The Cable Guy

Everything About Fiction You Never Wanted to Know.
I can be your best friend, or your worst enemy.
Chip Douglas, The Cable Guy

The Cable Guy is a Black Comedy film starring Jim Carrey, directed by Ben Stiller.

After his girlfriend flips out and gives him the boot, Steven Kovacs (Matthew Broderick) gets the very last thing he needed to fill the new void: an incredibly bizarre cable installer named Chip (Jim Carrey) who latches on and insinuates himself into Steven's life. To his credit, Chip does lots of favors for Steven, up to and including helping him win back his girlfriend Robin Harris (Leslie Mann), but his odd, off-putting and sometimes illicit behavior (including buying Steven a prostitute and then making it up to him by beating the crap out of Robin's date, and later getting him an overelaborate entertainment system via "connections"... which ends up being stolen) proves too much to take and Steven eventually has to tell him to take a hike. Things quickly turn sour after that, and Steven finds out just how weird his "pal" really is when Chip begins stalking him and pulling various strings to try and ruin his life.

Has since picked up something of a following.

Has nothing to do with Larry the Cable Guy.

Tropes used in The Cable Guy include:
  • Anti-Villain: Chip is a creepy obsessive stalker, but only because he's really lonely.
  • Ax Crazy: Chip Douglas
  • Battle in the Rain
  • Black Comedy: One of the reasons the film flopped. At the time, Carrey was known for his wacky characters, and audiences were not prepared to see him as a creepy stalker.
  • Cloudcuckoolander: Chip.
  • Creator Cameo: Ben Stiller plays twin brothers Sam & Stan Sweet.
  • Curb Stomp Battle: Chip to Robin's date in the men's room.
  • Disney Villain Death: Averted.
  • Former Child Star: The Sweet twins.
  • Go Mad From the Isolation: Loneliness has not been good for Chip's mental health.
  • Freudian Excuse: Chips mother was so neglectful that he was practically raised by television.
  • Here We Go Again: Hey, am I really your buddy?
  • Ho Yay: Though Chip just desperately wants to be friends with Steven, there are shades of this about his longing.
  • Hope Spot: Used hilariously. When Steven is fighting Chip he hits him hard enough that it removes his lisp. He takes the time to notice, but Steven still pissed at him punches him in the face, giving him his lisp back. The movie would have been over quickly if not for that.

 Chip: You're gonna have to do better than that Steven. Steven? ST-- MY LISP IS GONE -punch- You thupid thun of a bish.

 Chip: THIS IS OUR DESTINY!!!
Steven: No it's not!!
Chip: YES IT IS!!!
Steven: No it isn't!!!
Chip: YES IT IS!!
Steven: No it isn't!!!
Chip: IS!!!
Steven: Isn't!!!
Chip: IS!!!
Steven: Isn't!!!!