Written by: Andrew Niccol
Starring: Jim Carrey, Laura Linney, Noah Emmerich, Natascha McElhone, Holland Taylor, Ed Harris
Rating: [4.5/5]
Peering into the lives of others plays into humans’ general voyeuristic intrigue. Whether it stems from a general interest or a desire to compare, it explains why reality television has maintained a staple of worldwide entertainment. The Truman Show captures this exact phenomenon perhaps in the most eloquent manner displaying a mastery of not only a balancing of tone but such intelligence in how it tackles this fascinating concept.
Legally adopted by a television studio, Truman Burbank (Jim Carrey) has been placed in a town built to follow his every move in life since childhood. Everything exists around him to serve as a show where others can tune in 24/7 and follow his life yet he remains completely oblivious to this himself. When inconsistencies begin to form, he sees the artifice around him and decides to get to the bottom of it.
The premise of The Truman Show is nothing short of brilliant in how it sets up this insane circumstance for this individual. Completely cataloging someone’s every second for the entire world to see without their consent presents the most heinous breach of privacy in human history. Considering their insistence on 24/7 coverage, it leads to many questions that do not necessarily need an answer but allow one to ponder what areas of life would enact the most embarrassment from an audience member. I cannot imagine some of the things I’ve done as a teenager on display for everyone to see, especially the more private ones. It also begs the question of whether audience members watch Truman shower, use the bathroom, have sexual relations with his wife, and many other things that happen behind closed doors. It mainly makes me think just how boring it would be if they followed me in my life, but that remains the entire point.
Yes, one can get bogged down on the specifics of how this series would operate but what it speaks on philosophical and on a societal level gets into the real meat of what this story has to offer. Following Truman 24/7 feels like overkill and I cannot imagine there are individuals actively watching the scenes in which he sleeps his eight hours a day but this program has a power of connection audience members can attach themselves to. It evokes this feeling of at a moment’s notice, anyone can tune into the show and check in on someone they’ve seen grow up for thirty years.
It also plays into the aforementioned voyeurism we generally have as humans in the way others live. The consistent popularity of reality television shows proves exactly that. In most cases, those we follow in contemporary series generally have a hook that pulls people in as the individuals give us a reason to want to tune in and follow their journey. The hook in this feature obviously centers on the sheer fact Truman does not realize everything about his life is being filmed but also the impressive feat of creating this entire town and continually manipulating it for an individual to believe they are living a normal life.
For all the seriousness imbued in the themes and philosophy of what transpires in the narrative, the film still stars Jim Carrey and carries some amazing humor. At times Carrey can be too much but the man knows how to balance drama and humor so well. So much of what transpires in this movie is nothing short of hilarious as we see the ways the production crew tries to hide the artifice of Truman’s life. Massive credit must go to them and they serve as excellent moments of humor. When Truman begins to catch one and tries to fund the gaps in this reality, things get even funnier when these individuals need to improvise in order to keep the show going. After all this everyone around Truman works as an actor in this larger story and they certainly prove they can step up to the task here.
With all of the comedy, one cannot deny the deep sadness that runs through this film. We can have plenty of laughs in what this situation presents but at the heart of this feature, we have an individual stripped of a life for the entertainment of others. An utter complete lack of transparency that should be illegal considering they started it when he was an infant and at no point could he consent to continue this program. Every relationship he crafts in his life comes written as part of the program and he lacks anything real. The bonds he has with friends, family, and loved ones do not really exist and it makes it difficult in moments to watch it all play out and that’s where the tone becomes incredibly important. The mixture of sadness and comedy here works well because it does not cheapen any of what Truman goes through. Yes, this movie knows of its silliness considering they acknowledge this situation serves as the first time a corporation has legally adopted a human being, but it matches it up well with the real existential drama right at the center of this story.
An astounding experience and a film operating well before its time delivering some devastatingly poignant moments, The Truman Show deserves its status as a classic from the 1990s. A film delivering both comedic and dramatic points all wrapped into a premise where holes can be poked into but then it would take away from the far more intriguing larger ideas this film has to offer. It demonstrates Jim Carrey as the perfect person to portray Truman as he handles the inherent silliness of this circumstance and he plays into it well but when it comes down to lick things down and get into the real issues, he succeeds as well. Simply a delight overall and one that will only continue to grow in its relevance and the power of its message.
Films with Josh 
