Man on the Moon
USA 1999
Reviewed by Leslie Felperin
Synopsis
Our synopses give away the plot in full, including surprise twists.
The US. The comedian Andy Kaufman introduces the story of his life. As a child, he fantasises about performing on television. By the mid 70s, he is working small clubs in LA as a stand-up comedian. George Shapiro, an agent, signs Andy and gets him an appearance on the comedy show Saturday Night Live. This brings an offer of a regular role on a new sitcom called Taxi. Andy reluctantly takes the part on condition the producers guarantee a guest slot for his friend Tony Clifton, an obnoxious lounge singer who insults his audience. George learns Clifton is really Andy, working with a plant, Bob Zmuda, his partner who sometimes plays Clifton as well.
Taxi becomes a hit, but Andy yearns to push his comedy further. He gets the opportunity to make a special, but the material proves too bizarre for the network. He starts a new act wrestling women. Through this he meets his future wife Lynne, and eventually falls afoul of professional wrestler Jerry Lawler, although their antagonism is staged. Many of his fans turn against Andy, deciding he's either offensive or not funny any more. Taxi is cancelled. Andy discovers he has a rare form of lung cancer. He gives a triumphant performance at Carnegie Hall but dies soon after. His funeral is stage-managed as he wanted it. Some time later, Tony Clifton performs at an LA club, sparking rumours Andy is still alive.
Review
Clearly, if you're going to spend $52 million making a movie about a now-obscure comedian from the 70s, you have to believe his life is extraordinary in some way. (It's probably rule number one in the textbook for film-school courses called Advanced Screenwriting: Biopics.) Indeed on paper, Andy Kaufman's life story sounds thrillingly unlikely. Here's an introverted situationist manqué who rose to fame and fortune by singing along to the theme tune from Mighty Mouse, pretending to be a inept refugee and physically assaulting people. As every good biopic protagonist should, he duly died tragically young, of lung cancer at the age of 36. (Allegedly he didn't even smoke, which is in itself pretty funny.)
The problem is that while Kaufman's life story has its required quota of bizarre-yet-true events, it's doomed to failure as mainstream entertainment because Kaufman wasn't terribly likeable as a person. More importantly, he was the master of a comedy style that, as his agent George in the film tells him, is "only funny to two people in the universe." He means Kaufman and his partner Bob Zmuda, although we should clearly include Man on the Moon's director Milos Forman and star Jim Carrey among the fans of Kaufman's particular brand of wit and whimsy.
It's to their and the film's credit that it only half-heartedly tries to sweeten these acrid pills. Kaufman, uncannily and superbly impersonated by Carrey right down the flaring eyelids and gratingly fey Latka voice, remains in the movie a bit of an arrogant prick, whose psychology the film either audaciously refuses to flesh out - or spinelessly can't because of the risk of litigation from surviving friends and relatives. (This makes Lynne Margulies, Kaufman's wife, no more than a functional straight man in a peasant blouse throughout.) In many ways, Kaufman is kin to the hero of Forman's last film, The People vs. Larry Flynt. Both Kaufman and porn-magnate-turned-first-amendment-champion Flynt are dodgy, deeply flawed characters whom Forman (a Czech refugee who has always revered his adopted country's ideal of self-realisation, no matter how obnoxious the result) delights in heroising. While Kaufman doesn't have the same historical importance as Flynt, he has supporters who champion to this day his 'subversive' performances, such as reading The Great Gatsby deadpan on stage for hours - stunts almost always more amusing when described than when observed.
Again you have to give the film credit for not wussing out and for letting Carrey's recreations of Kaufman's turns risk boring us. At a key point, Kaufman asks his transcendental-meditation guru what the secret of comedy is, to which comes the reply: "Silence." As often as not, this finds a correlative in the sound of no hands clapping and no one laughing at his act, but it's linked to the way Kaufman would push comic timing to the limits of tolerance. In one excellent scene, we see him arguing with the network executives producing his special about exactly how many seconds the show can mimic the vertical-hold fritzing on viewers' televisions before it will set off a nationwide bout of set-banging.
Likewise, the movie tries to encapsulate Kaufman's subversiveness formally in little self-reflexive frills and trimmings. We see Kaufman in a montage working on the set of Taxi, with all its original cast members playing themselves (the years have been more unkind to some than to others), apart from Danny DeVito who is already playing George (he was the show's biggest discovery apart from Kaufman and Christopher Lloyd). Jerry Lawler and David Letterman re-enact a famous fight on the latter's show between Kaufman and Lawler, edited in such a way to maximise the revelation in the next scene that this too was just another pre-planned stunt. Man on the Moon opens with Kaufman telling us he thinks the film is so bad he's decided to cut straight to the end. So the final credits roll before Kaufman comes back to explain that was just to frighten off the people who wouldn't understand it. Unfortunately, there's not as much to understand as Kaufman, Forman, Carrey et al think.
Credits
- Director
- Milos Forman
- Producers
- Danny DeVito
- Michael Shamberg
- Stacey Sher
- Screenplay
- Scott Alexander
- Larry Karaszewski
- Director of Photography
- Anastas Michos
- Editors
- Christopher Tellefsen
- Lynzee Klingman
- Production Designer
- Patrizia von Brandenstein
- Music
- R.E.M.
- ©Universal Studios
- Production Companies
- Mutual Film Company and Universal Pictures present a Jersey Films/
- Cinehaus production in association with Shapiro/West Productions
- Executive Producers
- George Shapiro
- Howard West
- Michael Hausman
- Co-executive Producer
- Bob Zmuda
- Associate Producers
- Scott Ferguson
- Pamela Abdy
- Production Supervisor
- Gerry Robert Byrne
- Unit Supervisor
- Henning Molfenter
- Production Office Co-ordinators
- Jacqui Popelka
- NY Crew:
- Chrissie Davis
- Unit Production Manager
- Michael Hausman
- Location Managers
- Jim Maceo
- New York Crew:
- Tom Whelan
- Post-production
- Supervisor:
- Gerry Robert Byrne
- Co-ordinator:
- Rebecca L. Murray
- Assistant Directors
- David McGiffert
- Stephen Hagen
- Tim Engle
- Michael Risoli
- NY Crew:
- Michael I. Smith
- Script Supervisor
- Wilma Garscadden-Gahret
- Casting
- Francine Maisler
- Associates:
- Kathleen Driscoll-Mohler
- Kathryn Eisenstein
- Jon Strotheide
- Creative Consultant
- Lynne Margulies
- Aerial Cameraman
- Lake Tahoe Aerial Unit:
- Stan McClain
- Camera Operators
- Mitch Dubin
- Kim Marks
- Scott Sakamoto
- New York Crew:
- Tom Weston
- Visual Effects Produced by
- Balsmeyer & Everett
- Visual Effects Supervisor:
- Randall Balsmeyer
- Front Screen Projection
- Hansard Enterprises
- Special Effects Co-ordinator
- Larry Fioritto
- Special Effects
- Virgil Sanchez
- Graphic Artist
- Steve Samanen
- Howdy Doody Puppeteers
- Rene and His Artists
- Rene
- Doug Seymore
- Art Directors
- James Truesdale
- New York Crew:
- Ray Kluga
- Set Decorators
- Maria Nay
- New York Crew:
- Karin Wiesel
- Conceptual Storyboard Artist
- Tom Southwell
- Costume Designer
- Jeffrey Kurland
- Costume Supervisors
- Elaine Maser
- NY Crew Men's:
- Benjamin Wilson
- NY Crew Women's:
- Melissa Stanton
- Make-up Department Head
- Ve Neill
- Key Make-up
- Bill Corso
- New York Crew:
- Marianne Skiba
- Original Tony Clifton Make-up Design
- Bob Zmuda
- Hair Department Head
- Yolanda Toussieng
- Key Hair Stylists
- Kathe Swanson
- New York Crew:
- Patricia Grande
- Hair Stylist
- Lee Ann Brittenham
- Title Design
- Balsmeyer & Everett
- Opticals
- Balsmeyer & Everett
- The Effects House
- Orchestrations
- Alexander Janko
- Eddie Horst
- Music Supervisors
- Anita Camarata
- Associate:
- Kaylin Frank
- Music Editors
- Shari Schwartz Johanson
- Associate:
- Missy Cohen
- Live Recordings Engineer/Mixer
- Joel Moss
- Additional Engineers
- Jimmy Hoyson
- Fred Vogler
- Ric Wilson
- Recorders/Mixers
- Pat McCarthy
- Jamie Candiloro
- Soundtrack
- "Also sprach Zarathustra" by Richard Strauss, arranged by Charlie Brissette; "Angela" by/performed by Bob James; "Bartered Bride Overture" by Bedrich Smetana, performed by New York Philharmonic conducted by Leonard Bernstein; "Blue Suede Shoes" by Carl Lee Perkins; "Fanfare for Andy", "Here's Tony" by Charlie Brissette, Ed Mitchell; "Funiculi Funicula" by Luigi Denza arranged by Charlie Brissette; "The Great Beyond" by Peter Buck, Mike Mills, Michael Stipe, performed by R.E.M.; "Going the Distance" by/performed by Bill Conti; "Hanshan Temple" (trad) arranged by Yang Terng Yow; "Hallelujah Chorus" by George Frederic Handel arranged by Charlie Brissette; "Here Comes Santa Claus" by Gene Autry, Oakly Haldeman arranged by Charlie Brissette; "It's Howdy Doody Time" by Robert Smith, Edward Kean; "I've Gotta Be Me" by Walter Marks arranged by Norman Mamey; "I Will Survive" by Frederick Perren, Dino Fekaris arranged by Charlie Brissette; "Jailhouse Rock" by Jerry Leiber, Mike Stoller; "Jingle, Jangle, Jingle" by Joseph J. Lilley, Frank Loesser arranged by Norman Mamey; "Kiss You All Over" by Mike Chapman, Nicky Chinn, performed by Exile; "La Cumparsita" by G.H. Matos Rodríguez, performed by José Basso & His Orchestra; main & end title from "Lassie" by William Lava; "Man on the Moon" by Bill Berry, Peter Buck, Mike Mills, Michael Stipe, performed by R.E.M.; "March & Fanfare" by Richard Greene, performed by The Bobs; "Mighty Mouse Theme" by Marshall Barer, Jimmy Carroll, Philip Scheib, performed by The Sandpipers; "Oh, the Cow Goes Moo" by Andy Kaufman; "One More Song for You" by Michael O'Martian, Stormie O'Martian, performed by Andy Kaufman; "Parade of Charioteers" from "Ben Hur" by Miklós Rózsa, performed by Boston Pops Orchestra conducted by John Williams; "Raag Mian Ki Todi" arranged and performed by Akbar Khan; "Rock the Boat" by Waldo Holmes, performed by The Hues Corporation; "Rose Marie" by Rudoph Friml, Oscar Hammerstein II, Otto Harbach, Herbert Stothart, performed by Andy Kaufman; "Route 69" by Charlie Brissette, Ed Mitchell, performed by Tom Armbruster; "The Thing" by Lenny Pickett, performed by Lenny Pickett & the House Band; "Sextet from Lucia di Lammermoor" by Gaetano Donizetti, performed by Clara Cluck; "This Friendly World" by Kenneth Darby arranged by Norman Mamey; "Volare" by Mitchell Parish, Franco Migliacci, Domenico Modugno arranged by Norman Mamey
- Choreography
- Jaymi Marshall
- Production Sound Mixer
- Chris Newman
- Re-recording Mixer
- Michael Barry
- Supervising Sound Editor
- Ron Bochar
- Dialogue Editor
- Nicholas Renbeck
- Sound Effects Editors
- Lewis Goldstein
- Ben Cheah
- ADR
- Background Vocals:
- David Kramer's Looping Group
- Mixer:
- David Bolton
- Supervising Editors:
- Phil Stockton
- Hal Levinsohn
- Foley
- Supervisor:
- Kam Chan
- Artist:
- Marko Costanzo
- Engineer:
- George A. Lara
- Editors:
- Jennifer Ralston
- Tim O'shea
- TV Sitcom Technical Adviser
- Peter Bonerz
- Stunt Co-ordinator
- Buddy Joe Hooker
- Aerial Co-ordinator
- New York Crew:
- Gerry Robert Byrne
- Helicopter Pilot
- Lake Tahoe Aerial Unit:
- Dirk Vahle
- Cast
- Jim Carrey
- Andy Kaufman
- Danny DeVito
- George Shapiro
- Courtney Love
- Lynne Margulies
- Paul Giamatti
- Bob Zmuda
- Tony Clifton
- himself
- Vincent Schiavelli
- Maynard Smith, ABC executive
- Peter Bonerz
- Ed Weinberger, 'Taxi' director
- Jerry Lawler
- himself
- Gerry Becker
- Stanley Kaufman
- Greyson Pendry
- little Michael Kaufman
- Brittany Colonna
- baby Carol Kaufman
- Leslie Lyles
- Janice Kaufman
- Bobby Boriello
- little Andy Kaufman
- George Shapiro
- Mr Besserman
- Budd Friedman
- himself
- Tom Dreesen
- wiseass comic
- Thomas Armbruster
- improv piano player
- Pamela Abdy
- Diane Barnett
- Wendy Polland
- little Wendy
- Cash Oshman
- Yogi
- Matt Price
- Christina Cabot
- meditation students
- Richard Belzer
- himself, SNL announcer
- Melanie Vesey
- Carol Kaufman
- Michael Kelly
- Michael Kaufman
- Miles Chapin
- SNL assistant
- Dr Isadore Rosenfeld
- ABC executive
- Molly Schaffer
- Maynard Smith's assistant
- Howard West
- Greg Travis
- Maureen Mueller
- ABC executives
- Phil Perlman
- Mama Rivoli's angry guy
- Jessica Devlin
- Mama Rivoli's diner
- Jeff Thomas
- Andy's stand-in
- Randall Carver
- himself
- Howard Keystone
- Taxi marching man
- Howdy Doody
- himself
- Brent Briscoe
- heavyset technician
- Ray Bokhour
- Patton Oswalt
- blue collar guys
- Caroline Gibson
- sorority girl
- Conrad Roberts
- college promoter
- Jeff Zabel
- college student
- Marilyn Sokol
- madame
- Angela Jones
- Lemonade, hooker
- Krystina Carson
- hooker
- Gerry Robert Byrne
- Taxi AD/stage manager
- Mark Davenport
- LA Times reporter
- Bert F. Balsam
- Lonnie Hamilton
- Ron Sanchez
- Billy Lucas
- Taxi security guards
- Patricia Scanlon
- Ed Weinberger's secretary
- Max Alexander
- Harrah's booker
- Ed Mitchell
- Harrah's conductor
- Reiko Aylesworth
- Mimi
- Michael Villani
- Merv Griffin
- Maria Maglaris
- irate Merv spectator
- Heath Hyche
- Merv's guest co-ordinator
- Robert Holeman
- boxing trainer
- James Ross
- wrestling commentator
- Tamara Bossett
- Foxy Jackson
- Gene LeBell
- Foxy Jackson referee
- Bob Zmuda
- Jack Burns
- Brian Peck
- Friday's announcer
- Caroline Rhea
- Friday's Melanie
- Mary Lynn Rajskub
- Friday's Mary
- Phil Lenkowsky
- Friday's tech director
- Rob Steiner
- Friday's control booth tech
- Claudia Jaffee
- Friday's floor director
- Mando Guerrero
- Jerry Lawler referee
- Lance Russell
- ring announcer
- Ladi Von jansky
- stadium photographer
- K.P. Palmer
- Mark Majetti
- Deana Ann Aburto
- Memphis paramedics
- Mews Small
- David Elliott
- TM administrators
- Fredd Wayne
- bland doctor
- Tracey Walter
- National Enquirer editor
- David Koechner
- Jeanine Jackson
- National Enquirer reporters
- Johnny Legend
- wild-haired guru
- Doris Eaton Travis
- Eleanor Gould
- Greg Sutton
- Carnegie Hall conductor
- Sydney Lassick
- crystal healer
- Yoshi Jenkins
- Jun Roxas
- Lance Alarcon
- Comedy Store patron
- D.J. Johnson
- Comedy Store waiter
- Melissa Carrey
- Comedy Store waitress
- Danielle Burgio
- Karen Martin
- Linda Cevallos
- Tabatha Mays
- Betsy Chang
- Katie Miller
- Jennifer Chavarria
- Jessica Moore
- Shirry Dolgin
- Tara Nicole
- Lisa Eaton
- Mia Pitts
- Melanie Gage
- Kelly Sheerin
- Catherine Hader
- Alison Simpson
- Betsy Harris
- Melinda Songer
- Kelly Jones
- Michon Suyama
- Tricia Lilly
- Michelle Swanson
- Natalie Webb
- New York City Rockettes
- Jacqueline Case
- Natalie Mills
- Karen Blake Challman
- April Nixon
- Teresa Chapman
- Tiffany Olson
- Kelly Cooper
- Kathryn Rossberg
- Penny Fisher
- Karissa Seaman
- Eva Jenícková
- Lea Sullivan
- Lindsay Lopez
- Amy Tinkham
- Kristin K. Willits
- Tony Clifton dancers
- Doug Ford
- Bill Reid
- Chuck Zito
- Tony Clifton bikers
- Thomas Barney
- Cheryl Hardwick
- Lewis Del Gatto
- Valerie Naranjo
- Alex Foster
- Shawn Pelton
- Earl Gardner
- Leon Pendarvis
- Lukasz Gottwald
- Leonard Pickett
- Steve Turre
- SNL band
- Frank DeVito
- Tony Galla
- Frank Marocco
- Pat Senatore
- Mama Rivoli's band
- Hal Blaine
- Norman Mamey
- Charlie Brissette
- John Mitchell
- Evan Diner
- Robert O'Donnell
- Tim Divers
- Greg Prechel
- Phillip Feather
- James Sawyer
- Alex Iles
- David Thomasson
- James Lum
- Steven Williams
- John Yoakum
- Harrah's band
- Anton Fig
- Will Lee
- Sid McGinnis
- Letterman band
- Robert Emmet
- Michael Lufkin
- James McCarty
- David Thomasson
- Thomas Verdonck
- Comedy Store band
- [uncredited]
- Marilu Henner
- Elaine Nardo - Taxi montage
- Jeff Conaway
- Bobby Wheeler - Taxi montage
- Christopher Lloyd
- 'Reverend Jim' Ignatowski - Taxi montage
- Judd Hirsch
- Alex Rieger - Taxi montage
- Carol Kane
- Simka Gravas - Taxi montage
- Norm MacDonald
- Michael Richards
- Paul Shaffer
- Lorne Michaels
- J. Alan Thomas
- David Letterman
- themselves
- Michiko Nishiwaki
- female karate fighter
- Stacey Carter
- lawyer's girlfriend
- Nicholas Wilde
- waiter
- Certificate
- 15
- Distributor
- United International
- Pictures (UK)Ltd
- 10,690 feet
- 118 minutes 47 seconds
- Dolby digital/Digital DTS
- sound/SDDS
- Colour by
- DeLuxe
- Anamorphic [Panavision]