The Cable Guy (1996)
62%RT Audience Score: 51%
Awards & Nominations: 3 wins & 2 nominations
The Cable Guy’s dark flashes of thought-provoking, subversive wit are often — but not always — enough to counter its frustratingly uneven storytelling approach
The Cable Guy is a movie that’s both hilarious and unsettling at the same time. Jim Carrey’s performance as Chip is both creepy and captivating, and his chemistry with Matthew Broderick is a joy to watch. The film’s satirical take on television and media is still relevant today, and it’s impressive how it manages to be subversive while still being a mainstream comedy. Overall, The Cable Guy is a must-watch for fans of dark comedies and Jim Carrey’s unique brand of humor.
Production Company(ies)
Distributor
NA
Release Type
Theatrical
Filming Location(s)
Medieval Times – 7662 Beach Blvd., Buena Park, California, USA
MPAA / Certificate
Rated PG-13 for dark thematic elements and crude humor
Year of Release
1996
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Color:Color
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Sound mix:Dolby Digital DTS Dolby SDDS
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Aspect ratio:2.39 : 1
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Runtime:NA
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Language(s):English, French
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Country of origin:United States
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Release date:Release Date (Streaming): Apr 1, 2003
Genre(s)
Comedy
Keyword(s)
starring Jim Carrey, Matthew Broderick, Leslie Mann, Jack Black, George Segal, Diane Baker, directed by Ben Stiller, written by Lou Holtz Jr., comedy, box office performance, budget, reviewed by Patrick Z McGavin, Dave Kehr, Ryan Gilbey, Gene Siskel, Jay Boyar, Desson Thomson, Sheila Reid, Gena Radcliffe, Leigh Paatsch, Brian D Johnson, PG-13, cable installer, friendship, premium channels, psycho stalker, subversive wit, storytelling approach, commercial good sense, legal and illegal installations, satire, disturbing edge, brain-rotting, horror movies, MCU movies, Netflix series, TV premiere dates, Fresh Kernels
Worldwide gross: $102,825,796
Worldwide gross (inflation-adjusted): $196,268,276
Worldwide gross ranking (inflation-adjusted): 699
Worldwide tickets sold (est.): 21,403,302
US/Canada gross: $60,240,295
US/Canada gross (inflation-adjusted): $114,983,392
US/Canada gross ranking (inflation-adjusted): 657
US/Canada opening weekend: $19,806,226
US/Canada opening weekend (inflation-adjusted): $37,805,045
US/Canada opening weekend ranking (inflation-adjusted): 339
Budget and Earnings Details
Production budget (est.): $47,000,000
Production budget (inflation-adjusted): $89,711,039
Production budget ranking: 462
Marketing and distribution budget (inflation-adjusted est.): $48,309,394
Box office net earnings to date (inflation-adjusted est.): $58,247,843
ROI to date (est.): 42%
ROI ranking: 1,189
Matthew Broderick – Steven M. Kovacs
Leslie Mann – Robin Harris
Jack Black – Rick
George Segal – Steven’s Father
Diane Baker – Steven’s Mother
Director(s)
Ben Stiller
Writer(s)
Lou Holtz Jr.
Producer(s)
Andrew Licht, Jeffrey A. Mueller, Judd Apatow
Film Festivals
Awards & Nominations
3 wins & 2 nominations
Academy Awards
All Critics (80) | Top Critics (29) | Fresh (44) | Rotten (36)
…on the whole The Cable Guy is about as subversive a mainstream comedy as you’ll find…
June 14, 2022 | Rating: 2/4
Patrick Z. McGavin
Chicago Reader
TOP CRITIC
The Cable Guy is a gutsy move on Carrey’s part, suggesting a willingness to grow just where commercial good sense would say to stand pat.
March 11, 2019 | Rating: 3/4
Dave Kehr
New York Daily News
TOP CRITIC
It barely matters that The Cable Guy fails [to satirize TV], because it is crammed with other pleasures, not least Carrey, who lets us glimpse the human being behind the sociopath.
December 12, 2018
Ryan Gilbey
Independent (UK)
TOP CRITIC
Carrey’s life-of-a-bad-party manner is a major hoot as he toys with Broderick over legal and illegal installations.
December 12, 2018 | Rating: 3/4
Gene Siskel
Chicago Tribune
TOP CRITIC
Whether Carrey’s fans will like it or not, the film is easily his best crafted piece of work to date.
December 12, 2018
Jay Boyar
Orlando Sentinel
TOP CRITIC
To watch Carrey leering with joy at the prospect of making respectable people guess dirty words, and Broderick trying to avoid the whole thing, is to enjoy their best comic synergy.
December 12, 2018
Desson Thomson
Washington Post
TOP CRITIC
You’ll be surprised when you find yourself laughing out loud.
May 31, 2022
Sheila Reid
Women in the Life
As with Reality Bites two years earlier, director Stiller makes some astute observations about Generation X and its love of television – and media in general.
July 20, 2021 | Rating: 3.5/5
James Croot
Stuff.co.nz
Just on paper Chip is an unsettling character, but it’s Carrey who really brings him to horrifying life.
June 16, 2021
Gena Radcliffe
The Spool
The hook to this weirdly compelling film is its teasing nature as a comedy of terrors.
May 12, 2020 | Rating: 3.5/5
Leigh Paatsch
Herald Sun (Australia)
Sure, in the title role [Carrey] plays another in-your-face, over-the-top, wild and crazy guy. But for once he is not a lovable goof. He is a rather unsavory psychotic. And the movie itself is not pure farce: it is satire, with a disturbing edge.
March 22, 2019
Brian D. Johnson
Maclean’s Magazine
While it makes a convincing case that too much television is ultimately brain-rotting, it does so with an unjustifiable smugness.
March 11, 2019
Michael Dwyer
Irish Times…
Plot
Steven Kovak has been kicked out of his apartment by his girlfriend. Steven has a new apartment, and decides to slip the cable guy (Chip) $50 for free cable. Steven then fakes an interest in Chip’s line of work. However Chip takes this to heart trying to become Steven’s best bud. When Steven no longer wants to be Chips friend the man who can do it all goes on an all out assault to ruin Steven’s life. In the backdrop is the delicate sub-plot of the trial of a former kid star for murdering his brother.
Trivia
Goofs / Tidbits
The Cable Guy stars Jim Carrey as the titular character, a cable installer with a dangerous obsession.
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