Rubberface
| Rubberface | |
|---|---|
VHS cover | |
| Also known as | Introducing... Janet |
| Genre | Comedy |
| Written by | Nada Harcourt Michael jean |
| Directed by | Glen Salzman Rebecca Yates |
| Starring | Jim Carrey Adah Glassbourg |
| Music by | Rainer Wiens |
| Country of origin | Canada |
| Original language | English |
| Production | |
| Producers | Glen Salzman Rebecca Yates |
| Cinematography | Rene Ohashi |
| Editors | James Lahti Mairin Wilkinson |
| Running time | 55 minutes |
| Production companies | Canadian Broadcasting Corporation CineFlics |
| Original release | |
| Release | April 13, 1981 |
Rubberface is a 1981 television film aired on CBC and starring Jim Carrey. Originally titled Introducing... Janet, it was changed to Rubberface for the video release after Carrey's success.
Plot
Janet (Adah Glassbourg) is a high school student who frequently acts out as a class clown, as she feels it is the only way she can gain acceptance from her peers. She is tasked with writing an essay about what makes people laugh. During her investigations she encounters a dishwasher named Tony, who wants to become a professional comedian. He's dismayed by his lack of success and solicits Janet's help in creating a good act for an upcoming standup competition. In exchange, Tony recommends that Janet be herself rather than continually play the clown.
At the contest Tony pretends to have laryngitis and urges Janet to take his place on stage. Although nervous, Janet is successful in making the audience laugh.
Production
Filming for Rubberface took place in Toronto.[1] Carrey was brought on to portray the character of Tony; he was 19-years-old when the film was made.[2]
Release
Rubberface, initially titled Introducing... Janet, was first aired as a made-for-television film for the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation in September 1981.[3] The title and cover art were later changed for Vidmark's home video release in order to focus on Jim Carrey, who was in approximately a fourth of the film and was not the central character.[4]
Rubberface was released on DVD through Lionsgate Home Entertainment on January 23, 2007.[5]
Reception
Jeffrey Robinson of DVD Talk reviewed the film, calling it mediocre and that while there were some decent laughs and chemistry between the performers, the film was "not all that entertaining".[5] Donald Liebenson of The Weekender covered Rubberface in a retrospective of Carrey's work, caling it "actually a very sweet 48-minute featurette".[3]
Randall King covered the movie's Vidmark release in 1995 for The Winnipeg Sun, calling it "simply another example of recycled success."[1]
References
- ^ a b King, Randall (September 23, 1995). "First Laughs". The Winnipeg Sun (Newspapers.com).
- ^ "The early role that introduced CBC viewers to Jim Carrey". October 28, 2018. pp. CBC.
- ^ a b Liebenson, Donald (December 28, 1995). "All that glitters wasn't always gold". The Weekender (Newspapers.com).
- ^ Staten, Vince (August 10, 1995). "Films back to haunt them". Daily News (Newspapers.com).
- ^ a b Robinson, Jeffrey. "Rubberface". DVD Talk. Archived from the original on 12 May 2022. Retrieved 12 May 2022.
External links
- Rubberface at IMDb