REEL CRITIC:

Jim Carrey, the star of the new film “Yes Man,” is an enormous talent who rarely is paired with material that fully showcases his unique abilities.

Carrey is somewhat like manic comedian Robin Williams in this regard. In Williams’ case, he has received critical acclaim for roles that don’t allow him to run rampant with his trademark improvisational zeal. Interestingly, Williams has been nominated for a best actor Academy Award three times, all for non-comedic roles. Williams finally won a best supporting actor Oscar for his role in “Good Will Hunting” in 1997.

Carrey’s forays into dramatic films have not been as successful. He has yet to be nominated for an Academy Award, although he has won two Golden Globes for his roles in “Man on the Moon” and “The Truman Show.” The Golden Globes offer virtually twice the awards as the Oscars, as they recognize dramas and comedies/musicals separately.

In “Yes Man,” Carrey is back to what he does best: screwball comedy. Carrey stars as Carl Allen, a hapless loan officer at a very ordinary company. Since his beautiful wife, Stephanie (Molly Sims), left him three years ago, Carl has buried himself into a drab routine of work and rented videos. Despite the admonitions of his friends Peter (Bradley Cooper) and Rooney (Danny Masterson), Carl refuses to abandon his lonely existence.

Carl’s life changes when he runs into Nick (John Michael Higgins), an old acquaintance who has apparently been living a life of adventure. Nick credits his adopting the philosophy of Terrence Bundley (Terence Stamp) who espouses saying “yes” to every opportunity one encounters.

Figuring he has nothing to lose, Carl attends one of Bundley’s seminars and is singled out by the New Age guru. Leaving the meeting, Carl is asked for a ride by a homeless man, and Nick convinces him to say yes. On the way to a city park, the homeless man (Brent Briscoe) asks to use his phone and borrow some money. When he finally arrives at the homeless man’s destination, Carl’s cellphone battery is dead, and he has no cash. When his car runs out of gas, Carl is forced to hoof it to a filling station.

As he fills his gas can, an attractive young woman on a scooter arrives. The woman, Allison (Zooey Deschanel), immediately intrigues Carl, and when she offers to give him a ride back to his car, he accepts. After he impulsively asks Allison for a kiss and receives it, he is convinced his new philosophy will change his life.

As can be imagined, saying “yes” to every offer creates comic consequences, especially for a loan officer. In the beginning, this new openness to try anything creates many exciting adventures for Carl. However, when his friends start to take advantage of his agreeability, and Allison discovers the reason behind his constant assent to her suggestions to take their relationship further, things start to go badly.

Carry is certainly in his element in this film. He gets many opportunities to display the rubber-faced physicality that endeared him to the public initially. Carl’s friends and boss, Norman (Rhys Darby), all display warm support for Carl as he does for them. The relationship between Carrey and Deschanel is especially heartwarming and very believable within the context of such a broad comedy.

“Yes Man” won’t change your life, but its sweet tone and many genuine laughs offer the perfect counterpoint to the heavy, adult and often dark Oscar contenders now in theaters.

VAN NOVACK is the assistant vice president of institutional research and assessment at Cal State Long Beach and lives in Huntington Beach with his wife, Elizabeth.