The Truman Show (1998)

An insurance salesman discovers his whole life is actually a reality TV show.

Director:

Peter Weir

Writer:

Andrew Niccol

Stars:

Jim Carrey, Ed Harris, Laura Linney

Top Rated Movies #168 | Nominated for 3 Oscars. Another 40 wins & 66 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Jim Carrey	...	Truman Burbank
Laura Linney	...	Meryl Burbank / Hannah Gill
Noah Emmerich	...	Marlon
Natascha McElhone	...	Lauren / Sylvia
Holland Taylor	...	Truman's Mother
Brian Delate	...	Truman's Father
Blair Slater	...	Young Truman
Peter Krause	...	Lawrence
Heidi Schanz	...	Vivien
Ron Taylor	...	Ron
Don Taylor	...	Don
Ted Raymond	...	Spencer
Judy Clayton	...	Travel Agent
Fritz Dominique	...	Truman's Neighbor
Angel Schmiedt	...	Truman's Neighbor

Storyline

Since birth, a big fat lie defines the well-organised but humdrum life of the kind-hearted insurance salesman and ambitious explorer, Truman Burbank. Utterly unaware of the thousands of cleverly hidden cameras watching his every move, for nearly three decades, Truman's entire existence pivots around the will and the wild imagination of the ruthlessly manipulative television producer, Christof--the all-powerful TV-God of an extreme 24/7 reality show: The Truman Show. As a result, Truman's picturesque neighbourhood with the manicured lawns and the uncannily perfect residents is nothing but an elaborate state-of-the-art set, and the only truth he knows is what the worldwide television network and its deep financial interests dictate. Do lab rats know they are forever imprisoned?

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Plot Keywords:

hidden camera | simulated reality | fictional reality show | controlled environment | deception | 

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Taglines:

The World is Watching

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Genres:

Comedy | Drama

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Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated PG for thematic elements and mild language

Did You Know?

Trivia

Instead of his then-standard $20 million paycheck, Jim Carrey accepted $12 million for his dramatic acting services.

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Goofs

When Christof touches the huge screen with the image of Truman sleeping, his hand casts a shadow. The control room is not sufficiently lit to cast a shadow. The huge screen, acting as a light source, would cancel out the shadow. This reveals that the scene was composited using a blue screen.

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Quotes

[first lines]
Christof: We've become bored with watching actors give us phony emotions. We are tired of pyrotechnics and special effects. While the world he inhabits is, in some respects, counterfeit, there's nothing fake about Truman himself. No scripts, no cue cards. It isn't always Shakespeare, but it's genuine. It's a life.

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Crazy Credits

Opening credits are for the "real" Truman Show, with lines like "starring Truman Burbank as himself" and "created and directed by Christof".

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Alternate Versions

A lot more pseudo-documentary footage on the making of the fictional Truman Show was shot but not used in the theatrical version. Only some short segments have been included in the released film, in the pre-credits sequence. Segments of this outtake footage, featuring Meryl Burbank and Marlon being interviewed and talking about their roles on the show and their personal lives, have been included in some airline versions, presumably to pad the running times.

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Connections

Referenced in Iris TV (2003)

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Soundtracks

Piano Sonata No. 11 in A Major (K. 331) (300), Third Movement: Alla Turca
by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart
Performed by Wilhelm Kempff, piano
Courtesy of Deutsche Grammophon Gesellschaft mbH., Hamburg
by arrangement with PolyGram Film and TV Music

User Reviews

Very engaging even for non Jim Carrey fans

As many fans know, Jim Carrey is the man when it comes to slapstick comedy. His comical physicality is outrageous and his ability to emulate anything from cartoons to other actors is top notch. But anytime before 1998 I think I can safely say that not many people saw Carrey try and jump out of his shell and try a role that wasn't truly in the comedy genre. I definitely didn't see it coming. And to be honest, I wasn't sure if I would really enjoy it. But in the end, I did, not only because of how well Carrey portrayed his character but with an excellent story to back if up.

The plot is about Truman Burbank (Jim Carrey) who is viewed live 24 hours a day, uncensored, as a soap opera to the real world through public broadcasting. The thing is, Truman Burbank is the only one who doesn't know this. Everything else around is all a set-up. And when I mean everything,...everything...is a set-up. Even the sun is fake! Nothing is real. All the people Burbank knows are all actors. People who go through the same routine every day.

And that's partially what makes this film so great. Every piece of the "set" that Truman Burbank lives in is so believable. Along with this is Christof, acted by Ed Harris. Christof is the creator of Truman's world and he essentially plays God. Everything that Truman Burbank is as a person, was created under the supervision of Christof. The whole story itself, written by Andrew Niccol, brings up the controversial issue of nature vs nurture. Who should have control over whose life. Well I think that answer is obvious.

Jim Carrey himself actually does have some comedic moments but it's not because he wants the movie to be a comedy. Carrey does what he does because it is the connection to how a human would react to such a situation that makes it funny. And along with those funny moments comes a real emotional performance. Sure Carrey can deliver laughs but also proves that he can portray human drama. That's a question a lot of people wanted to see if Carrey could pull off and he did it well.

Adding to the emotion is composer Philip Glass' score. Yes, it did evoke the right emotions and I don't think it needed a theme either for this particular story. Usually I do, but it didn't seem necessary here. Unfortunately for me, I prefer to see Jim Carrey in his comedic skin. I didn't mind the different role that he took on here but it didn't feel like I was watching the movie I wanted to see. And I'll admit, I put too much thought into believing Jim Carrey would've made the film more comedy than drama, so basically I disappointed myself. So on that note, it could be disappointing to fans of Carrey for his comedic films as well.

As the first drama film that comic gut buster Jim Carrey stars in, it is not that bad as some would expect it to be. Carrey can deliver a performance like real human but for the hardcore fans, it may upset.

Details

Official Sites:

Official Facebook

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

5 June 1998 (USA)

Also Known As:

The Truman Show

Filming Locations:

31 Natchez Street Seaside, Florida, USA

Box Office

Budget:

$60,000,000 (estimated)

Opening Weekend USA:

$31,542,121, 7 June 1998

Gross USA:

$125,618,201

Cumulative Worldwide Gross:

$264,118,201

Company Credits

Production Co:

Paramount Pictures, Scott Rudin Productions

Technical Specs

Runtime:

103 min

Sound Mix:

DTS Dolby Digital

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1