Gee, I wrote that catty headline, and now I feel bad because there are a lot of things I like about Jim Carrey's attempt at serious acting in The Majestic. He convincingly pulls it off at times, too.

And there's no doubt about it, I like THIS Jim Carrey far better than the vulgar, obsessed madman in Me, Myself & Irene. Then at the same time, each time I see Carrey in a more serious role, I still keep expecting him to turn into "The Mask."

Part of me is enjoying Carrey's mainstream average guy performance as amnesiac 1950s screenwriter Pete Appleton, and the other part of me is waiting for him to "do" something wild. And I keep thinking that Carrey has not yet played the "average guy" role he was truly born to play -- Darrin Stevens (the Dick York Darrin) in Bewitched - The Movie. There is no plan that I know of to make such a movie, but there should be, and Carrey should definitely do it.

Setting: Hollywood - 1951 - Reds are Dead in Showbiz

Pete Appleton is a successful young screenwriter whose life abruptly changes when he is named as having Communist ties (because as a horny kid, he went to a meeting with a girl he liked). The script he's working on is suspended, his contract negotiations are dropped, so he winds up drowning his sorrows in a bar on the Pacific Coast Highway, drives off, then slides off of a bridge in the rain, bashing his head on a bridge pillar.

He comes to, washed ashore, and finds an old man (James Whitmore) and his dog calling him "Luke." Having no memory of his past, he returns with the man to the small town of Lawson. The little village is still in grief from losing an unusually large number of it's young men to World War II. Pete also bears a very strong resemblance to Luke -- especially since no one has seen Luke, a heroic and presumed dead soldier, for about 10 years.

Pete Steps Into The Life of a Ghost Hero

When Pete meets Luke's father, Harry (Martin Landau), proprietor of a closed movie theater, he's convinced that he must be Luke, because Harry thinks he's Luke, and everyone else in town thinks so, too. He sees pictures of Luke in uniform, and he sees a 10 years younger version of himself.

Luke's girlfriend, Adele (Laurie Holden) who has just returned to Lawson after successfully completing the bar exam and waiting for results, stares at Pete in shock and amazement -- and she shows him around town to help him try to remember things they and their friends used to do. Their romance takes up almost where it left off with the whole town cheering them on. "Luke" starts helping Harry refurbish and reopen "The Majestic" with plenty of participation from the delightful and supportive people of Lawson.

When and What Will Pete Remember? He's a Hunted Man

Naturally, the McCarthyites are looking for missing screenwriter Pete Appleton -- he must be guilty to have flown the coop within hours of being named as a Red.

But things simmer along nicely for "Luke" in Lawson, and he's enjoying this life he has stepped into whether or not it's really "his" life. And yet you know that something's got to give -- he'll remember who he is, someone from Hollywood will find him and recognize him. And all of those things do happen. Learning how they happen is the reason to continue to watch this movie, so I'll refrain from spoiling the highlights for you.

The Best Elements of This Movie for Me

Carrey shows considerably more range as Pete/Luke than I've seen in other movies, and he's a fairly convincing leading man and romantic interest for the lovely Laurie Holden -- a classic all-American blonde beauty who is highly intelligent and ladylike as Adele, but at the same time sexy enough to be interesting. They're a very good casting match and enjoyable to watch.

The soundtrack has some fine boogey-woogie piano (Luke plays very well), and the California coastline and pretty little town provide a beautiful setting. There is an innocent and wistful nostalgia that reminded me some of It's A Wonderful Life or even some of Barry Levinson's Avalon.

Catch The Majestic on Cable Now

I first saw this movie in the theaters with my daughter at Christmas 1991. It's hitting HBO and Showtime now, and I've watched it a couple of more times -- it's worth a second viewing or even a third if you're channel surfing through the slower parts. Both of us truly enjoyed it, and didn't think it deserved some of the unkind words from critics that it received.

This is a fine movie for the entire family, although children might get lost and bored in the significance of the Hollywood "Commie" aspect.

Overall, I'd easily recommend it as an enjoyable way to spend a rainy Saturday or Sunday afternoon. It's not destined to be an all-time classic, but it's a solid hit that has a long shelf life.


Recommended:
Yes

Viewing Format: VHS
Video Occasion: Good for a Rainy Day
Suitability For Children: Suitable for Children Age 13 and Older