The Truman Show
1998 Directed by Peter Weir
Synopsis
All the world's a stage...
Truman Burbank is the star of "The Truman Show", a 24-hour-a-day cultural TV phenomenon that broadcasts every aspect of his life -- live and in color -- without his knowledge. His entire life has been an unending soap opera for consumption by the rest of the world. And everyone he knows--including his wife and his best friend -- is really an actor, paid to be part of his life.
Cast
Studio
Popular reviews
More-
Another family movie experience, this time no trauma. The 11- and 8-year olds were both riveted; Sophie was so plugged in that when they were trying to find Truman in the dark she said, "Why don't they just turn on the lights?" Cue the sun!
I can't figure why I didn't appreciate this movie more when I saw it back in '98. Save one crucial Jim Carrey line reading that still feels false ("You were never inside my head"), and the somewhat curious decision to not fully introduce Christoph sooner even though the walls of his perfectly constructed facade are crumbling long before a renegade character reintroduces himself to Truman, it all works -- the Director/God-Star/Adam parallels, the TV satire…
-
If ever a satirical comment was made about what we are as human beings without being vaguely poetic or annoyingly crass about it, it is to be found in The Truman Show.
This is by no means an intelligent satire, but it is a smart one, which in telling a story like this is very important. Weir paces his film perfectly and unravels and de-constructs Truman's world in a meticulous and deliberate way, which is helped by Niccol's superb script. I do not use that word lightly, as this script nears storytelling perfection.
Another thing that Weir manages to do is reign in the insanity of Jim Carrey. This man is such a dichotomy. Here he shows how unbelievably gifted…
-
I have only a handful of loves in my life- my wife and children, my pets, a select few true friends, and cinema.
Cinema has been with me for as far back as I remember, staring wide eyed up at a seemingly immense screen as a small boy, parading its wares and taking me to times and places I would never have imagined. Having seen literally thousands of movies, it takes something truly special to make a list of my favouries of all time.
The Truman Show is one of those.
Every second of it is pure celluloid magic. It oozes brilliance from every scene, from every word. It is cobbled together from some siezmic alchemy that only when the…
-
This review reportedly contains spoilers. I can handle the truth.
-
Truman Show made me think about the alternate possible realities of life, though it is quite different from Matrix. The kind of film that can make you paranoid enough to announce "I know you are watching" to empty rooms.
Anyway, the weirdness of Truman's world is decoded by Truman himself, which finally leads to a heart moving climax. At that point, I just wished the movie to be a little longer so that I could see his life in the real world. Overall a imaginative film pulled off rather surprisingly well.
"Good morning, and in case I don't see ya, good afternoon, good evening, and good night!"
-
Every time I watch The Truman Show, I go in telling myself "I will not cry this time." I'm still waiting to follow my own advice.
Weir and Carrey take you from wonder at this amazingly timeless universe Truman lives in, to horror at what is actually going on, to almost unbearable frustration at Truman's continuously thwarted attempts to discover the truth, to depression as Truman's entire life is washed away as a fallacy, and finally to ecstatic joy as Truman displays unbelievable courage, dedication, and bravery to step out that door into the unknown. Without any knowledge of what may be on the other side, he steps through, knowing that a comfortable life of lies is worthless when compared…
Recent reviews
More-
Masterpiece.
-
This movie makes me wonder...
I'm I being watched all my life?
Great film. -
WHY HAVEN'T I SEEN THIS UNTIL NOW!?
With the rare exception, i'm not really a big Carrey fan.
This is definitely one of those exceptions, because..WOW!
The story, the acting, Carrey- EVERYTHING was great! -
I adore this film. There is nothing to fault. I just wish Jim Carey found more roles like this. The acting is stella, the direction is perfect, the story is oddly profound, the music is delightful, it's funny, sad, touching. Just a wonderful film.
-
One of Jim Carreys very best films. Already a classic.
-
I love it when I movie lives up to expectations. The Truman Show is a marvel of a film. The comedy works, but where the film really shines is in the ideas. Whether looked at it as a story of God vs. Man, a satire of reality TV and the obsession of the viewers, or even just a film about justified paranoia, the film works on all levels. Loved it from beginning to end.
-
A solid film, but not terribly nuanced or challenging in its none-to-subtle allegory of the garden of Eden. Far eclipsed by the artistry and thoughtfulness of the thematically similar Pleasantville.
-
So great. Honestly one of the best Jim Carey films. Really, really great filmmaking.
-
---