As a film enthusiast and critic with over three decades of experience under my belt, I have witnessed the rise and fall of many actors and films. Among them, the tale of Jim Carrey is one that stands out, not just for his extraordinary talent, but also for the unique trajectory of his career.
It’s been 30 years since Harry and Lloyd were brought so low their pets’ heads were falling off.
The iconic duo portrayed by Jeff Daniels and Jim Carrey, despite not being able to completely transform their lives, the 1994 film “Dumb and Dumber” directed by the Farrelly brothers continues to be a hilarious source of memorable quotes.
In a departure from other popular comedies filled with senseless humor, “Dumb and Dumber” didn’t trailblaze this concept, nor was it the first comedy of the year starring Jim Carrey to do so. However, the dedication that Carrey and Daniels poured into their dim-witted characters elevated “Dumb and Dumber” above typical crude comedies.
Daniels, famously known for movies like “Terms of Endearment”, expressed in 1994 that the things we do sometimes seem remarkably foolish. “It’s hard to believe how foolish we can be,” he added, while enjoying the freedom of disregarding logic. “We pose a risk to our country’s security, these two individuals. We’re a source of trouble. As Jim frequently points out, we’re spinning out of control, and most of us aren’t even aware of it!
1994 was a significant year, not just for groundbreaking films like Forrest Gump, Pulp Fiction, The Shawshank Redemption, and The Lion King, but also for the meteoric rise of Jim Carrey to superstardom following his comedy trilogy. This journey began in February with Ace Ventura: Pet Detective, continued in July with The Mask, and concluded with Dumb and Dumber in December.
By that point, there might have been a sense of Jim Carrey fatigue among audiences, yet they remained eager for more. Eventually, the film “Dumb and Dumber” amassed an impressive $127 million at the box office, placing it as the sixth highest-grossing movie release of the year.
In simple terms, Peter Farrelly, one of the directors (alongside his brother Bobby), described their production as “a road trip story featuring two goofy characters, a somewhat vague narrative, and plenty of humor and laughter.
Daniels remarked, “What I love about it is that it’s the humor that makes everybody chuckle, yet a significant portion of our nation denies laughing along with it.
Harry and Lloyd, bringing people together from opposite sides of the joke divide for 30 years.
Without any more delays, let me share with you 25 fascinating insights into how we managed to make all that witty, yet simple humor popular and irresistible to audiences:
The film “Dumb and Dumber” was the debut project of directors Peter Farrelly and Bobby Farrelly, a heartfelt endeavor they had been nurturing for quite some time. Prior to this, Peter and his frequent collaborator, Bennett Yellin, penned a screenplay centered around two rather dim-witted funeral home workers. Regrettably, it ended up gathering dust at Eddie Murphy’s production company.
With Bobby on board, the threesome penned “Dragnet 2”, a sequel to the 1987 comedy featuring Tom Hanks and Dan Aykroyd. Peter shared with an audience at Loyola Marymount’s School of Film and Television in 2014 that it was our finest screenplay, but unfortunately, it also didn’t get produced.
After returning to the drafting stage, the Farrellys and Yellin brainstormed another tale, this time focusing on two not-so-bright friends named Harry and Lloyd. They embark on a journey to Aspen to return a misplaced briefcase to its affluent owner. Initially titled Go West, they later changed it to A Power Tool Should Not be Treated as a Toy.
Peter explained, “We altered the names of the titles since literary agents refused to send a manuscript named ‘Dumb and Dumber’ to their clients.
New Line Cinema hesitated as they were already venturing out by allowing newcomers, the Farrelly brothers, to direct their own script, and they initially had reservations about casting Jeff Daniels in the role of Harry.
In 2014, Bobby Farrelly recounted that Jeff Daniels wasn’t an apparent pick due to his lack of experience in conventional comedies. However, he often showcased a comic flair in his acting roles. Interestingly, the two filmmakers were avid admirers of Daniels, with Peter being particularly fond of his role in the 1986 comedy “Something Wild.
However, the Farrelly brothers, after reading together, vigorously advocated for hiring Daniels. As Jeff explained, “he would go up there and he didn’t know what he was going to do until he saw what you were doing, and then he’d improvise based on that.” Bobby added, “He’s brilliant at that. And Jim Carrey recognized this. He was lifting him up, so he fought for him.
During one of their auditions, they had a scene involving a hot tub, and as Daniels explained on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon in 2014, “Before we even exchanged words, Jim simply jumped into the role of Lloyd,” he said. “He did that signature move.” Impressively, Carrey admitted, “I gave him a motorboat.
Later on, it seemed like I was merely swirling thoughts in my mind, and suddenly I found myself there, Daniels explained, adopting Harry’s habitual expression of disbelief.
“You won’t see that on Newsroom!” Carrey barked.
In a 1994 interview shared by New Line, I (Daniels) expressed my strong desire to collaborate with Jim.
Daniels surprisingly agreed to take on a role in the film for $50,000, a fee that many found hard to believe, especially considering Jim Carrey was paid $7 million for the same project. It was believed that Daniels would reject the studio’s low offer due to skepticism, but he accepted it. Interestingly, if the deal had been struck earlier, before Ace Ventura became a hit and boosted Carrey’s value, Daniels’ fee would have been around $350,000. However, negotiations were still ongoing when Ace Ventura was released and went on to be a massive success.
Jim Carrey admitted as much to the New York Times, stating, “It’s quite absurd.” He added, “I’m simply trying to handle things one day at a time.
In 1990, Jim Carrey penned a check worth $10 million for acting services he expected to deliver by Thanksgiving 1995. He showed this check to numerous journalists in 1994 following news of his $7 million earnings making headlines.
He shared with the Baltimore Sun that when he wrote the check, it wasn’t primarily about the financial aspect. Instead, it was a personal reminder to himself that if he was earning such amounts, he needed to be among the best in his field. His concern now is that the constant discussions about his income might lead others to perceive him as merely a symbol of money, rather than a complex character. He doesn’t want people to detach from his films due to their focus on his remuneration instead.
I prefer not to reach a stage where people question if my final joke was worthy of what they received from me.
Indeed, it would have given a distinct feel to the movie! As reported by Vulture, Nicolas Cage and Gary Oldman were the initial picks of the Farrelly brothers for the roles of Harry and Lloyd.
In 2012, when Carrey was cast, he expressed his desire to me for us to star together in the films “Dumb” and “Dumber”. However, I opted to take on a smaller project titled “Leaving Las Vegas” instead. (This version attempts to maintain the original’s flow and meaning while making it more accessible and natural.)
Afterwards, Cage was awarded the Best Actor Oscar in 1996, recognizing his compelling portrayal of a struggling alcoholic writer, who ultimately succumbs to his addiction in the movie Sin City.
Initially, roles intended for Lloyd were declined by both Martin Short and Steve Martin, while Chris Elliott and Rob Lowe were potential choices for the character Harry.
So the Farrellys didn’t have a type as far as Harry was concerned…
Elliott later worked with the brothers in 1997’s There’s Something About Mary.
Daniels’ agents didn’t want him to do Dumb and Dumber any more than the studio did.
He remembered them imploring him not to proceed with his plan, during an interview for Close Up With The Hollywood Reporter actors roundtable in 2018. On the phone the night before he was due to fly out the next morning for wardrobe on Dumb and Dumber, there were three agents involved: one from New York, and two from L.A. The two based in L.A. were urging him not to go, warning that his decision would derail his career. They emphasized that he was a significant actor and they wanted to help him reach the Oscars, but he kept making choices that frustrated them. If he refused and let them handle it, they promised to protect his career. They added that Jim Carrey was a comedic prodigy, who would overshadow him if he continued with this role.
But Daniels told them, “If this is a mistake, it’s mine,” and off he went to do wardrobe.
Oh, what a remarkable wardrobe! Since then, the distinctive blue and orange tuxedos worn by Harry and Lloyd have become iconic choices for Halloween costumes.
Previously, Carrey sported a chipped front tooth from an old school accident. However, this imperfection was concealed to give him a more movie-star-worthy grin.
J.B. Rogers, the first assistant director on the movie, shared with The Ringer in 2019 that before filming started, Jim decided to create a prop for his character by using a beer bottle and attaching the cap to one of his teeth. This was an impromptu idea as he realized his character needed a split tooth and didn’t think of it until the night prior. So, he exclaimed, “I need to get this thing off!
In 1994, Carrey humorously remarked, “I was pondering what hairstyle would make me appear most foolish, and the short bangs seemed to fit the bill quite well.
Lauren Holly, who starred in “Picket Fences,” passed up the part that eventually went to Courteney Cox in “Ace Ventura.” However, she agreed to play Mary Swanson, whose ransom exchange to rescue her abducted husband was foiled by Lloyd’s romantic feelings. After driving her to the airport, he mistakenly believed she had forgotten a briefcase containing money by accident and decided to return it to her in Aspen, where the saying goes “beer flows like wine.
On the film set, Holly expressed, “This movie is more than just enjoyable; it’s hysterical! I’m finding it challenging to contain my laughter, and I’m having such a great time that it’s almost difficult for me to maintain a serious expression during takes—trust me, it’s no easy feat.
From the moment I caught wind that it was Jim and Jeff’s project, I simply couldn’t suppress my excitement about being involved in it. Their work is something I’ve admired for years, and I couldn’t imagine a greater opportunity than joining their creative journey.
Fun was an understatement. Holly and Carrey fell in love—though that was not the plan.
Eager to avoid a stereotype and maintain professionalism with her separated costar who was also staying at the same hotel during filming in Salt Lake City, Holly made alternate accommodations. However, as production moved to Estes Park, Colorado, Daniels shared with Rolling Stone in 1995 that one morning, “I woke up at 7 a.m., packed and ready, and Lauren was in the adjacent suite – I could see her door. And it opened, and Jim stepped out. That’s when I first suspected they might have been together.
To RS, Carrey expressed that Lauren Holly is, in his opinion, the most beautiful woman on earth at this moment. He also praised her intelligence, talent, generosity, compassion, and ability to embody all desirable qualities combined.
He and Holly got married in September 1996, but divorced the following July.
Originally, a particularly unpleasant moment in the story where Harry, tricked by Lloyd, ends up using a broken toilet in Mary’s bathroom after being unintentionally poisoned with Turbo Lax, was intended to be even more disgusting. However, at Loyola Marymount, Bobby admitted that they had made some adjustments. These changes weren’t due to studio intervention but for the sake of maintaining a balance between realism and viewer comfort.
Peter agreed with the decision, “Absolutely,” he added. However, “we took a risk, but it didn’t resonate with them. I recall during the premiere, Bob Shay, the studio head, made an interesting comment. He said, ‘Incidentally, this isn’t the reason I entered the film industry.’
Speaking of pushing it, Daniels was really giving the scene his all.
In an interview with USA Today in May, the Emmy winner described the experience as “two hours of balancing on porcelain,” adding, “The close-up when they zoomed in on my flushed face was intense. After such a long time, I felt like I was about to faint.
During Harry and Mary’s enthusiastic snowball fight, they didn’t seem to notice when Daniel was throwing snowballs, as it wasn’t actually Holly he was targeting on her face. Instead, Daniel was merely placing snow on his own face and acting surprised. The convincing “splat” sound effect added later helped create the illusion.
In 2014, Bobby explained, “You might believe you’re handling things well, but it’s not amusing at all while you’re doing it. It wasn’t until we added the sound effect for that movie and tried numerous sound effects for the snowball, none of which were generating laughs, that we found one which was a hit. Simply a unique sound effect.
Instead of showing the final scene where Lloyd and Harry walking along the road, having missed their chance to work as oil boys for the Swedish Bikini Team, not being the original ending filmed.
Initially, the Farrellys declined an attractive job opportunity at a luxurious hotel. They politely rejected the offer made by the concierge who provided them with free accommodation in return for minimal weekly work hours, stating that they would instead pursue other possibilities elsewhere.
But they simply didn’t think that was good enough, and they came up with the bikini team twist.
The studio preferred Harry and Lloyd joining the Swedish Bikini Team for a Hollywood-style ending, but the Farrelly brothers felt it wasn’t genuine for the story. Instead of choosing one option, they suggested filming both scenes. However, Carrey, who was in tune with the Farrellys’ vision, declined to board the bus.
In 2014, I never carried out that action on the other option, as stated then. Instead, I returned to the studio, explaining that we had run out of daylight and were unable to proceed with it. Bobby chimed in, chuckling, “I believe we mentioned Jim wouldn’t go along with it.
By the time Brady Bluhm secured the part of Billy in the show 4C, he had already amassed a significant amount of acting experience under his belt. In this role, he played the blind child who unknowingly purchases Harry’s deceased pet bird, Petey, from Lloyd. An interesting tidbit: Petey was constructed using wire and feathers.
In 2014, Bluhm shared with Flickering Myth that only he and another child were called back for the audition. He recounted entering a room filled with the Farrelly brothers and producers, sitting down in a chair under their watchful eyes. As soon as he started saying ‘Pretty bird, pretty bird’, everyone burst into laughter. It seemed they asked him to repeat the lines multiple times, and each time elicited the same uproarious response. Being young at the time, Bluhm didn’t fully understand why it was so amusing, but he knew that it was a promising sign.
It seems like everyone enjoyed the process of filming the movie “Dumb and Dumber,” despite the common tales of challenges when working with extremely skilled individuals.
In her own words, Karen “Duff” Duffy expressed in 1994 that working on the film set was the most enjoyable experience she had ever encountered. She added that the atmosphere was incredibly relaxed and credited Peter, the director, for creating a positive tone for the entire production. Peter’s approachable nature resonated with everyone involved, as he took time to interact with everyone, making it a truly beautiful environment.
She playfully remarked, “An apt description might be,” they’re compensating for any shortage of intellect among us, with an abundance of foolishness instead.
According to Peter, the Farrelly brothers screen their movies multiple times for test audiences – usually 3 or 4 times. They refer to this as a “painful” process, but they find it necessary because it helps them determine if something is funny or not. If it’s not funny, they either work on re-editing the scene to make it humorous, or they eventually decide to abandon the project after some time.
In the extra features of the 2006 DVD edition (unrated version), there’s a different conclusion presented. Here, Harry and Lloyd are contemplating their potential career paths instead of what we see in the main film.
In a casual conversation, Harry expresses his feelings by saying, “We don’t seem to have any special skills, and we don’t quite fit in with the norms of society,” to which Lloyd suggests, “Perhaps we could become movie critics instead.
The film “Dumb and Dumber” had a production budget of approximately $17 million, with the custom van added, and it went on to earn an impressive $247 million globally.
1994 saw Carrey’s blockbuster success skyrocket, swiftly elevating him to the upper echelon of Hollywood’s acting hierarchy. With the release of “Dumb and Dumber”, he had already secured roles for The Riddler in “Batman Forever” and a sequel to the surprise hit “Ace Ventura” was being planned.
In my professional opinion, I can’t help but share an intriguing piece of Hollywood trivia. You know that $20 million paycheck, plus 15% gross participation, Ben Stiller earned for The Cable Guy? At the time, it was quite a topic. The movie didn’t exactly set the box office on fire and left fans somewhat bewildered rather than roaring with laughter. However, looking back now, the film – directed by none other than Ben Stiller himself – has become a cherished gem among comedy connoisseurs. In fact, in recent years, it’s been reevaluated more favorably.
Dumb and Dumber didn’t not set Daniels’ dramatic career back a few years, though.
For over a decade, I found it effortless to think, but due to the popularity of “Dumb and Dumber,” people stopped taking me seriously. In 2014, I expressed this sentiment to Reuters, saying, “Once you do comedy, you’re no longer seen as serious, which has always been a point of contention for me. However, the Greeks presented two masks—the comic and the tragic—and being an actor seems to be about having the ability to excel in both.
He zoomed back into the highbrow-acting conversation in 2005 with his Golden Globe-nominated performance in The Squid and the Whale, but it was once he starred as the gravitas-radiating, common sense-spouting cable news anchor Will McEvoy in Aaron Sorkin‘s The Newsroom (and won an Emmy) that he became the go-to guy. So by 2014, his decision to do Dumb and Dumber To was met with great excitement.
Daniel clinched his Emmy for Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Drama Series on a Sunday evening in September 2013, and the following day he found himself heading straight to the set of “Dumb and Dumber To.
From Newsroom, fresh off an Emmy win, Carrey playfully exclaimed on The Tonight Show, “Give us more of that butt crack, Jeff!” Essentially, he said, “We want to see it again!
Read More
- BCH PREDICTION. BCH cryptocurrency
- TRX PREDICTION. TRX cryptocurrency
- RUNE PREDICTION. RUNE cryptocurrency
- QUBIC PREDICTION. QUBIC cryptocurrency
- ADA PREDICTION. ADA cryptocurrency
- JASMY PREDICTION. JASMY cryptocurrency
- TWT PREDICTION. TWT cryptocurrency
- ENJ PREDICTION. ENJ cryptocurrency
- REI PREDICTION. REI cryptocurrency
- Best coins for today
2024-12-06 14:20