The Mask
From zero to hero.
The Mask (1994)
Production
Budget
$23 000 000
Revenue
$351 583 407
Director
Scenario
Mark Verheiden
Author
Composer
Producer
Robert Engelman
Actors
Jim Carrey
Stanley Ipkiss / The Mask
Peter Riegert
Mitch Kellaway
Peter Greene
Dorian Tyrrell
Amy Yasbeck
Peggy Brandt
Richard Jeni
Charlie Schumaker
Orestes Matacena
Niko
Tim Bagley
Irv
Nancy Fish
Mrs. Peenman
Short description
Stanley Ipkiss is a timid bank clerk whose life is pushed around by his boss, his landlady and almost everyone else, with only his dog Milo and his co-worker Charlie for company. When he finds an old wooden mask and puts it on, he is transformed into a green-faced, cartoon-like figure with no inhibitions and abilities he never had before. The change gives him the confidence to pursue Tina Carlyle, a singer at the Coco Bongo club, but it also draws the attention of the gangster Dorian Tyrrell, who wants the mask's power for himself. Stanley has to balance the pull of his uninhibited alter ego against remaining the person he was.
Chuck Russell directed the film from a screenplay by Mike Werb, with Robert Engelman producing. It came third in Russell's filmography, after A Nightmare on Elm Street 3: Dream Warriors and The Blob, and was followed by Eraser. Jim Carrey plays Stanley and his transformed self, heading a cast that includes Peter Riegert, Peter Greene, Amy Yasbeck, Richard Jeni and Orestes Matacena, with 48 credited cast and 130 credited crew members.
Made for a budget of 23 million dollars and released in July 1994, the film took about 352 million dollars worldwide, showing a broad commercial reach. On IMDb it holds 7 out of 10 from around 467,000 votes, and on TMDB 7 out of 10 from more than 11,000 votes. The critics' rating stands at 6.5 out of 10 from 58 reviews, close to the audience scores.
What's left behind the scenes
- This role was Cameron Diaz's debut.
- In the director's cut, the film begins with the arrival of Leif Erikson in future North America, who came to the "edge of the world" with the goal of taking the mask of the god Loki far away from people.
- According to director Chuck Russell, the decision to cast Jim Carrey in the lead role saved the filmmakers a considerable amount of money that would otherwise have gone to special effects. Carrey's movements were so "fluid" and cartoonish that there was no need to emphasize them with digital technology.
- Before casting Cameron Diaz as Tina, producers initially envisioned Anna Nicole Smith in the role.
- Cameron Diaz auditioned for the role of Tina 12 times and received the part only 7 days before filming began.
- Many scenes – particularly those involving the dog (Milo) – were invented on the set during filming. The scene in which Milo holds a frisbee in his mouth and won't let go when Jim Carrey's character pulls on it was not in the script. Similarly, Carrey improvised his character Stanley Ipkiss's reaction to Milo's inability to climb the prison wall and reach the window bars.
- At the 87th minute, gangster Eddie (Denis Forest) falls to the floor and grabs Milo by his hind legs; the next shot shows a completely different person holding him.
- Director Chuck Russell stated that the project was originally conceived as a rather brutal horror film, but subsequently transformed into a comedy.
- Jim Carrey's character was obsessed with cartoons in real life. Therefore, it was decided that when becoming The Mask, the character would portray various animated characters. As a result, famous characters from Warner Bros. such as Taz, Bugs Bunny, and Pepe Le Pew were featured.
- Susan Boyd sings for Cameron Diaz in the film.
- The scene in which Jim Carrey runs away from pursuing gangsters and pulls a used condom out of his pocket, saying “Oops, wrong pocket,” was improvised by the actor.
- The bright yellow suit worn by Jim Carrey's character was prepared by the costume designers at the actor's request. Jim wanted to pay tribute to his mother, who had sewn a similar suit for him for his first film auditions.
- Originally, The Mask's oversized teeth were intended to be used only for silent scenes. However, Jim showed skill and learned to speak using these “overgrown teeth,” which added to the eccentricity of his character.
- At the 2-minute mark of the film, when the diver manages to open the chest containing the mask, a pipe falls on him. In one of the shots, it can be noticed that a small cable is stretched across the spot where the chain broke, supporting the pipe.
- At the 2-minute mark of the film, when the pipe hits the chest, its end is wrapped in a chain four times, although in previous shots the pipe was wrapped in a single layer of chain. Additionally, when the chest opens after the impact, a thin tube can be seen at the bottom creating air bubbles.
- At the 3-minute mark, when Maggie asks Stanley if he can purchase another ticket, she begins tapping a pair of tickets against the edge of a folder. In the next shot, she is tapping the tickets near her lips, and in the following shot, she holds them still at chin level.
- At the 21st minute of the film, when Mask pulls the gang leader's nose, a shirtless gangster with a bandana on his head can be seen in the background of one of the shots. In the next shot, when the gang chases after Mask, it can be noticed that the gangster is already wearing a colored shirt.
- At the 21st minute of the film, when the driver starts honking at Mask, who is standing in the roadway, it can be noticed that the car is missing its rearview mirror on the windshield. Also, in the next scene, when Mask shatters the car windows with his horn, it is clearly visible that a mannequin is behind the wheel instead of an actor.
- At the 34th minute of the film, Stanley finds the mask on the sofa, which he had previously thrown out the window. In this scene, it can be noticed that the position of the mask and the decorative items next to it differs significantly from how they were positioned at the 26th minute, when the mask flew back into the apartment through the window.
- At the 41st minute of the film, when Mask dances with Tina and starts spinning her around, it can be noticed that Cameron Diaz is replaced by a stunt double in some of the shots.
- At the 60th minute, when the police search Mask, a bowling pin, a rubber chicken, a toy duck, and a mousetrap can be seen on the ground. In the next shot, the police continue searching Mask and pull these same items out of his pockets once again.
- At the 87th minute of the film, Milo grabs the mask by the bottom part while in mid-air. When the dog lands in the next scene, he is already holding the mask by the top edge.
- At the 90th minute of the film, bandits shoot at the bar counter where Stanley is hiding, and then detach the empty magazines from their submachine guns. When The Mask appears from behind the counter in the next scene, the bandits begin reloading their weapons, and it can be noticed that Orlando — the bald bandit with a ponytail standing in the middle — detaches his magazine a second time.
- To preserve Jim Carrey's facial expressions, the creators had to abandon the rubber mask and use makeup instead.
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Auditions in India
Casting calls in USA
Castingi w Polsce
Кастинги в Україні
