The Mask (film)
| The Mask | |
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 Theatrical release poster |
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| Directed by | Chuck Russell |
| Produced by | Bob Engelman |
| Screenplay by | Mike Werb |
| Story by | Michael Fallon Mark Verheiden |
| Starring | Jim Carrey Peter Greene Amy Yasbeck Peter Riegert Jim Doughan Richard Jeni Orestes Matacena Ben Stein Cameron Diaz |
| Music by | Randy Edelman |
| Cinematography | John R. Leonetti |
| Editing by | Arthur Coburn |
| Studio | Dark Horse Entertainment |
| Distributed by | New Line Cinema |
| Release date(s) | July 29, 1994 |
| Running time | 101 minutes |
| Country | United States |
| Language | English |
| Budget | $23 million |
| Gross revenue | $351,583,407 |
| Followed by | Son of the Mask |
The Mask is a 1994 crime fantasy comedy film based on a series of comic books published by Dark Horse Comics. This film was directed by Chuck Russell, and produced by Dark Horse Entertainment and New Line Cinema, and originally released to movie theatres on July 29, 1994. The film stars Jim Carrey as Stanley Ipkiss (also known as The Mask) and Cameron Diaz, in her acting debut, as Tina Carlyle. Carrey was nominated for a Golden Globe for his role. The film was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Visual Effects, but lost to Forrest Gump.
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Plot
Stanley Ipkiss (Jim Carrey), a clerk in an Edge City bank, is a shy, luckless romantic who is regularly bullied by nearly everyone around him, including his boss (Eamonn Roche), his landlady Mrs Peeman (Nancy Fish), and car mechanics. His only friends are his Jack Russell Terrier Milo and his co-worker Charlie (Richard Jeni). Meanwhile, gangster Dorian Tyrell (Peter Greene) runs the exclusive Coco Bongo nightclub while plotting to overthrow his boss Niko (Orestes Matacena). Tyrell sends his singer girlfriend Tina Carlyle (Cameron Diaz) into Stanley's bank with a hidden camera, in preparation to rob the bank. Stanley is smitten with Tina, and she seems to reciprocate. Later that night after being denied entrance to the Coco Bongo, he is stranded with a broken-down rental car at the city's filthy harbor, where he finds a mysterious wooden mask next to a pile of garbage which at first he mistakes to be a drowning man. He takes the object home and jokingly puts it on. The mask wraps around his head, transforming him into a wackily-suited, green-headed, figure, "The Mask", a trickster with reality-bending powers, physical imperviousness and without personal inhibitions who exacts comical revenge on some of Stanley's tormentors and scares a street gang that attempts to mug him.
The next morning, Stanley encounters world-weary Edge City detective Lieutenant Kellaway (Peter Riegert) and newspaper reporter Peggy Brandt (Amy Yasbeck), both of whom are investigating the Mask's activities of the previous night. Despite these threats, the temptation to again use the mask is overwhelming and he puts it back on that evening. Needing money to attend Tina's performance at the Coco Bongo, the Mask noisily interrupts Tyrell's bank robbery and steals the targeted money while Tyrell's henchman Freeze (Reginald E. Cathey) is shot by police responding to the disturbance.
The Mask buys entry into the Coco Bongo, where he "rocks the joint" by dancing exuberantly with Tina in front of the cheering crowd after Tyrell is called away by Sweet Eddy (Denis Forest). After Freeze dies in Tyrell's arms, Tyrell violently asks who was responsible and Eddy points to the Mask dancing with Tina. At the end of the dance the Mask gives Tina a kiss that literally blows her shoes off, he is then confronted by Tyrell, who pulls out a gun and shoots off a part of the Mask's tie, which transforms back into Stanley's distinctive pajamas. The Mask escapes, while Tyrell is temporarily arrested for the bank robbery by Lt. Kellaway (who also finds the pajama scrap) who is also informed by a policeman that they found Freeze's dead body.
Kellaway confronts Stanley at his apartment, just as a weary Stanley discovers all the bank money stuffed in his closet. Stanley later consults an expert on masks named Arthur Neumann (Ben Stein) who tells him that the object is a depiction of Loki, the Norse god of darkness and mischief. Despite this, and with both Tyrell and Lt. Kellaway hunting for him, a more confident Stanley stands up to his boss and arranges for Tina to meet the Mask at the local Landfill Park. The meeting goes badly when the Mask's advances scare Tina away and Lt. Kellaway arrives and attempts to arrest him. The Mask toys with the enraged officer before zooming out of the park and tricking a large group of Edge City police officers into joining him in a mass-performance production of the song Cuban Pete. Stanley manages to get the mask off and Peggy helps him escape, but then betrays him to Tyrell for a $50,000 mob bounty. Tyrell tries on the mask and becomes a demonic monster demanding to know from Stanley where the money he took is. Stanley is then shown in one of the mob cars as Tyrell's henchmen search Stanley's apartment and reclaim the money. Stanley is later literally dumped in Kellaway's lap with a green rubber mask and is thrown into jail.
Tina sympathetically visits Stanley in his cell, where he urges her to flee the city. She attempts to do so, but is pursued by Orlando (Nils Allen Stewart) and cornered by Tyrell. Upon being told by Orlando of her attempt to leave the city, Tina is forcefully taken to his raid of a charity ball at the Coco Bongo which is hosted by Niko and attended by the city's elite including the city's mayor Mitchell Tilton (Ivory Ocean). Upon arrival, the Masked Tyrell kills Niko in a gunfight and prepares to destroy both the club and Tina. Meanwhile, Milo helps Stanley break out of his cell, and they go to the club to stop Tyrell eventually dragging Lt. Kellaway along with him.
Upon arrival, Stanley tells Lt. Kellaway to call for backup as he sneaks into the Coco Bongo with a gun of his own. After brief initial success with the assistance of Charlie, Stanley is spotted by Orlando and captured before Stanley can do anything. Tina tricks Tyrell into taking off the mask, which is recovered by Milo, turning the dog into a cartoonish pitbull who defeats Tyrell's men, while Stanley fights Dorian himself. Stanley then recovers the mask and wears it one last time, using its abilities to save Tina by swallowing Tyrell's bomb, and then flushing Tyrell down the drain of the club's ornamental fountain leading to his death. The police arrive and arrest Tyrell's remaining henchmen. Mayor Mitchell Tilton witnesses most of this (and deducing that Tyrell was the Mask from the start) and orders Lt. Kellaway to release Stanley. After Stanley, Tina, Charlie, and Milo leave, Mayor Mitchell Tilton tells Lt. Kellaway that he would like to have a word with him.
As the sun rises, Stanley, Tina, Milo and Charlie take the mask back down to the harbor, where Tina and Stanley throw it back into the water and share their first kiss. Charlie attempts to retrieve the mask for himself, only to find Milo swimming away with it.
Cast
- Jim Carrey as Stanley Ipkiss / The Mask: Jim Carrey, who portrays Stanley Ipkiss, commented that he characterized Stanley after his own father: "a nice guy, just trying to get by". When Ipkiss puts on the Mask, he becomes a wacky, zoot-suited, suave cartoon figure having the ability to manipulate his own shape and the world around him to a superhuman extent; this is implied to be the projection onto himself of his preferred fantasies. He is the main protagonist.
- Peter Greene as Dorian Tyrell: Dorian is a Mafia officer who desires to kill his superior. He is completely insane and even psychopathic, manipulative, ambitious, arrogant, paranoid and selfish with scant regard for any of the lives destroyed or simply taken as a result of his media ambition. When Stanley Ipkiss, as the Mask, inconveniences him, Dorian attempts to have him killed. When Dorian wears the Mask, he becomes a troll-like figure representing his malice, and exhibits bestial behavior. He serves as the main antagonist of the film.
- Cameron Diaz as Tina Carlyle: The girlfriend of mobster Dorian Tyrell; but also very attracted to Stanley Ipkiss. When she first appears, she is wearing a low cut dress. Tina is largely dissatisfied with Dorian as a partner, but does not defy him until she has been courted by his rival. Later, she aids Stanley at Dorian's expense and becomes instrumental in Dorian's defeat. This role marked the feature film debut for former model Cameron Diaz. Before Diaz was cast, the studio considered casting Vanessa L. Williams and Kristy Swanson. There was also a studio offer for Anna Nicole Smith.She serves as the deuteragonist of the film.
- Orestes Matacena as Niko: The mafia boss of Edge City and owner of the Coco Bongo Club. He has been pursued for a long time by Lieutenant Kellaway, but he is ultimately killed by Dorian.
- Peter Riegert as Lt. Mitch Kellaway: A slightly cynical police detective who pursues the Mask, Dorian and Niko throughout the film.
- Jim Doughan as Detective Doyle: Lt. Kellaway's slightly-inept partner.
- Richard Jeni as Charlie Schumaker: A friend of Stanley Ipkiss. Charlie is amiable, but can be selfish or irrational at times.
- Amy Yasbeck as Peggy Brandt: A reporter who helps Stanley Ipkiss escape from Mitch Kellaway and the Edge City police, but later betrays him to Dorian for a bounty. Originally, the character was murdered by Dorian when he is first transformed by the Mask. Director Chuck Russell however, cut this scene with an eye to including Peggy who later reforms in a Mask sequel (though this idea fell through when Carrey declined to return). However, she appeared in the animated series.
- Jeremy Roberts as Bobby the Bouncer: One of Dorian Tyrell's bodyguards who works as the bouncer of the Coco Bongo Club.
- Ben Stein as Dr. Arthur Neuman: A psychologist who tells Ipkiss about the Mask being representative of a Norse Night God named Loki. He's also the author of a book, The Masks We Wear, which deals with people portraying themselves differently to others (although Stanley takes the book's title literally).
- Ivory Ocean as Mitchell Tilton: The Mayor of Edge City.
- Reginald E. Cathey as Freeze: Dorian Tyrell's bodyguard and a friend. Freeze was killed by the police, giving Dorian reason to seek revenge.
- William Daniel Mielcarek as Doc: One of Tyrell's thugs.
- Denis Forest as Sweet Eddy: One of Tyrell's thugs.
- Eamonn Roche as Mr. Dickey: The boss of Stanley and Charlie.
- Nancy Fish as Mrs. Peenman: Stanley's grouchy and yelling land-lady.
- Nils Allen Stewart as Orlando: One of Tyrell's thugs.
- Blake Clark as Murray: Peggy's boss.
Reception
The film was a box-office success, grossing $119 million domestically and over $350 million worldwide. Critics also approved of the film, including Roger Ebert, of the Chicago Sun-Times, who gave the film 3/4 stars, noting Jim Carrey for his "joyful performance."[1] The Mask is one of three films featuring Carrey (the others being Ace Ventura: Pet Detective and Dumb and Dumber) released in 1994 that helped launch the actor to superstardom.
The film was nominated for Best Visual Effects at the 67th Academy Awards, but lost to Forrest Gump. In addition, Carrey was nominated for a Golden Globe. It currently holds a 75% "Certified Fresh" rating on Rotten Tomatoes.
Cultural and literary allusions
- Looney Tunes - Stanley decorates his apartment with items featuring characters from Looney Tunes cartoons, and when he turns into the Mask, he tends to imitate said characters: Bugs Bunny (dying in the arms of the mobster, kissing someone in the lips, fooling people, and cracking jokes), Daffy Duck (bouncing and yelling uncontrollably), the Road Runner (jabbering after saying a joke and before fleeing the scene to resemble the "beep, beep" produced by the Road Runner), Pepe le Pew (in the scene wherein he romances Tina) and Taz (spinning in a tornado). His reaction to Tina's singing in the Coco Bongo is the same as that of the character of the wolf in the cartoon Red Hot Riding Hood, which Stanley is seen watching earlier on. Many of the imitations come from shorts directed by Tex Avery.
- The Fugitive - While being arrested in the park, the Mask's joking claim that "it was the one-armed man" is a reference to the villain in the TV series and later in the film The Fugitive.
- Clint Eastwood - the Mask performs a famous line by Clint Eastwood in Dirty Harry by saying "Now, you got to ask yourself one question. 'Do I feel lucky?' Well do ya, punks?". Carrey routinely performed impressions of Eastwood in his stand-up comedy routines and appeared in bit parts in Eastwood-headlined flicks Pink Cadillac and The Dead Pool, the latter of which was a Dirty Harry film. Carrey would also impersonate Eastwood momentarily in the film Bruce Almighty.
- The Cincinnati Kid - After defeating Dorian, the Mask performs a famous line by Edward G. Robinson in The Cincinnati Kid, when he says You were good, kid, really good, but as long as I'm around you'll always be second best, see.[2]
- In Living Color - The laugh performed by the Mask towards the end of the film (after revealing that his guns were loaded with nothing more than signs reading "Bang!"), is reminiscent of Carrey's Fire Marshal Bill character from In Living Color.
- Elvis - When The Mask dodges all the bullets he briefly turns into a green-faced Elvis.
- The Minister's Black Veil - Also, in the television interview of Ben Stein as an author, the book showcased may be an allusion to Nathaniel Hawthorne's short story, The Minister's Black Veil.
- Cab Calloway - The song "Hi de ho" from K7 has the same main musical theme as "Minnie the Moocher" from Cab Calloway (it is closer to the version of the film The Blues Brothers). It can be heard during the charity party, just before Dorian comes into the club.
When "shot" at the first scene inside the Coco Bongo, the Mask's consequent "dying" dialogue references several classic literary moments:
- "Tell Auntie Em to let Old Yeller Out", a possible reference to Aunt Em in The Wizard of Oz and Old Yeller;
- "Tell Tiny Tim I won't be coming home this Christmas"; Tiny Tim is a character in Dickens' novel A Christmas Carol.
- "Tell Scarlett I do give a damn"; a comedic take on Rhett Butler's line, "Frankly my dear, I don't give a damn", in Gone With the Wind;
- At the end of the scene, he is presented with an award for his performance and breaks the fourth wall by thanking the movie audience with Sally Field's acceptance exclamation, "You love me! You really love me!" As this is going on, people-shaped shadows appear onscreen and applaud while Dorian combs his hair, adding to the illusion of an appreciative film theatre audience.
Soundtracks
Original Soundtrack
| The Mask: Music From The Motion Picture |
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| Soundtrack by Various artists | |
| Released | July 26, 1994 |
| Label | Sony |
| Professional reviews | |
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Track listing
- "Cuban Pete" (C & C Pop Radio Edit) - Jim Carrey
- "Who's That Man" - Xscape
- "This Business of Love" - Domino
- "Bounce Around" - Tony! Toni! Toné!
- "(I Could Only) Whisper Your Name" - Harry Connick, Jr.
- "You Would Be My Baby" - Vanessa Williams
- "Hi De Ho" - K7
- "Let the Good Times Roll" - Fishbone
- "Straight Up" - The Brian Setzer Orchestra
- "Hey! Pachuco!" - Royal Crown Revue
- "Gee Baby, Ain't I Good To You" - Susan Boyd
- "Cuban Pete" (Arkin Movie Mix) - Jim Carrey
- 1994 Billboard 200 - # 80
Orchestral soundtrack
The orchestral score soundtrack to The Mask was released shortly after the original soundtrack's release. The score was composed and conducted by Randy Edelman and performed by the Irish Film Orchestra.
Track listing
- Opening - The Origin Of The Mask
- Tina
- Carnival
- Transformation
- Tango In The Park
- Lovebirds
- Out Of The Line Of Fire
- A Dark Night
- The Man Behind The Mask
- Dorian Gets A New Face
- Looking For A Way Out
- The Search
- Forked Tongue
- Milo To The Rescue
- The Mask Is Back
- Finale
Home video
The film was released on Blu-ray Disc on December 9, 2008.[3] It has an aspect ratio of 1.85:1 and is encoded in 1080p/VC-1. Its audio is a 5.1 Dolby TrueHD encoded at a 16/48 kHz bit and sample rate. The disc has multiple supplementary packages including additional scenes, production details and two commentary tracks, one by director Chuck Russell and the other by director Chuck Russell and the rest of the production crew.
Sequels
Not long after the release of The Mask, it was announced in Nintendo Power that Carrey would be returning in a sequel called The Mask II. The magazine held a contest, with the winner being an extra in the film, but, due to Jim Carrey declining to reprise his role, the project never came to fruition.
After this, an animated series was released and ran for three seasons.
A sequel, Son of the Mask, was released in theaters in February 2005. The sequel was universally panned by critics, and it received 8 nominations at the 2005 Golden Raspberry Awards for Worst Remake or Sequel, Worst Actor (Jamie Kennedy), Worst Sequel, Worst Director (Lawrence Guterman) and Worst Couple (Jamie Kennedy and anyone starring with him).
References
- ↑ Ebert, Roger (July 29, 1994). "The Mask". rogerebert.com. http://rogerebert.suntimes.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/19940729/REVIEWS/407290304/1023. Retrieved 2006-08-01.
- ↑ Actually, what Edward G. Robinson said was You're good, kid, but as long as I'm around, you're only second best; see Memorable quotes for The Cincinnati Kid.
- ↑ Dreuth, Josh (09-12-2008). "Today on Blu-ray - December 9". Blu-ray.com. http://www.blu-ray.com/news/?id=2154. Retrieved 2009-01-03.
External links
- The Mask at the Internet Movie Database
- The Mask at Box Office Mojo
- The Mask at Allmovie
- The Mask (film) at Rotten Tomatoes
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