The Truman Show

Starring: Jim Carrey, Ed Harris, Laura Linney, Noah Emmerich, Natascha McElhone, Holland Taylor
Directed by: Peter Weir
Rating: PG
Genre: Drama, Science Fiction
1998

Times Seen:
Tim: 2

Summary: Truman (Jim Carrey) is the unwitting star of The Truman Show, a television program that has broadcasted every aspect of his life from birth. As he grows increasingly restless and desirous to escape his life, he threatens to expose the whole program.

Review:

Tim: It always surprises me how much I like The Truman Show. On its surface, it seems like a silly comedy- a man lives his whole life as part of a television show, but is unaware he's being filmed. This could have been a lightweight, throwaway comedy. Instead, it's a fairly powerful, memorable, unexpectedly deep dramatic film. I actually really, really liked this movie.

The idea of the movie is interesting- what would it be like if someone's life was filmed every second of every day (except for obvious intimate moments)? This film really explores this concept on a deep level. First off, how would you do it without letting the subject know he was being filmed? We see a series of hidden cameras, everywhere. Secondly, how would you keep the individual contained? The largest film set ever constructed is shown, making an artificial "island". I loved all the details of the set and the filming. It was fascinating to see everything that could go wrong (a light falls from the sky, people try to infiltrate the set, etc), and how the filmmakers dealt with those challenges. I was very interested in the story as it developed.

The cast was pretty amazing. Jim Carrey gives perhaps the best performance of his career. He was able to showcase some of his silly, high-energy acting ability, which perfectly fits in his wheelhouse. However, Carrey managed to stay fairly restrained and actually has some powerful dramatic moments as well. He was very, very good. I also really liked Ed Harris. Harris is cold, calculating, and fascinating. I loved Harris' character, and was fascinated by him. Was he a good character, just trying to create a happy, safe place for Truman? Or, was he a manipulative slave master, looking to control and capitalize Truman's life? I could see both sides, and I loved that complexity.

Laura Linney was fine as Truman's wife, although I did not love her performance. This is strange, because I almost always love Linney. It felt like she was trying too hard. Linney is best when she gives a contained performance with an underlying, explosive undercurrent of emotion. Here, she's not playing to her strengths. Noah Emmerich was pretty strong as Truman's best friend. He was surprisingly powerful in his dramatic turn. I really, really liked him here. I'm a big fan of Natasha McElhone, and although she mostly just smiles and stares with her piercing eyes, she added something positive to the film. The cast as a whole is very good.

I really enjoyed the overall story. Andrew Niccol did a fantastic job on the script. It's exciting, engaging, surprising, and surprisingly powerful. The story can be taken in many different ways. Ultimately, this is a story everyone can relate to. It's a story about a man unhappy with his life, looking to escape his present reality and find something better out there. We can all relate to that.

This film was nominated for 3 Academy Awards- Best Original Screenplay (absolutely deserved the nomination), Best Supporting Actor for Ed Harris (he certainly deserved it), and Best Director for Peter Weir (Weir directs a truly impressive movie). The Truman Show is a great movie, and one that I thoroughly enjoyed.

Rating 1-10
Tim's Rating: 8



If You Enjoyed This Movie, We Recommend: EdTV, The Majestic, Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind