THE MOVIE PAGES presents JIM CARREY & ZOOEY DESCHANEL in YES MAN yesman.htm

What Do The Critics Say?

"Yes Man" rises above the comedy pack. It's interesting that the funnyman's most memorable roles are probably his dramatic turns. Carrey doesn't always attract comic material as smart as he is. "Yes Man comes close."
Annette Basile FILMINK
"It's an often engaging romance shot through with sweetness, a movie that hangs on a handful of simple, magical scenes."
Roger Moore ORLANDO SENTINEL
"Likeable comedy that's enlivened by a strong premise, a handful of laugh-out-loud moments and a superb supporting cast."
Matthew Turner VIEW LONDON
"May not deliver the huge laughs one may expect, but there are a fair amount of chuckles and a whole lot of surprisingly effective sweetness."
Michael Dequina MR BROWNS MOVIES
"It’s that rare thing: an example of Hollywood getting hold of a good idea, working on it: and not screwing it up."
Tim Evans SKY MOVIES
"Serves as a showcase for Jim Carrey's comedy skills. It's designed strictly for laughs: and there are plenty of them here."
Betty Jo Tucker REELTALK MOVIE REVIEWS
"Deschanel and Carrey have surprising chemistry. She can match him shtick for shtick, while Carrey draws from his Serious Actor skills to add warmth to the romance part of the story."
Sue Pierman MILWAUKEE JOURNAL SENTINEL

"Yes Man is a terrific feelgood comedy, with Jim Carrey in brilliant form. The film is packed with moments to cherish: his boss's movie-themed parties are classics - and you come out of the film with a smile. How cool is that?"
Mark Adams UK DAILY MIRROR
"Carrey does not give his normal idiotically over-the-top performance. Buttressed by a good performance by Deschanel, this is yet another current film that pleasantly surprised me."
Tony Medley TOLUCON TIMES
"Allows Carrey to deliver his best comedic performance since The Truman Show."
Mark Mohan OREGONIAN
"Jim Carrey's back in the zone with this agreeable concept comedy."
Michael Rechtshaffen HOLLYWOOD REPORTER
"Is Jim Carrey, in his first full-blown comedy in three years, still funny? Yes."
Sean Means SALT LAKE TRIBUNE
"It's not Shakespeare, but Yes Man is a very funny movie and provides one of the best escapes in theaters right now."
Kevin Carr 7M MOVIES
"Yes Man is fine as far as Carrey comedies go, but it's even better as a love story that just happens to make you laugh."
Rene Rodriguez MIAMI HERALD
"Yes, you should see this film because it was great to see Carrey back in his physical humor form and it brings some great laughs to the table."
Kevin McCarthy CBS RADIO

The Inside Story Carl Allen is in a rut. When he's not turning down loan applications at the bank where he works, he is turning down invitations from his friends, watching television alone on his couch. He's effectively become a 'No Man'. "I've been that guy," says 1999 and 2000 Golden Globe winner Jim Carrey, who stars as Carl. "I know a lot of people who are in that situation where they just avoid life. I live in the United States of Avoidance. To me, this is a movie about choosing to join life, and that's what drew me to it. Sometimes saying no is saying yes to something else, to something greater that will come your way. And sometimes saying no to an invitation is saying yes to a couch and some potato chips. Just do what's right for you," notes Carrey. "But it's usually not the things we say yes to that we regret; it's when we say no that we look back and think: Ah, I could have lived a little bit more." Carl's life takes an unexpected and radical turn when he grudgingly attends a self-help seminar led by a 'Yes' guru who urges his devotees to say yes more and transform their lives. The initially skeptical Carl agrees to try spontaneity by saying yes, but to everything. "In the movie, Carl is a normal guy who just needs a jump start, and the 'Yes' seminar provides that," notes director Peyton Reed ("Down with Love"). "It throws him off course at first, but then it really gets him to take stock of himself and to invest in life again." Reed was immediately attracted to the story after reading the script based on the best-selling memoir "Yes Man" (available as a film tie-in from Random House Aust) by Danny Wallace. "I dug into the script and subsequently into Danny's book, and I was really struck by the fact that Danny actually did embrace this philosophy for a period of time," Reed states. When Wallace was dumped by his girlfriend years ago, he decided he needed some time to "just sit around and be a boy and play video games, and not really do anything," he recalls. "My mates were a little bit worried about me. They kept phoning up, leaving messages and texting me with various opportunities and invitations. And I was always saying no." A chance conversation on a London bus turned things around for Wallace and inspired his book when someone happened to mention to him: "You should say yes more." Reed believes it "was probably just a casual remark, but I thought that it was the best advice: like every self-help book in the world distilled into three words. And that launched my 'yes-capades!' I bought a car off a bloke at a party just because he said, 'I don't suppose you're interested in buying a car, are you?' I went to see a band called General Onion and His Shocking Castanets. Thanks to a cleverly-worded advertisement, I flew to Singapore for the weekend. Not really a weekend destination, you know?" he laughs, "but I had a great time. The way I see it, you're as likely to meet the love of your life at a bad party as at a good one, but if you've said no, you'll never know." "I definitely liked the very positive spirit of the material," 2001 Zlín International Film Festival for Children and Youth Audience Award winner Reed enthuses, "and the basic idea of someone really taking on life, but in our case, in a very random way. A guy like Carl getting into these situations is funny, and I knew that with Jim Carrey playing Carl the comic possibilities were endless. Jim's physicality and delivery just take what's funny to a whole different level." "I thought the concept was really cool," says Carrey ("Dumb & Dumber" & "Bruce Almighty").

The 1995, '98 and 2001 Blockbuster Entertainment Favourite Comedy Actor Award winner notes: "To sit back and imagine all the things you can get into if you say yes, is pretty fertile territory." So who brought the concept to light? It was "I Am Legend" producer David Heyman, who discovered Wallace's book and brought it to the studio. Heyman, who has produced on all the Harry Potter films, had become a big fan of the author after reading his first book, "Join Me". Heyman's take on Yes Man was no different. "The generosity of spirit that informs Danny and his work is something that really appeals to me. When I read Yes Man, I loved it. The idea that if you say yes, if you're open to the possibilities that life throws before you, then great things will happen, was very intriguing." Immersed in the latest "Harry Potter" film at the time, Heyman contacted Richard Zanuck, hoping to interest the veteran filmmaker in joining forces to produce "Yes Man". Zanuck had no hesitation about joining the project, and thought "casting Jim Carrey in this role couldn't be better. There's no one else who could really perform it like he does," Zanuck offered. "I said 'yes' to everything: the script, the cast. I just liked everything about it. It was fresh, it was new. It was life-affirming and funny." He met with Reed and the two hit it off right away. "Dick Zanuck is responsible for so many of the movies that I watched as a kid, and which made me want to make movies," says Reed. "From the original "Planet of the Apes", which he greenlit when he was running Fox, to "The Sting" and "Jaws", both of which he produced, he's just the man!" 1990 Oscar ® winner Zanuck ("Driving Miss Daisy") remembers: "We had a wonderful meeting. I admire his films, and he's such a personable, talented guy. I think he has a very strong future ahead of him." Scottish-born author, humorist and television personality Danny Wallace had trouble keeping his feet on the ground when he was approached by the filmmakers about transforming his memoir into a film starring Jim Carrey. "I was thrilled when I received a phone call regarding turning my book into a Hollywood film. Clearly I was going to say yes!. I had been a fan of Jim Carrey's work since "In Living Color". They all did a brilliant job of 'Americanizing' the story to bring it to a wider audience; the spirit has remained exactly intact." "What can you say?" offers Carrey. "There would be no 'Yes Man' without him. The man came up with a concept that's right up my alley." Both Carrey and Reed say they are glad they said 'yes' this time. "I had a blast working with Jim," says Reed. "I'd never met him before but I really felt like we were two peas in a pod; our senses of humor are very similar. And because we spent time together during preproduction, by the time we began shooting, Jim and I really had a shorthand and a very clear idea of what we were after for the film, and of who the character of Carl was." Carl's journey off the couch and into life may start when he steps out of the Yes seminar, but he begins to really appreciate the possibilities when he encounters Allison, who is played by 2003 Mar del Plata Film Festival Best Actress Award winner Zooey Deschanel ("All the Real Girls"). Deschanel, who co-starred with NBR Award winner Mark Wahlberg ("The Departed") in "The Happening", describes Allison as "a free-spirited girl who plays the role. "She is cool. She's in a band, she paints and she takes photographs: she's very creative and spontaneous. She's sort of naturally the way that Carl is striving to be."

"Zooey is a terrific actress, and she has this very eccentric quality," noted Reed. "She has a whole different energy from Jim, and it's a nice chemistry they have on screen. She also has great musical talent, and that really lent authenticity to Allison, a character who sings with a band." For trivia buffs, the name of the band Allison plays in is , "Munchausen By Proxy". Also saying yes to "Yes Man" was Bradley Cooper ("Wedding Crashers") as Carl's best friend, Peter, who is repeatedly frustrated by Carl's refusals to take part in life more than two years after his divorce. "I wanted to have that feeling that these two guys have been friends for a long time," says Cooper. "And like any best friend, you go through the travails with the people that you love. In the film, Peter is not only his friend, but also sort of the audience's eyes, watching and enjoying this really out-of-the-ordinary behavior come about in Carl." "Bradley has a great energy, and he brought that to every scene," says Reed. "You watch Jim and Bradley together and you really believe that they have been longtime friends." Carl's change of heart was initially jump-started when he ran into a former colleague, Nick, played by character actor and 2003 Seattle Film Critics Award winner John Michael Higgins ("A Mighty Wind"). Nick introduces Carl to the Yes way of life after ambushing him outside Brea Federal Savings & Loans where Carl is a loans officer. "Nick adores the seminar guru Terrence; he's a total acolyte," Higgins explained. "He says yes to everything in life. Carl doesn't see it early on, but if you really say yes to everything, you will probably end up something like Nick, which is not entirely sane," jokes the actor. "Nick is a pretty strange character," furthers Reed. "There's something a little off about him. He's incredibly enthusiastic: he has seen the light, he has discovered this thing called The Power of Yes. He gives Carl this pamphlet and says, 'I just see by the look in your eyes, this is something that you need.' Michael is really great at playing these extreme, unhinged characters, but giving them a real kind of grounding and sense of humanity. It was fun seeing him in those scenes with Jim, with Jim essentially being the straight guy and Higgins being the guy who is a little nuts." No one is happier than Nick to discover Carl at the seminar, and he is quick to draw the spotlight, and the attention of the Power of Yes creator Terrence Bundley, played by 1965 Cannes Film Festival Best Actor Terence Stamp ("The Collector"). "My character is on what's laughingly called the guru circuit, you know?" Stamp explained. "He's figured out a new angle where people will pay him to inspire them." "Terence Stamp is a very charismatic guy, you know? He's Terence Stamp," says Reed. "He's got an amazing, deep, resonant voice, and that's half of it right there because he's very seductive." "Terence is the consummate actor, classical, with incredible depth and history," Carrey notes. Norman, Carl's nerdyboss at the bank, is played by New Zealand actor/comedian Rhys Darby who makes his film debut. "He's just hilarious!" says Reed. Carrey goes further, stating: "He's one to watch. He's so committed and he's got the lunacy behind his eyes that Peter Sellers had, and it just leaps out of the movie." "The cast was great fun to be around," Zanuck said. "There was an esprit de corps on set that I found very refreshing and I'm glad I said 'yes' and became a member of the Yes Man club." And yes, the filmmakers gave the thumbs up for Carrey to do the Bungy Jump himself: on his final day of shooting. The filmmakers used six cameras to capture the one time only jump. "That was incredible, that was wild! I loved it!" Carrey said. Synopsis

Carl Allen is a guy whose life is going nowhere and the operative word being 'no'. Since his wife divorced him he's become a self-made recluse thanks to the word 'no'. Everything and anything that might mean making an effort or may lead to him coming out of his self-imposed shell, is met with a resounding 'no'. Until he runs into an old friend named Nick who invites him to attend a night that could make him a new man. Stirred to action by a rather foreboding nightmare, Carl signs up for a self-help program based on one simple covenant: say yes to everything, and anything. Unleashing the power of 'YES' begins to transform Carl’s life in amazing and unexpected ways. Say yes to loan applicants gets him promoted at the bank he works for. And, then the door opens to a new romance. But has Carl's eagerness to embrace YES at every opportunity become too much of a good thing?

The Verdict "It's good to see Jim Carrey back on the big-screen, in person and performing well in this light-hearted, romantic comedy that is sure to go down extremely well with dedicated Carrey fans, and, anyone looking for a film that will provide relief from all the doom and gloom the world is currently experiencing. There are many memorable moments in the film including: a bungy jump; saving an obviously distressed man (played by Luis Guzmán) from suiciding; a Harry Potter theme party; a wild motorcycle ride and more. But for all the humour and challenges the film pitches at its audience, it's the sweetness of romance and two odd-balls: Allison (played by Zooey Deschanel) and Norman (played by newcomer Rhys Darby) who provide the magic ingredients that ensure "Yes Man" succeeds. While Carrey may look older than his fourty six years whenever he's in the company of Deschanel, I'm betting there's plenty of life left in the nine time MTV and five time Kids Choice Awards winner. While there's flashes of the old Carrey here, like "The Majestic", this style of role suits him well. Well worth a look at. SOLID 3 1/2 STARS." Crew Bytes "YES MAN" was .......
directed by Peyton Reed [TV'S "Back to the Future", "The Weird Al Show" and "Upright Citizens Brigade"]; from the book by Danny Wallace ["Are You Dave Gorman", "Join Me" and "Yes Man"]; art direction by Eric Sundahl ["Thir13en Ghosts", "The Number 23" and "1408"]; costume design by Mark Bridges ["Boogie Nights", "Blow" and "There Will Be Blood"]; production design by Andrew Laws ["Tigerland", "Phone Booth" and "Along Came Polly"]; edited by Craig Alpert ["Spelling Bee", "BORAT" and "Knocked Up"]; director of photography Robert Yeoman ["Drugstore Cowboy", "Bottle Rocket" and "Dogma"]; set decoration by Victor J Zolfo ["The Thirteenth Floor", "The Patriot" and "Zodiac"]. Who's Who

Jim Carrey
Zooey Deschanel
Bradley Cooper
John Michael Higgins
Rhys Darby
Danny Masterson
Fionnula Flanagan
Terence Stamp
Sasha Alexander
Molly Sims
Brent Briscoe
Rocky Carroll
John Cothran
Spencer Garrett
Sean O'Bryan
Kai Lennox
Patrick Labyorteaux
Jamie Denbo
Shelby Zemanek
Anna Khaja
Maile Flanagan
Roni Meron
Heidi Herschbach
Graham Shiels
Kenneth Searle
John H Song
Peter Spellos
Vivian Bang
Lisa Long
Mary-Pat Green

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Carl Allen
Allison
Peter
Nick
Norman
Rooney
Tillie
Terrence Bundley
Lucy
Stephanie
Homeless Guy
Wes
Tweed
Multack
Ted
Flyer Guy
Marv Winchell
Marv's Wife
Sophie Winchell
Faranoosh
Janet
Bigfoot Waitress
Daphne
Scary Boyfriend
Flight Instructor
Korean Instructor
Hollywood Bowl Security Guard
Soo-Mi
Airline Representative
Tour Guide