ANDY, WE HARDLY KNEW YA, THANK GOODNESS!

Rating: 5/10 (13 January 2000)

MAN ON THE MOON is a thoroughly unpleasant little movie about Andy Kaufman. Andy Kaufman was a gifted performance artist of the 1970s and 80s, with, unfortunately, the self-discipline of a mean-spirited seven year-old. Thoroughly unpleasant little movies generally are rewarded with small audiences and grosses, and this one, thankfully, is no exception. Unfortunately for Universal, MAN ON THE MOON cost 100 million dollars, largely for the salary of star Jim Carrey, for whom this movie can only be called a "vanity piece." Carrey is in virtually EVERY scene; worse, no other actor is given a chance to "break out" and show any real emotional range. Worse, Carrey "imitates" Kaufman's best bits, but never succeeds in submerging himself in the role. In any event, that may have been a futile task. No one seems to have known whom "Andy Kaufman" really was. To paraphrase Courtney Love's character, "There is no 'real [Andy Kaufman].'"
Some of what Kaufman did was funny, hilariously so (largely his TAXI work, which he disowned). Most, unfortunately, was rude, condescending, self-indulgent, embarrassing, cruel and, worst, unfunny. Too bad, this is the work that is largely on display in MAN ON THE MOON. While we long for Latka Gravas and Vic Ferrari, we get Tony Clifton and the "Intergender Wrestling Champion." The stars of TAXI are exploited; but what made THAT show great is entirely excluded. Would it have been too much for ONE interchange between Latka (Carrey) and Simka (Carol Kane)? All Kane gets to do is sit around looking embarrassed and slightly frightened at "Tony Clifton's" antics. Kaufman may have thought TAXI (and his contribution to it) was junk; but, just because Kaufman was a great performance artist doesn't make him a good judge of his own work.
MAN ON THE MOON is not a terrible movie. It's just a terribly wrongheaded movie. It's about as much fun as root canal work; as was, unfortunately, much of Andy Kaufman's "humor." And, to you die-hard Kaufman fans, who might be offended by that comment; hey guys, I'm only joking...