Carl is antisocial. He does not answer his phone, does not go out and works in a bank denying loans to all applicants.
His friends still pursue him, although why I cannot imagine. His wife left him 3 years ago.
Then two things happen nearly simultaneously: Carl dreams that he died and his friends found him. What they expressed was not exactly grief. And one of his old friends introduces him to a life changing program that makes people to say “yes” to all life’s opportunities. One of those new ages preachers in expensive suit and auditorium runs it.
Carl’s first “yes” action involves a homeless man who wants a ride to a park, use of his cell phone and “couple of bucks” that turn into all the cash Carl has. Some opportunity to say “yes”.
Of course, after all kinds of weird situations, he meets the girl: (Zooey Deschanel) and becomes the guy who wants to “shake the people and make them embrace the life”. Which is was this beautiful, spontaneous girl simply loves. Carl does say yes to a lot of things. If you have figured out that “yes” men are often falling into troubles, you were right. Opportunities are matched by pitfalls of being taken advantage off. That’s how it is with all absolutes.
The film takes nice shot at the absurdity of Homeland Security and their main hobby, collecting data about innocent and unsuspecting citizens. While Carl is trying to change his life for better, Homeland Security employees are busily putting together data they have no right to have, and come up with the biggest running treat to the US security: Carl.
It seems that Carl had missed the point of the program: he was supposed to learn how to say “yes” because he wanted to, not because he was part of a regime. Pity that this comes in the last half an hour of the film.
The message is clear: make the best of everything that life offers to you, which does not necessarily mean accepting everything that’s ladled to you.
The execution rides in great part of Jim Carey who tries very hard. Yet, his films, uneven as they are, seem to suit him best when the film is a drama and his part is comical by default not by heavy handed “funny” dialog. Here his abilities are underused. In Liar, Liar a lawyer fights himself and his greed with an overpowering desire to tell the truth. The fight is funny. A loan officer who always wanted to give out loans and now does not have the same comical aspect.
Also in the film, rated for kids, Carl is getting oral sex form an elderly neighbor and it does not come as funny either.
