Edtv (1999)

Video store clerk Ed agrees to have his life filmed by a camera crew for a tv network.

Director:

Ron Howard

Writers:

Émile Gaudreault (screenplay), Sylvie Bouchard (screenplay),

Stars:

Matthew McConaughey, Jenna Elfman, Woody Harrelson

1 win & 1 nomination.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Matthew McConaughey	...	Ed 'Eddie' Pekurny
Jenna Elfman	...	Shari
Woody Harrelson	...	Ray Pekurny
Sally Kirkland	...	Jeanette
Martin Landau	...	Al
Ellen DeGeneres	...	Cynthia Topping
Rob Reiner	...	Mr. Whitaker
Dennis Hopper	...	Henry 'Hank' Pekurny
Elizabeth Hurley	...	Jill
Adam Goldberg	...	John
Viveka Davis	...	Marcia
Clint Howard	...	Ken
Geoffrey Blake	...	Keith
Gail Boggs	...	Wife
Jenna Byrne	...	Felicia

Storyline

A comedy about a video store clerk Ed whose life is thrown into chaos when he agrees to let an executive of a television studio film him for 24 hours.

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Plot Keywords:

television | video store | producer | broadcast | father son relationship | 

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Taglines:

The story of a nobody everybody is watching

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Genres:

Comedy

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Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated PG-13 for sex-related situations, partial nudity and crude language

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

26 March 1999 (USA)

Also Known As:

Ed TV

Filming Locations:

Castillo de San Marcos National Monument - One S. Castillo Drive, St. Augustine, Florida, USA

Box Office

Budget:

$80,000,000 (estimated)

Opening Weekend:

£290,984 (UK) (19 November 1999)

Gross:

ESP 104,113,741 (Spain) (29 June 2001)

Company Credits

Production Co:

Imagine Entertainment, Universal Pictures

Technical Specs

Runtime:

122 min

Sound Mix:

DTS Dolby Digital SDDS

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

Some of the viewers of Edtv are watching from the Delta Tau Chi fraternity (letters seen in background), the fictional fraternity from Animal House (also from Universal Studios).

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Goofs

Ed's feet change position between shots when he is sitting in the bathroom on the hamper and talking to Cynthia. The hamper also changes position in the overhead shot.

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Quotes

Cynthia: We don't even have money in our budget for coffee filters. We're using a yarmulke!

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Connections

References The Ghost and Mr. Chicken (1966)

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Soundtracks

"That's Life"
Written by Dean Kay and Kelly Gordon
Performed by James Brown
Courtesy of Polydor Records
By Arrangement with Universal Film & TV Music

User Reviews

Exposes The Vulgarity Of Reality Shows,And The Public That Loves Them

I never liked reality shows,and when this movie was shown on cable I decided to watch it and found it really interesting.Matthew McConaughey plays video store clerk Ed Pekurny who lives with his parents and his big brother Ray Pekurny,played by Woody Harrelson.He is hired by a TV company that wants to do a 24-hour reality show based on his life,and Ed grabs the offer.In the beginning,the public tells Ed that his show 'stinks',but as they see him getting involved with his elder brother's girlfriend,the ratings go above the roof.What's more,when Ed makes out live with the bombshell to end all bombshells,that is Elizabeth Hurley,the interest verges on voyeurism.The icing in the cake comes when Ed's father suddenly turns up from nowhere,having abandoned him and his brother years ago.The film is a well-made documentation of the vulgarity of the public that makes up the television audience not only in America,but the whole world.Sex and scandal will always be the top-sellers,whether it is an ordinary man's tale or that of a celebrity.In fact,it is Ed's scandalous life that makes him America's Number One celebrity.McConaughey plays his role with ease,and so does Harrelson.Ellen Degeneres is good as the unscrupulous TV producer,while Elizabeth Hurley's brief appearance leaves the audience gasping for more.Quite entertaining and very candidly made.