Yes Man (2008)
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A withdrawn man's life takes an unexpected turn after he decides to say 'yes' to every opportunity and request.
The story
Bank loan officer Carl Allen has become withdrawn and pessimistic following his divorce. His life changes when a colleague suggests he attend a motivational seminar. There, he meets an inspirational guru who encourages him to enter a 'covenant with the universe' by saying 'yes' to every opportunity and request. After committing to this new mantra, Carl begins to experience a series of unexpected events and encounters, including meeting an eccentric woman named Allison. As he navigates his new reality, he must decide how far he is willing to go to maintain his commitment to saying yes to everything life throws his way.
Full plot (contains spoilers)
Following his divorce, Carl Allen is a withdrawn man who attends a seminar and takes a vow to say 'yes' to everything. This leads him to meet Allison, an eccentric woman he begins dating. His life becomes a whirlwind of activities, from learning Korean and playing guitar to a spontaneous trip to Nebraska. However, his erratic behavior leads to him being detained by the FBI as a potential terrorist. After a series of complications involving his ex-wife and his friends, Carl's 'covenant' is broken during a literal collision with the guru, Terrence. He eventually realizes the purpose of the covenant was to open his mind, not to eliminate his ability to say no. He reconciles with Allison, acknowledging he isn't ready to move in yet but loves her, while the film ends with a comedic scene involving the guru's seminar.
- First release year
- 2008
- Runtime (minutes)
- 104
- Production countries
- United States; United Kingdom
- Original languages
- English
- Directors
- Peyton Reed
- Writers
- Nicholas Stoller · screenplay; Jarrad Paul · screenplay; Andrew Mogel · screenplay; Christofer Tufton · written by
- Cast and characters
- Jim Carrey · Carl Allen; Zooey Deschanel · Allison; Bradley Cooper · Peter; John Michael Higgins · Rooney; Terence Stamp · Terrence
- Genres
- romantic comedy; comedy
- Themes
- opportunity; commitment; romance
- Tone and mood
- comedy; quirky
- Premise and plot tags
- romance; comedy; fantasy-lite
- Source material / true-story basis
- 2005 memoir by the British humorist Danny Wallace
- Reception
- The film received mixed reviews, with critics noting the plot's similarity to Carrey's earlier work, but it was a box office success.
- Reported review scores
- Rotten Tomatoes · score: 45% · review count: 155; Metacritic · score: 46 · scale: 100 · review count: 30
- Awards and nominations
- BMI Film Music Award · Lyle Workman · 2009 · Won; Taurus World Stunt Awards · Best Overall Stunt by a Woman · 2009 · Nominated; Artios Awards · Outstanding Achievement in Casting · 2009 · Nominated; MTV Movie Awards · Best Comedic Performance · 2009 · Won; Teen Choice Awards · Choice Movie Actor – Comedy · 2009 · Nominated; Kid's Choice Awards · Favorite Movie Actor – Jim Carrey · 2009 · Nominated
- Production trivia
- Carrey broke three ribs during a scene in a bar.
Film metadata comes from the open sources listed in Credits & Contact. Catalogue details may be incomplete.
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