The Cable Guy (1996)

Director:

Ben Stiller

Writer (WGA):

Lou Holtz Jr. (written by)

Release Date:

14 June 1996 (USA)

Genre:

Comedy | Thriller

Tagline:

Once you let him into your house, you'll never get him out of your life!

Plot:

A lonely and disturbed cable guy raised on television just wants a new friend, but his target, a designer, rejects him, with bad consequences.

Plot Keywords:

Friend | Cable Guy | Television | Head In Toilet | Psychopath

Awards:

3 wins & 1 nomination

Cast

Jim Carrey	...	The Cable Guy
Matthew Broderick	...	Steven M. Kovacs
Leslie Mann	...	Robin Harris
Jack Black	...	Rick
George Segal	...	Steven's Father
Diane Baker	...	Steven's Mother
Ben Stiller	...	Sam Sweet / Stan Sweet
Eric Roberts	...	Eric Roberts
Janeane Garofalo	...	Medieval Times Waitress
Andy Dick	...	Medieval Times Host
Harry O'Reilly	...	Steven's Boss
David Cross	...	Sales Manager
Amy Stiller	...	Steven's Secretary
Owen Wilson	...	Robin's Date
Keith Gibbs	...	Basketball Player

MPAA:

Rated PG-13 for dark thematic elements and crude humor.

Runtime:

96 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English | French

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby | SDDS (8 channels)

Certification:

UK:12 (cut) | Iceland:12 | South Korea:15 | Philippines:PG-13 | Australia:M | Belgium:KT | Denmark:12 | Finland:K-12/9 | Germany:12 | Italy:T | Netherlands:AL | Norway:11 | Portugal:M/12 | Singapore:PG | Spain:13 | Sweden:11 | USA:PG-13 (certificate #34332)

Filming Locations:

Carson, California, USA

Company:

Columbia Pictures Corporation

Trivia:

During the 'Medieval Times' dinner scene, Jim Carrey imitates the sequence from The Silence of the Lambs (1991), where Hannibal Lecter uses the sliced-off face of Sgt. Pembry to escape incarceration. In that film, Dr. Lecter used the knife of his other guard/victim, Sgt. Boyle, to remove the face. Sgt. Boyle was played by Charles Napier. Napier also appears as a police officer in "The Cable Guy", showing up at the karaoke party, and later Steven's office, to arrest him.

Goofs:

Continuity: While they are sitting in the van after Chip's and Steven's trip to the satellite dish, Chip gives a very corny, contrived smile. In the next shot, Chip is not smiling.

Quotes:

Chip Douglas: Free cable is the ultimate aphrodisiac.

Movie Connections:

Referenced in The 40 Year Old Virgin (2005)

Soundtrack:

Salt Peanuts

Carrey's greatest!

I divide movie fans into two types - those that love The Cable Guy, and those that don't. The latter I try and avoid.

Welcome to the most misunderstood, unjustly dissed movie of the 90s! Even Homer Simpson hates it! I'm not going waste time trying to change anybody's mind on this gem. If you don't see the sheer brilliance of this you're beyond hope. All I can say is that it ROCKS in every way. Jim Carrey has never been better as the creepy, psycho stalker "Chip Douglas", and Matthew Broderick is wonderfully likeable as Chip's unsuspecting customer. Add to that a tremendously cool supporting cast of cult legends including Charles Napier, Janeane Garofolo, Eric Roberts, Mr. Show's Bob and David, Sean Whalen,Owen Wilson, Andy Dick and BOTH members of Tenacious D, among others.

Full of memorable sequences - the Karaoke jam, the Medieval theme restaurant, director Ben Stiller's recurring duel role - The Cable Guy is smart-as-a-whip, black, surreal, FUNNY, FUNNY stuff!