Charlie Kaufmanis known for a lot of things, but writing for sitcoms isn’t one of them. In the realm of cinema, Charlie Kaufman is well-known for his focus on navigating the nebulous idea of human consciousness in his movies. His storytelling methods go far beyond the conventional, inviting audiences into a realm in which the boundaries between reality and imagination are blurred beyond recognition.
Kaufman has worked on a number of mind-boggling films throughout his long career both as a writer and director. He’s best known for his work on films likeEternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind,Synecdoche, New York, and the stop-motion masterpieceAnomalisa. However, what you may not know is that Charlie Kaufman once wrote for asitcom back in the ’90s.
In the landscape of ’90s sitcoms,Get a Lifestood out as it managed to blend absurdity and humor in a way that its competitors weren’t doing. Charlie Kaufman, in the early days of his soon-to-be-burgeoning career, was a key contributor to the show and even wrote a couple of episodes. Since he’s come such a long way since his days working onGet a Life, even long-time fans may not know much about the show. To help you out, here’s everything that you need to know about Charlie Kaufman’s work on the ’90s sitcomGet a Life.
Movies Written by Charlie Kaufman
Year Released
I’m Thinking of Ending Things
Synecdoche, New York
Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind
Confessions of a Dangerous Mind
Adaptation.
Human Nature
Being John Malkovich
Get a Life Is a Subversive Sitcom
Charlie Kaufman’s journey into the entertainment industry took an unexpected turn when he found himself writing for the offbeat sitcom.Get a Lifewas created by David Mirklin (The Simpsons,Romy and Michelle’s High School Reunion) and follows the misadventures of 30-year-old paperboy Chris Peterson, who refuses to grow up. Despite being well past the age of traditional paperboys, Chris rejects any and all forms of adult responsibilities. He’s played by Chris Elliott who is known for his comedic work in the likes ofSchitt’s Creek,Groundhog Day, andThere’s Something About Mary.
Despite a relatively pedestrian premise, the show still stands as an absolute anomaly in the sitcom world. Its storylines are somehow shockingly intelligent and wonderfully stupid all at once. While it may not have garnered mainstream success and only lasted two seasons, there’s no denying thatGet a Lifemarched to its own beat. Because of this, the show holds up pretty well despite being decades old as it was doing something original rather than conforming to trends. This is also why the show has adedicated cult followingthat absolutely adores this particular brand of humor.
How Get a Life Impacted Kaufman’s Movies
While there may seem to be no obvious links betweenGet a Lifeand Kaufman’s future work at first glance, his time on the sitcom surely helped shape his creative mind and his penchant for the eclectic. Given that the series featured extremely strange episodes that involved elements like aliens, robots, and psychotropic hallucinations, Kaufman was allowed to run wild. Indeed, there are very few shows that would allow the writer to hone his skills in absurdist storytelling by letting him play around with concepts that wouldn’t usually be associated with sitcoms.
The episode “1977 2000,” in particular, is quite Kaufman-esque in its premise as Chris travels through time to keep Gus (Brian Doyle-Murray) from getting fired. At the start of the episode, Gus talks to Chris about how he used to be somebody, but he lost it all when he got cut from the police force. All of this coming from an overgrown paperboy somehow makes the scene even more impactful in a depressingly comedic way. Seeing as the themes of regret and existential dread are both present across Kaufman’s work, it’s not at all surprising to see scenes like this come up even in a sitcom.
Instead of having Gus come to terms with the state of his life, Chris opts for the absurd solution of time travel. Things don’t go as planned and end up far worse than they started. Because of this, Chris is effectively stuck in a loop of trying to travel back in time again and again just to undo everything he did. Coincidentally enough, the concept of time and repetition comes up a lot in Kaufman’s future work. While it isn’t time travel in the traditional sense, the erratic passage of time and Caden’s attempt to recreate the real world in his play inSynechdoche, New Yorkhas shades of ideas he tackled in “1977 2000.”
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Working on a show that occasionally featured futuristic robots and trippy hallucinations show also likely shaped Kaufman’s propensity for using absurd imagery in his work. Hallucinations are heavily featured inI’m Thinking of Endings Things. So much so that it can be quite tricky to differentiate what’s real and what isn’t.
Where Get a Life Differs From Kaufman’s Later Work
On the other hand, there’s no denying that Kaufman’s work in television does differ from his future work. The main difference between his work on television and film is thatGet A Lifewas the very definition of absurdity for absurdity’s sake. While entertaining and clever, the show isn’t actually saying much.
This couldn’t be further from Kaufman’s work today. His present day work is bursting at the seams with heart. Despite his incredibly dreary films, there’s a lot of hope that hides beneath the surface of Kaufman’s movies. While unapologetically absurd, sometimes to a fault, Kaufman’s work is powerful and extremely emotionally resonant.
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Kaufman’s time onGet A Lifeplayed a crucial role in shaping his artistic sensibilities. The sitcom’s irreverent humor and willingness to push the boundaries of acceptability laid the groundwork for the writer and director’s future works. This is a testament to the enduring impact of early creative experiences. The sitcom provided him with a canvas and the freedom to paint narratives that defied norms and disregarded what would be successful. These formative moments might have very well made Kaufman’s career what it is today.
