Jim Carrey's favorite movie came out in 1976 and maintains a "Certified Fresh" score on Rotten Tomatoes, and its tone is far from what you would expect. Carrey is best known for his slapstick, physical comedy, but don't let that fool you. The actor is an artist at heart, and though he is best known for over-the-top characters like Ace Ventura, Lloyd Christmas, Ernie "Chip" Douglas, and more, he's pulled out some stunning dramatic roles as well. His performances have balanced comedy with intellectual drama, and his number-one favorite film reflects this back perfectly.

Network.

Network Is Jim Carrey's Favorite Movie Of All Time

Jim Carrey Called The 1976 Movie A "Smorgasbord"

There have been a few times in which Carrey discussed his favorite movie of all time, and his answer has remained constant. In a 2017 interview with comedian Norm Macdonald, Carrey said his favorite movie is the 1976 Academy Award winner, Network. "Every scene in that movie is a smorgasbord," he said. Later, in his 2020 book Memoirs and Misinformation: A Novel, Carrey repeated his claim, writing that Network is a "prophecy of what happened in the last fifty years," going on to call the movie "phenomenal."

Network is directed by Sidney Lumet and written by Paddy Chayefsky. It stars Faye Dunaway, William Holden, Peter Finch, and Robert Duvall, all of whom Carrey says "scores" in every scene. The 1976 film is a satirical black comedy drama that mixes profound intellectual concepts with a sort of nihilistic humor. When looking at Carrey's own reflections on Hollywood, as well as some of his dramatic roles, this makes a great deal of sense.

Network Is A Satirical Take On The Television Business & Media As A Whole

Anything For The Ratings

Network follows a character named Howard Beale, a longtime anchor on the floundering "UBS Evening News." When low ratings threaten to tank the network show in a matter of weeks, Beale announces on-air that he will kill himself on the following Tuesday's broadcast. Ironically, this turns out to be the spark that ultimately leads to peak ratings. The titular network established "The Howard Beale Show," which saw its host scream that life is "bullsh*t," while encouraging his audience to scream, "We're mad as hell, and we're not going to take this anymore!"

The idea of Network is to dissect the continuous sensationalization in television and media. For the sake of ratings, UBS became willing to put anything on the screen. Beale himself became a victim of this, as his ramblings slowly became no longer enough. Of course, the satire angle allows Network to become increasingly ridiculous as it progresses. However, as the comedy became more outrageous, the uncomfortable truth that the 1976 movie aimed to expose became all the more poignant.

Network Is One Of The Most Important Movies Of Its Era

Jim Carrey Certainly Picked A Good one

Network was a massive success when it was released in 1976. It received 10 nominations at the 49th Academy Awards and won four. Finch posthumously claimed the Oscar for Best Actor, while Dunaway took the award for Best Actress. Network also earned Beatrice Straight the award for Best ing Actress and Chayefsky the Oscar for Best Original Screenplay.

In 2000, the Library of Congress selected Network for preservation in the National Film Registry for its cultural and historical significance.

The success of Carrey's favorite movie only continued from there. In 2000, the Library of Congress selected Network for preservation in the National Film Registry for its cultural and historical significance. In 2005, the Writers Guild of America voted Network's screenplay one of the 10 greatest of all time, just before the American Film Institute chose it as one of the 100 greatest American films. Today, Network holds a 91% critic score and 93% audience score on Rotten Tomatoes—one of those rare instances when critics, general audiences, and, yes, Jim Carrey, actually agree.