Man on the Moon

"Hello, my name is Andy and this is my movie."

1999 1h 58m EN

👍

7.2

SOLID

🍅

64%

FRESH

😬

METACRITIC

⭐

7.4

IMDB

★7.2TMDB · 2,062🍅64%Rotten Tomatoes●58Metacritic★7.4IMDB · 140,789

ComedyDramaHistory

Synopsis

Spoiler shield

The story of the life and career of eccentric avant-garde comedian, Andy Kaufman.

“Hello, my name is Andy and this is my movie.”

WhatsApp X Facebook Telegram

Where to watch · US

Amazon VideoRent

Apple TV StoreRent

Google Play MoviesRent

Google Play MoviesBuy

YouTubeBuy

Fandango At HomeBuy

Cast

Jim Carrey
Andy Kaufman / Tony Clifton
Danny DeVito
George Shapiro
Courtney Love
Lynne Margulies
Paul Giamatti
Bob Zmuda
Vincent Schiavelli
Maynard Smith
Peter Bonerz
Ed Weinberger
Jerry Lawler
Himself
Gerry Becker
Stanley Kaufman

Credits

Behind the camera

Director: Miloš Forman
Writers: Scott Alexander, Larry Karaszewski
Languages: English
Countries: United States of America, Germany, Japan, United Kingdom

Want more? Switch to Cinephile mode in the header for DP, composer, budget, box office, production companies, keywords, and release history.

Did you know?

Fun facts 🍿

1 / 8

MONEY

Did you know

Mid-budget at $82M — the now-extinct middle tier of Hollywood.

MoodPlayr · trivia#01

2 / 8

MONEY

Did you know

Earned back only 58% of its budget on initial theatrical — a commercial disappointment on release.

MoodPlayr · trivia#02

3 / 8

ERA

Did you know

27 years old — old enough to be someone's favourite childhood film.

MoodPlayr · trivia#03

4 / 8

WORLD

Did you know

International production across 4 countries: United States of America, Germany, Japan, United Kingdom.

MoodPlayr · trivia#04

5 / 8

CAST

Did you know

312+ people credited in cast and crew — a small city's worth of labour.

MoodPlayr · trivia#05

6 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Directed by Miloš Forman, shot by Anastas N. Michos. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.

MoodPlayr · trivia#06

7 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Original score by Michael Stipe. Worth a dedicated listen after — most great films lose half their impact without the score.

MoodPlayr · trivia#07

8 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Editor Adam Boome shaped the rhythm. On an edit-heavy film, the editor does more to control your pulse than the director.

MoodPlayr · trivia#08

Cinephile deep dive

The take

Miloš Forman directs. Anastas N. Michos behind the camera. Michael Stipe scores. Adam Boome cuts. A commercial under-performer on release. Produced in United States of America, Germany, Japan, United Kingdom. Dialogue in English.

Trivia

Things worth knowing

1Mid-budget at $82M — the now-extinct middle tier of Hollywood.
2Earned back only 58% of its budget on initial theatrical — a commercial disappointment on release.
327 years old — old enough to be someone's favourite childhood film.
4International production across 4 countries: United States of America, Germany, Japan, United Kingdom.
5312+ people credited in cast and crew — a small city's worth of labour.
6Directed by Miloš Forman, shot by Anastas N. Michos. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.
7Original score by Michael Stipe. Worth a dedicated listen after — most great films lose half their impact without the score.
8Editor Adam Boome shaped the rhythm. On an edit-heavy film, the editor does more to control your pulse than the director.
9Jim Carrey and Danny DeVito and Courtney Love carry the top of the cast.
10Marketing tagline: "Hello, my name is Andy and this is my movie.".
11IMDB entry: tt0125664 — still the authoritative cross-reference for credits and trivia.
12Classified under 9 themes, including "show business", "comedian", "sexism", "biography".

The technical file

Cinematography: Anastas N. Michos
Original score: Michael Stipe
Editing: Adam Boome
Production design: Patrizia von Brandenstein
Costume design: Jeffrey Kurland
Makeup / hair: Kathe Swanson
VFX supervisor: Randall Balsmeyer
Stunt coordinator: Buddy Joe Hooker
Runtime: 118 min · 1h 58m
Aspect ratio (typical): 1.37:1 (Academy)
Status: Released
Budget: $82,000,000
Box office: $47,434,430
Return: 58% of budget
Original language: EN
Certification (US): R
IMDB: Man on the Moon (1999)
Rotten Tomatoes: 64% 🍅 Fresh
Metacritic: 58/100
IMDB rating: 7.4/10 · 140,789 votes
MPAA: R

Awards

5 wins & 25 nominations total

Boston Society of Film Critics Award for Best Actor
Golden Globe Award for Best Actor – Motion Picture Musical or Comedy

Individual records documented via Wikidata; the summary above may count more.

Also by

Miloš Forman

Stills · wallpapers

Selected frames

Full-resolution frames — open one to save it as a wallpaper.

Wallpaper

Trailers & featurettes

Watch the pieces

Community reviews

What people are saying

Andres Gomez2013-09-03
★ 6/10
Interesting movie tailored to Jim Carrey. In any case, probably more interesting for those who lived in US and in the time Andy Kaufman became a celebrity.
Andre Gonzales2023-07-18
★ 8/10
Great movie perfect for Andy Kaufman. Throughout the film you could barely tell that it's Jim Carey. It's like watching Andy Kaufman all over again.
CinemaSerf2024-07-23
★ 6/10
I do vaguely recall Andy Kaufman in "Taxi" but the remainder of this rather zany depiction of his life just reminded me of a compendium of the "Goon Show" meets "Mork and Mindy". His sense of what was entertaining was eclectic to say the least, and his stand-up routines reminded me a little of Peter Sellers when he was using his exaggerated (European) accents to try and get a laugh. Nobody is much interested in these stage shows until talent agent George Shapiro (Danny DeVito) spots him and sees something original about his talents. Exposure on television followed, then his casting in the sitcom about New York's amiable mix of yellow cab drivers - the series that made the name of Danny DeVito too - before he embarked on a curious and one-sided career wrestling women. It was this latter profession that introduced him to male wrestler Jerry Lawler who tired of this and took to fighting him man-to-man. Needless to say, he's no match for the man with the "Piledriver" so has to resort to other ways to keep ahead of the ever changing entertainment game. His behaviour becomes more erratic and soon nobody with a television camera will touch the man... Jim Carrey is a natural at these quirky and over-the-top interpretations, and here is no different. He immerses himself into the role and manages to very successfully convey the sheer irritation factor of this man who had practically no talent but an ability to pander the "Emperor's New Clothes" theory to an audience who thought, initially, it better to laugh with the crowd than to scratch their heads and wonder what they were actually laughing at. On that front, Milos Forman has created a cleverly structured biopic of a man who was flawed and obsessed and who was fuelled by a market place desperate for something different. What I didn't feel here was any empathy for Kaufman. The industry is hard, cruel and unforgiving to the best of them and maybe it is a testament to the acting, but I genuinely felt this person hadn't the skills required to entertain at an holiday camp for the hard of hearing. Maybe it's more relevant to Americans who can better associate with their standard and style of 1970s television programming but as an observer from elsewhere this come cross as entirely self indulgent. Sorry.