The outrageous creators of the smash hit Something About Mary and Dumb & Dumber reunite with Jim Carrey this summer in the romantic farce “Me, Myself & Irene.” As to be expected, directors/screenwriters Peter and Bobby Farrelly push the comedy envelope with a story about a Rhode Island police officer with battling personalities. Enter Jim Carrey, star of the Farrelly’s first feature film (Dumb & Dumber), as Charlie Baileygates, 17-year veteran of the police force and all-around “nice” guy. Charlie is hard working, always helpful and a loving father to his three sons. Unfortunately, Charlie has one problem; he has split-personality disorder. When he runs out of his medication, the audience meets Hank Baileygates, Charlie’s aggressive, crude and sometimes violent alter ego. Charlie and Hank are polar opposites whose only common ground is Irene Walters (portrayed by Renee Zellweger), the beautiful woman who has stolen their hearts. Hank/Charlie enter into a war for the confused Irene’s affections creating the most untraditional on-screen love triangle yet!
Also starring in this unique spin on the trials and tribulations of love in a small town are Oscar nominee Robert Forster (Jackie Brown), Richard Jenkins (There’s Something about Mary, Random Hearts) and Chris Cooper (Lone Star, October Sky, American Beauty).
The off-beat brothers, who penned the flick with childhood friend, Mike Cerrone, say the story is their take on The Three Faces of Eve, except they call it, The Two Faces of Barney Fife after the nutty deputy played by Don Knotts on The Andy Griffith Show.
Jim Carrey, the Master of a Million Faces, was the perfect choice to bring the multi-dimensional role to life. “It’s an extremely demanding role,” Peter asserts, “because Jim had no props or make-up to clearly delineate between the two characters. It’s not an easy thing to do. He uses some voice changes, but mostly body language and mannerisms.”
Zellweger, Carrey’s love interest on and off screen, calls Jim a comic genius. “We’d perform a scene and in the next instant he’d be somebody completely different and unrecognizable. It was magical to see what he could do.”
Carrey’s antics are right at home on the Farrelly set where crossing the line is an everyday occurrence. However, one area where the Farrellys don’t fool around is in the treatment of animals on the set. Animal lovers like co-star Renee Zellweger (she was on the cover of Animal Fair’s first issue with her dog, Dylan) will be happy to know that a majority of animals used in the movie (like the cow pictured with Jim Carrey) are animal-tronic. These remote-controlled stand-ins allow for laughs while still protecting the safety of the film’s furry stars.
The 20th Century Fox /Conundrum Entertainment production will make its summer splash on June 23 in a theater near you.
