He made people think differently about comedy. He did things no one expected. To some he was a crazed lunatic that didn't know when enough was enough but to a few that truly understood Kaufman, they saw a creative and fresh minded genus. Kaufman may have been ahead of his time but what he left behind was magic and that magic is brought to the big screen masterfully in Man on the Moon. Director Milo Forman it seems understood Andy Kaufman as well as actor Jim Carrey.
Any director can make a biopic but to truly understand the person involved is where the magic is.
Take for instance the opening sequence in the film. Carrey walks across the screen filmed in black and white. He tells the audience that the director took some artistic freedom when making this film and says it's a horrible film. He also tells the audience that they should go home and the credits role. At first it may seems like a stupid gag but it is much more than that.