Man on the Moon

Sunday, April 5, 2009 18:48 | Filled in 1. MOVIES - OVERVIEW

Cast: Jim Carrey, Danny DeVito, Paul Giamatti, Courtney Love and Jerry Laler.

Director: Milos Forman.

Screenwriters: Scott Alexander and Larry Karaszewski

Buy this movie: Visit the Movie Vault.

Man on the Moon is about the life and career of the eccentric entertainer Andy Kaufman (Andrew Geoffrey Kaufman), who only lived to be 35 years old (b. 17 January 1949 – d. 16 May 1984).

The movie begins at Kaufman’s childhood, where he is seen performing imaginary television shows for stuffed animals.

The story then traces Kaufman’s steps through the numerous comedy clubs he performed in, and television appearances that made him famous, including his memorable but strange acts on Saturday Night Live, his outbursts on Late Night with David Letterman, and his role as the lovable but naive Latka Gravas on the television sitcom Taxi. manonthemoon1

The film pays particular attention to the various inside jokes, scams and happenings for which Kaufman was famous for, most significantly his long-running “feud” with wrestler Jerry “The King” Lawler (who plays himself in the movie) and his portrayal of the rude lounge singer Tony Clifton.

Carrey won a Golden Globe for his performance in Man on the Moon - his second win in a row after receiving an award for The Truman Show previously. He was nominated in the Musical/Comedy category for Man on the Moon, and remarked in his acceptance speech that he thought the film was a drama at heart, an opinion shared by others, but also a reference to how Kaufman saw himself as a, “song and dance man.”

The music is written and performed by R.E.M. and the movie takes it’s title from one of the songs.

Watch the Trailer:

Clip #1 The Funeral

Andy realizes that he’s been tricked … exactly the same way he has tricked his audiences over the years … and he bursts out in laughter … and dies.