane and Marilu Henner. There are even appearances by Jerry Lawler, Lorne Michaels, and David Letterman.
The most rewarding thing about Man on the Moon is that it unfolds as enigmatically as Kaufman's life did. There are no quick answers, and we're left in the dark as often as his best friends. Carrey adds a subtle emotional touch to the performance near the film's conclusion, but there's no denying that his comic timing is of the utmost importance here. Every wide-eyed moment, the viewer is desperately tinkering with the possibility that a stunt is on the horizon, but we're never quite sure.
One of Andy's last public appearances was a Carnegie Hall show. Afterwards, he bused the audience to a nearby cafeteria and treated them to milk and cookies. Now that's my kind of prank.
