Jim Carrey’scareer is one of the most interesting ones in Hollywood. After dominating the industry in the 1990s (in 1994, he starred in three of his most famous roles,Ace Venture: Pet Detective,The Mask,andDumb and Dumber), the Canadian actor went on to becomeone of the most recognizable faces in comedy. The weird thing is that when he felt it was time to seek credibility in drama, things went “down” after that. A few dramatic performances and an Oscar campaign that didn’t work out were the beginning of the end for the actor, who, in the new century, vanished from the spotlight.
Widely considered a performer who liked to shake things up a bit, Carrey’s most important performance was in the genre-bendingThe Truman Show, the film with an ironic undertone of media exploitation for profit. It’s possibly not a coincidence that the film Carrey often praises as his favorite isSidney Lumet’s groundbreaking drama,Network. In Lumet’s film, a network mogul uses a former anchor’s “views” to generate ratings, but then the situation goes out of control. Just like in Carrey’s film, the public’s fascination with a media figure spirals out of control, and because of the potential financial gain, greed overpowers morality.
Carrey believes the script forNetworkis incredible. The comedy, with hints of satire and drama, eerily predicted many things that are true in today’s media industry. Let’s take a look at whyNetworkis more relevant than ever.
What Is Network About?
InNetwork, a news anchor by the name of Howard Beale is told by Max Schumacher, the president of the News Division, that he will be removed from his position because the network’s ratings are horrible. Beale’s reaction the next day is to publicly announce that he will commit suicide on his next broadcast. The network insists on Beale’s immediate removal, but Schumacher believes inhonoring the anchor’s career. Beale promises to make an apology and not kill himself, but then, when he appears in front of the entire nation again, he decides to do neither. Howard uses the broadcast to make a loud and unique statement. The rant becomes the first of many that will put the network up high with unforeseen ratings.
This is when the network decides to use Beale’s personal downfall for ratings. They even offer the man his own show. Schumacher is adamant about following the network’s exploitative views, but programming chief Diana Christensen decides to do otherwise. Her drive to achieve success even corrupts Schumacher, who begins having an affair with her and even breaks off his marriage with Louise. Eventually, Beal becomes the man of the hour for the network, and their unscrupulous views materialize in a satire that will tell you a lot about how, to the worst of our luck, the news media works.
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How Has Network Become Such a Relevant Film for Today’s Media Industry?
WithNetwork, Lumet becamethe notable ’70s directorwho pushed his entire career to new levels. In 1977, the film also won several Academy Awards, including a Best Actor award for Peter Finch, who portrayed Howard Beale and was one of the first actors in Hollywood to receive a posthumous award. Faye Dunaway won the Best Actress prize, and Beatrice Straight won Best Supporting Actress, despite only appearing in the film for a little more than five minutes. Paddy Chayefsky would also win the award for Best Original Screenplay.
The critical acclaim for the movie is still growing, as Chayefsky’s script was way ahead of its time in its portrayal of greed and how it can actually model the industry while also not failing to appeal to general audiences.Networkis more relevant than ever because today we live in times where Beale’s story could potentially become true, and instead of seeing the absurd satire of the situation, audiences would probably follow up on such an exploitative stance by the media. We know the media conglomerates work based on an agenda, and while we are often willingly under their spell, we’re also aware that we’re part of their mechanism.
Beale is a media figure. Just like anchors with very specific views in today’s outlets, so if Beale is capable of becoming a puppet, imagine the rest if they receive the paycheck.Networksimply drives audiences to open their eyes through the use of an intelligent script, compelling characters, and, most of all, engaging stories. You will laugh at Beale’s progression into a media puppet, but then you will probably see the news differently the next day.
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Jim Carrey’s Incursion Into Drama Was More Than a Career Move
When Jim Carreyentered the drama landscapeand sought the recognition of an industry that didn’t like that version of him as much, the actor fell from grace. A few participations were more than notable, but he could never recover from this media reaction to his trying to leave the typecast roles. Many accused it of being a career move that didn’t turn out to be very good, but in reality, perhaps we could acknowledge Carrey’s personal intent to explore more profound stories in better-written roles. It wasn’t a matter of genre; it was a matter of making better films.
Today, he toys around with the idea of retiring, but thenhe accepts to participatein theSonic the Hedgehogfranchise any chance he gets. He simply accepted that comedy is his turf, and that’s where he’s able to survive. However, it would be extremely interesting to see him in drama again, just with the explosive characters he always aimed at playing.
The irony is that the performer would do great as a modern Howard Beale in a modern version ofNetwork, but let’s not give Hollywood ideas of this kind, as they often play around with unnecessary remakes. WhileNetwork’s story is insanely relevant to our current times, some thoughts are better left undisturbed.
