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Starring Jim Carrey, Ed Harris, et al. Released to DVD on January 12, 1999. ![[Photo]](/photos/trumanshow.jpg) Part of what makes motion picture so enjoyable to watch is their ability to take audiences into worlds and situations we would not ordinarily be able to experience. While some filmmakers are content providing viewers with stories of everyday characters in everyday situations-movies like Just the Ticket or At First Sight are good examples of these-certain writers and directors aren't satisfied with the creation of a movie that doesn't, in some respect, push the boundaries of the cinematic medium. Such was exactly the case with Andrew Niccol and Peter Weir, the writer and director of the rather cautionary fable, The Truman Show. Jim Carrey stars in The Truman Show as Truman Burbank, a man whose life, completely unbeknownst to him, has been being televised to appreciative and excited American audiences for the last 30 years. Adapted at birth by a corporation, Truman has been raised inside a titanic-sized, enclosed set, complete with electronic sunrises, sunsets, an ocean and downtown area. It is here he has lived the entirety of his life, surrounded by extras and actors posing as family members, directed by the all-encompassing hand of Christof (Ed Harris). We join Truman's story just after a lighting fixture has fallen from the ceiling to his feet, the first seed planted in his head that all might not be as it seems in his world. One of the most pleasing aspects of The Truman Show is the generous and extraordinary amount of talent that is both behind and showcased in the film. Carrey's first, post-Ace Ventura dramatic performance has been the most ballyhooed element of this film, but it is Weir's directorial presence that solidly anchored this production. Although the director is widely viewed as the most integral person when it comes to creating a motion picture-something that is probably disputed widely by producers-rarely is it that a director's work is noticed; if the direction of a film is noticed it's mostly because of shoddy work. This was not the case with Weir's helming of The Truman Show though. From the tiny elements of choreographing Carrey's involvement with extras in town, to the unusually scenic production design and sets, Weir worked to create a stunningly tight and organized film. The element of The Truman Show that set it distinctly apart from Ron Howard's EDtv, was the much darker and more cynical tone of Niccol's script. Niccol, who previously wrote and directed the equally dark and cynical Gattaca, is fond of taking current societal trends in either science or entertainment, and then inflating them to their horrific extremes to create a movie that both intrigues and sends a definitive message to the viewer. Calling attention to the current ills of society in a film is one thing, but making that the focal point of a movie seems a bit heavy handed. Carrey's turn away from the 'talking out of his ass' films is worthy of seeing, but The Truman Show just isn't as warm or fuzzy as EDtv. Weir's vision of a world gone mad and in need of new entertainment options was provacative and well-produced, but it just wasn't as enjoyable or fun as EDtv. Of the two 'Average Guy on TV All Day Long' movies, see EDtv.
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