One of the most discussed aspects of the workprint is the character of Stanley Ipkiss himself. In the final film, Carrey plays Stanley with a sweetness that makes you root for him. However, the workprint includes a subplot regarding Stanley’s fascination with cartoons that borders on obsession, hinting that perhaps he was always a little unstable.
Jim Carrey can be seen performing in front of blue screens or acting out "cartoon" motions before the CGI was added.
For film buffs and VHS collectors, finding a workprint is like finding a skeleton key to a film's production. It strips away the polish of the final cut and reveals the machinery underneath. In the case of The Mask , that machinery was operating on a very different frequency.