DIRECTED BY: Chuck Russell
STARRING: Jim Carrey, Cameron Diaz, Peter Greene, Richard Jeni, Amy Yasbeck and Peter Reigert
BUDGET: $18m
EARNED (Worldwide): $351.6m
AWARDS: None (1 Oscar Nomination for Best Visual Effects, 1 Golden Globe nomination for Best Actor in a Comedy/Musical and 3 BAFTA nominations for Best Makeup, Best Production Design and Best Special Effects)
SYNOPSIS
Bank clerk Stanley Ipkiss is transformed into a manic super-hero when he wears a mysterious mask.
We’re introduced to Stanley Ipkiss, a bank clerk with a heart of gold that is unfortunately too nice for his own good and avoids confrontations. One day he becomes instantly smitten with Tina, a singer that performs exclusively at the Coco Bongo nightclub. After being denied entry into the club and being stranded with a broken-down rental car, he discovers a mysterious wooden mask in a river ontop of a pile of garbage he mistakes for a drowning man. When he jokingly puts the mask on, he becomes his inner self/desires: a cartoony romantic wildman.
They certainly don’t make them like this anymore. The Mask helped cement two things: 1) Creating one of the most memorable character debuts for Tina Carlyle (and debut for actress Cameron Diaz) and 2) confirming that 1994 was the year of Jim Carrey (had Ace Ventura: Pet Detective and Dumber & Dumber released in the same year). Not only that, but The Mask was an entertaining live action cartoon with the themes of identity, public faces and private selves (as evidence in how Stanley does his best to avoid confrontation and how The Mask tackles it head on) as well as breaking the fourth wall, never taking itself seriously. As good as the supporting cast are, with Diaz insanely beautiful and likable as Tina to Greene as slimy villain Dorian, the film is essentially a vehicle for Jim Carrey to play two sides of a character, one that tends to his much serious acting range that we get a glimpse of that will lead him to future serious roles (Man on the Moon as example) and the other that compliments his insane facial mannerisms and over-the-top characterisations. The special effects are also terrific in regards to The Mask and holds up well today.
FAVOURITE SCENE: The ‘death scene’ followed by a round of applause from the audience. Consider the fourth wall broken.
FAVOURITE QUOTE: ‘SSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSMOKIN’!’ – The Mask
DID YOU KNOW?: Chuck Russell revealed that a lot of money was saved on special effects after Jim Carrey was cast. Carrey’s body movements were so flexible and cartoonish, they didn’t see the need to enhance them digitally.
Irish Cinephile 
I needs to rewatch this movie because I haven’t seen it since I was a kid. Loved it back then and I hope it’s the kind of film that stands the test of time.