Movie #88- "Man on the Moon" (1999)

You know you're getting old when they start making biographical films in which you remember a majority of the person's career.  I didn't get the opportunity to see Andy Kaufman's initial appearance on Saturday Night Live, although I saw it as an "encore" presentation (that's how they would bill SNL re-runs).  I watched it again before writing this entry, and the Mighty Mouse routine still makes me laugh.  The brilliance of the piece is simple... less is more.  Andy could have sang along with the entire record.  But what takes it to the next level is the decision to sing along with only a small portion of the recording.  The drink of water during the musical interlude adds a nice comic touch.
How would one describe Andy Kaufman?  As it was mentioned in "Man on the Moon", he wasn't really a comic because he didn't tell jokes.  He was a performance artist, willing to find the edge of comedy, then cross that line.  If Andy had lived into this century, I wonder how he would respond to a generation where every video gets posted.  I recall his early SNL appearances as the talk at school on Monday morning as well as the chaos he created on "Fridays".  It seems that the immediate attention helped feed the beast and I think he might have thrived in the current culture.  Once he took the turn into wrestling women is when I headed for the exit.
As for the film, Jim Carrey does an impressive job of getting to the manic energy that was Kaufman and he really nails the Foreign Man character.  Several people from Kaufman's past make appearances along with a surprising Courtney Love (oh Courtney, what has happened?).  It's a fun bit of nostalgia, but unfortunately for me, like Andy's career, it started wear thin with the wrestling.  However, that was Andy.  Love him or hate him, he could get your attention.  

Rating: 7/10
Movies I've previously seen: 6
First time viewings: 82