Yes Man

Release Date: December 19th, 2008

Click here for the Yes Man Trailer.

Carl Allen(Jim Carrey) is a Los Angeles bank employee who takes no pleasure in life after his wife Stephanie(Molly Sims) divorced him three years ago. Carl says no to every oppurtunity that comes his way, blocking out his friends and everything around him. Carl would rather spend his time alone in his apartment watching movies than to be out enjoying life. Carl's best friend Peter(Bradley Cooper) is furious when Carl misses his engagement dinner. He tells Carl that if he doesn't change his ways he is going to wind up sad and alone for the rest of his life.

While Carl is sitting outside of the bank that he works at eating lunch, he bumps into an old colleague of his, Nick(John Michael Higgins), who is stunned that Carl is still working at the bank. Nick tells Carl about him joining this program that has given him a new outlook on life. Nick now embraces life and lives it to the fullest from doing one simple thing, saying yes to life's opportunities. Nick invites Carl to the seminar which he reluctantly agrees to attend. At the seminar, Carl is singled out by Nick as being a new attendee. The seminar spokesman, Terrence Bundley(Terence Stamp) approaches Carl after Carl says "no" to coming up on stage. Bundley then forces Carl to make a covenant with himself, promising that he will say "yes" to every oppurtunity life throws at him. Carl's first chance at saying yes happens as soon as he leaves when a homeless man asks Carl for a ride. Carl agrees to driving him as well as letting him use his cell phone, in which the homeless man runs down the battery. The man then asks Carl for some money, and Carl agrees. Carl's "yes" attitude seems to paying off in a negative way when his car runs out of gas and he can't call AAA for help.

Carl walks to a gas station where he meets Allison(Zooey Deschanel), a quirky woman filling up her scooter. Allison gives Carl an adventurous and terrifying ride back to his car where she kisses him and drives away. Carl's life is starting to turn around from saying yes. He accepts a flyer from a band promoter who he continually says no to. When he goes to the concert, the band, an weird, eccentric band performs with the lead singer being Allison. The two meet again at the show and become attracted to each other and begin to date. Carl is suddenly saying yes to everything life throws at him, making him give out over 500 small loans at the bank he works at, take flying lessons, guitar lessons, Korean lessons, making him join an Iranian mail-order bride service, plan the bridal shower of Lucy Burns(Sasha Alexander) Peter's fiance, and going to a Harry Potter themed party at his lovable but clueless boss Norman's(Rhys Darby) house.

But things suddenly take a turn for the worse. Carl and Allison decide to go to the airport and take a trip on the first plane out of town, which takes them to Lincoln, Nebraska where they go to the Frank H. Woods Telephone Museum, go to a Nebraska College football game, and go skeet shooting. The two take refuge in a barn when it starts raining and Allison asks Carl to move in with her. Carl hesitantly says yes, which worries Allison, but the two get over it. When the two try to book a flight home, they are apprehended by F.B.I. agents who, because of the activities Carl has recently started, think he is a terrorist. Peter, being a lawyer, flies down to Nebraska to explain to the agents that Carl must say yes to every oppurtunity he comes across, which explains his somewhat strange behavior. Allison hears this and believes that the only reason Carl is with her is because he has to say yes. Allison, after being released from the agents, leaves Carl at the airport.

Carl then goes to Terrence Bundley's seminar and hides in the back of his car. Carl wants him to break the "covenant", allowing Carl to say no. Carl pops out of Bundley's back seat and startles him, making him run a red light and crashing, landing both of them in the hospital. When Carl wakes up, Bundley tells him that the "covenant" was bogus, it was just used to get Carl on the idea of saying yes, allowing Carl to say no if he needs to. Carl finds Allison and explains everything to her, telling her he really doesn't want to move in with her just yet, but that he really does care about her.

Jim Carrey is one of the biggest comedic geniuses in the film industry. He brings a crazy eccentricity to his movies that is so fast paced that it almost leaves you tired watching him. Carrey has proven that he can do serious roles like his films Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind, The Truman Show and The Number 23 but his true genius is in comedy, and he definitley delivers in Yes Man. This movie is reminiscent of Carrey's film Liar Liar where he is forced to tell the truth for 24 hours whereas in this movie he has to say yes to everything.

Carrey brings his trademark energy to this film. The whole movie is go go go from the very beginning. This movie was good and I really enjoyed it. I am already a huge fan of Jim Carrey and this is another movie that is going on my favorites list. first of all, the premise of the movie is what first draws you in. A man who says no to everything and then suddenly has to say yes makes for an interesting twist of fate. Not to mention that Carrey, being as funny as he is, is also supported by funny cast members. Zooey Deschanel adds her own little quaint quirkiness to the film and her and Carrey have great chemistry together. A real show stealer for me was the character of Carrey's boss Norman, played by Rhys Darby. Everything about him was funny. His accent, his clueless demeanor, and his genuinely friendly and nice attitude. He is the type of guy that wants to be everybody's friend and just wants you to like him. But the true comedy lies with Carrey. This is definitley one of his better works.

I do not think this movie will as funny to you the first time you watch it. Like a lot of Carrey's movies, they appear to get better and better each time you watch them, as was the case for me with Fun With Dick and Jane. But Carrey dose his best to provide laughs throughout the whole movie. Carrey is a very physical actor and it shows in Yes Man. He is like the man with the golden touch, but instead of making everything he touches turn to gold, he makes it funny. This movie is classic Jim Carrey. It has high energy, big laughs, a great cast, and a lovable story that keeps you hooked. I give Yes Man 8 Harry Potter Themed Parties out of 10.