The movie Jim Carrey called a “mistake”
America’s goofy comedy star Jim Carrey enjoyed his meteoric rise to superstardom as the pliable face behind iconic characters of the 1990s, such as Ace Ventura, Stanley Ipkis, the Joker, Lloyd Christmas and, of course, Ernie ‘Chip’ Douglas, the cable guy. As the American answer to Rowan Atkinson, Carrey made his millions through a superhuman ability for wacky humour and seamless impressions.
Carrey’s degree of facial muscle control and slapstick sense of humour put him in good stead for a career in comedy from childhood. Although he was well aware of his abilities, it would take a hard graft over the 1980s before the real rewards were reaped. One of the most significant setbacks in Carrey’s early career, however, was a failed audition for Saturday Night Live.
Towards the end of the 1990s, Carrey began to broaden his cinematic scope. More serious, dramatic roles in films like Man on the Moon, The Truman Show and Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind successfully balanced Carrey’s oeuvre and proved that his skill set scales far beyond physical comedy.
Though Carrey is considered one of the greatest actors never to have received an Academy Award nomination, his career hasn’t been without its miscalculations. For instance, the ironically titled All in Good Taste, a 1983 Canadian comedy movie directed by Anthony Kramreither, was a particularly ugly stain on Carrey’s early career.
All in Good Taste, originally titled It’s All in Good Taste, followed the notably whacky story of a filmmaker who is upset to find out that his initially wholesome script about an orphan and his dog has been derailed into a film about strippers by investors. Many critics have deigned to pick out one small positive from the movie: it follows a plotline, which can’t be said for all of these wild comedies. Besides this, it has been dismissed as a poor addition to the rich crop of cinema and little more than a soft porno movie.
Carrey’s brief part as Ralph Parker saw him on screen for little more than 30 seconds, and for ten of those, he presents his naked backside. Understandably, Carrey looks back on the early role with a wince and, according to a Jim Carrey fansite, has dismissed it as a “youth mistake”.
Despite his small role, the movie was plugged with Carrey as the cover star on VHS and DVD releases following his subsequent rise to stardom. The fact that no trailers can be found for this movie online illustrates the regretful retrospective appraisal Carrey shares with most of his fans and likely many others involved in the production.
