The Mask is a 1994 superhero slapstick comedy film loosely based on the 1991 comic book series by John Arcudi and Doug Mahnke. Directed by Chuck Russell and written by Mike Werb, the film stars Jim Carrey in the title role, along with Peter Riegert, Peter Greene, Amy Yasbeck, Richard Jeni, and Cameron Diaz. The plot follows Stanley Ipkiss (Carrey), a hapless and timid bank teller who discovers an enchanted mask that transforms him into a green-faced wisecracking trickster with the ability to cartoonishly alter himself and his surroundings at will. It is the first film in the Mask franchise.
Principal photography began in Los Angeles on August 30, 1993, and concluded in October. The film marked the acting debut of Diaz, who had been a model with no prior acting experience, while Carrey, who was starring on the sketch comedy series In Living Color and had just completed filming on Ace Ventura: Pet Detective (1994), was virtually unknown at the time. Their casting led to disputes with New Line Cinema executives, who expressed concern that the film would be unsuccessful without well-established actors, but the studio ultimately relented after Russell reassured them that Carrey and Diaz were the right choices.
The Mask was theatrically released in the United States on July 29, 1994, to positive reviews from critics. The film was a commercial success, grossing $351.8 million against a production budget of $18–23 million, and became the fourth-highest-grossing film of 1994. It also contributed to the resurgence of swing music in the 1990s.
Carrey received a nomination for the Golden Globe Award for Best Actor in a Motion Picture – Musical or Comedy at the 52nd Golden Globe Awards, while the film was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Visual Effects at the 67th Academy Awards. A standalone sequel, Son of the Mask, was released in 2005 without Carrey's involvement.
Plot
In Edge City, insecure bank teller Stanley Ipkiss is frequently ridiculed by everyone except for his co-worker and best friend, Charlie Schumaker. Meanwhile, gangster Dorian Tyrell plots to overthrow his boss, Niko, who owns the Coco Bongo nightclub. One day, Tyrell sends his singer-girlfriend, Tina Carlyle, into the bank to record its layout for an upcoming robbery. Stanley is attracted to Tina and she seemingly reciprocates.
After being denied entrance to the Coco Bongo to watch Tina perform, Stanley's faulty loaner car breaks down during his drive home, leaving him stuck at a harbor's bridge. After noticing what he thinks is a humanoid figure in the river, he jumps into the water to discover it is a pile of garbage polluting the earth. He begins to pick up and throw the trash everywhere, tossing it all around the place. His attempts at saving the person leads him to uncover and discover a wooden mask, that mask was the thing he thought was a drowning person. He is soon confronted by confused onlookers but he lies to them and says he owns and had dropped the mask. He takes the mask home and tries it on, transforming him into a green-faced trickster titularly named "The Mask", who can cartoonishly alter himself and his surroundings at will. With newfound confidence, Stanley indulges in a comical rampage through the city, humiliating several of his tormentors, including his temperamental landlady and the mechanics who gave him the faulty car. Meanwhile, Niko learns of Tyrell's plans and warns him to leave Edge City in a week or face his wrath.
The following day, Stanley encounters Detective Lieutenant Mitch Kellaway and newspaper reporter Peggy Brandt, who are investigating the Mask's activity. To obtain the funds necessary to attend Tina's performance, Stanley dons the mask and raids the bank, inadvertently foiling Tyrell's robbery. At the Coco Bongo, Stanley dances exuberantly with Tina, whom he kisses. Tyrell soon confronts him for disrupting the theft and Stanley flees, leaving behind a scrap of cloth from his suit, which reverts into a piece of his pajamas. After arresting Tyrell and his henchman, Kellaway finds this evidence and suspects Stanley's involvement.
Later, Stanley consults psychiatrist Arthur Neuman, who recently published a book called The Masks We Wear; he deduces that the mask may be a creation of Loki and its powers are only active at night. Neuman believes it is mythology, but he concludes that the Mask's personality is based on Stanley's repressed desires. That night, Stanley meets Tina at a local park as the Mask until they are interrupted by Kellaway, who attempts to capture him. Stanley flees with Peggy after he distracts the police with a performance of "Cuban Pete"; Peggy then reluctantly betrays him to Tyrell for a fifty thousand dollar bounty. Tyrell dons the mask and becomes a bulky and malevolent being, and he and his henchmen force Stanley to reveal the location of the stolen money before turning him in to the police.
When Tina visits Stanley at the police station, he urges her to leave the city, but not before she thanks Stanley for showing her kindness and tells him that the mask was unnecessary. She attempts to flee, but Tyrell kidnaps and prepares her for the charity ball at the Coco Bongo, hosted by Niko and attended by the city's elite, including the mayor. Upon arrival, the masked Tyrell murders Niko and prepares to destroy the club with a time bomb. Stanley's dog, Milo, helps his owner escape from his cell by retrieving the keys from the guard. Stanley sets out to stop Tyrell and takes Kellaway hostage to escape the police station.
After locking Kellaway in his car, Stanley enters the club and enlists Charlie's help, but he is quickly discovered and captured. Tina tricks Tyrell into removing the mask and kicks it away; Milo dons it and battles through the henchmen as Tyrell and Stanley fight each other. Stanley reclaims the mask and uses its powers to dispose of the bomb just before it detonates and defeat Tyrell by sending him down the drain of the club's ornamental fountain; the police arrive and arrest both Peggy and Tyrell's henchmen. Kellaway tries to arrest Stanley again, but the mayor intervenes, implicating Tyrell as the Mask and praising Stanley as a hero.
The following day Stanley, now exonerated and more secure, returns to the harbor bridge with Tina, Charlie and Milo. Tina discards the mask before she and Stanley kiss. Charlie tries to retrieve the mask, only for Milo to swim away with it.
Cast
Jim Carrey as Stanley Ipkiss / The Mask, a down-on-his-luck bank employee who is mistreated and taken advantage of by people. Carrey commented that he characterized Stanley after his own father: "a nice guy, just trying to get by". When wearing the Mask of Loki, the character becomes the titular green-faced trickster, who can cartoonishly alter himself and his surroundings at will. Peter Riegert as Lieutenant Mitch Kellaway, a slightly cynical police lieutenant bent on capturing the Mask Peter Greene as Dorian Tyrell, a rogue mafia officer who desires to overthrow his superior Niko. When wearing the Mask, during which the character is portrayed by pro wrestler Jeep Swenson, he becomes a bulky and malevolent being that speaks in a demonically deep voice. Cameron Diaz as Tina Carlyle, Tyrell's glamorous and beautiful girlfriend, who becomes attracted to Stanley. The character is dissatisfied with Tyrell as a partner, but does not defy him until Stanley has courted her. Susan Boyd provides the uncredited vocals for Tina's singing voice. Amy Yasbeck as Peggy Brandt, a reporter looking for a scoop to get her out of the advice column Richard Jeni as Charles "Charlie" Schumaker, Stanley's best friend. Although usually amiable, the character is shown to be selfish or irrational at times. Orestes Matacena as Niko, a crime boss who is Tyrell's superior and the owner of the Coco Bongo Reg E. Cathey (credited as Reginald E. Cathey) as Freeze, one of Tyrell's henchmen and a loyal friend of his Ivory Ocean as Mitchell Tilton, the mayor of Edge City who exercises good governance and has a tough stance against crime and corruption in the city. Jim Doughan as Detective Doyle, Kellaway's amiable, but slightly inept partner Ben Stein as Doctor Arthur Neuman, a psychiatrist who tells Stanley about the Mask's origins. He is also the author of the book The Masks We Wear, which deals with people portraying themselves differently on the outside to be accepted by others. Denis Forest as Sweet Eddy, one of Tyrell's henchmen Nancy Fish as Agnes Peenman, Stanley's temperamental landlady Joely Fisher as Maggie, a client who comes to buy concert tickets and blows Stanley off for her friend Tim Bagley and Johnny Williams as Irv and Burt Ripley, the car mechanics who overcharge Stanley and gave him a faulty loaner car Blake Clark as Murray, Peggy's supervisor at the city's local newspaper Christopher Darga as a paramedic Kevin Grevioux, Richard Montes and Daniel James Peterson as some of Tyrell's lesser henchmen Howard Kay and Scott McElroy as Niko's bodyguards Jeremy Roberts as Bobby, one of Tyrell's henchmen employed as the bouncer at the Coco Bongo and a friend of Charlie Eamonn Roche as Mr. Dickey, Stanley and Charlie's supervisor at Edge City Bank Nils Allen Stewart as Orlando, one of Tyrell's henchmen Max as Milo, Stanley's Jack Russell Terrier. When wearing the Mask, the character becomes quite aggressive and mischievous but is still friendly and loyal to his owner.
Production Development In 1989, Mike Richardson and Todd Moyer, respectively the founder and Executive Vice President of Dark Horse Comics, first approached New Line Cinema about adapting the comic The Mask into a film, after having seen offers from other studios. The main character went through several transformations in different script treatments, and the project was stalled a couple of times.
One unused Mask idea, according to Richardson, was to transform the story into one about a mask-maker who took faces off of corpses to put them on teens and turn them into zombies. Initially intended to become a new horror franchise, New Line Cinema offered the job of directing the film to Chuck Russell, who had previously worked on the A Nightmare on Elm Street franchise and the 1988 remake of The Blob.THN Exclusive: Chuck Russell talks I Am Wrath, The Mask and Freddy Krueger Retrieved September 9, 2017. Russell found the excessive violence of the comic off-putting, and decided that it wouldn't work in a film; instead, he proposed a more comical, family-friendly tone.
Writing Mike Werb says Chuck Russell tapped him after reading his script for a film adaptation of the Curious George books for Imagine. The two decided to turn The Mask into a wild romantic comedy.'MASK' MASTERMIND: But Aren't All Screenwriters Former Teen-Age Geek Losers? Retrieved September 9, 2017. Mike Werb wrote his first draft of The Mask in less than six weeks, and less than two months later, it was green-lit.An Interview with Face/Off Screenwriter Mike Werb Retrieved September 9, 2017.
According to Mark Verheiden, they had a first draft screenplay for a film version done back in 1990. Verheiden then wrote the second draft in early 1991, adding more humor, and that ended up being the only work he did on The Mask. Verheiden's revised draft included more instances of fourth wall breaking like "cameos" by critics Gene Siskel and Roger Ebert, and dark content such as excessive bloodshed and sexual assault. The characters Stanley, Kellaway, and Doyle carried into the final film; Stanley's girlfriend Kathleen (inspired by Kathy from the comics) evolved into Tina Carlyle while Scully and Vitelli became Dorian Tyrell and Niko, respectively. After that, the film entered development hell.
The dance sequence at Coco Bongo was inspired by the 1943 MGM animated short Red Hot Riding Hood.
Casting