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Truman Burbank: Jim Carrey Meryl Burbank/Hannah Gill: Laura Linney Marlon/Louis Coltrane: Noah Emmerich Lauren Graland/Sylvia: Natascha McElhone Truman's Mother: Holland Taylor Christof: Ed Harris Directed by Peter Weir. Written by Andrew Niccol. Running time: 104 minutes. Rated PG (for mature themes). |
If you are one of the rare individuals who aren't aware of the enormous secret behind The Truman Show, consider yourself extremely lucky. I can't fathom anybody not knowing since the studio's advertising firm was determined to reveal the secret. I was one of their unwilling victims as my eyes fell upon the revealing trailer that spoiled the film. Therefore it is my duty to warn my readers to stop and watch the movie before you read any further.
For those of us who have seen the film or already know the secret, The Truman Show is a film about the fundamental law of human rights, the right to choose. Unfortunately, Truman Burbank (Jim Carrey) doesn't realize that he does not exercise the full power of that right. Truman lives in an artificial world, a land of make believe where other people control his situations and even his emotions in some cases.
The Truman Show, starring Truman Burbank, is a 24-hour uninterrupted show that chronicles the life of our star in a small coastal town called Seahaven (filmed at Seaside, a real town near Tampa). We follow him everywhere he goes, living and witnessing his experiences as he does. From what the film tells us, it is a very popular show that is watched by millions of people from all over the world. Although, I don't know anyone who would want to watch a person sleep for 8 hours? We even get a glimpse of Truman's vast fan base, ranging from an Asian couple to my favorite, a man who seems to spend all of his time in the bathtub. I wonder if he is afraid of being electrocuted.
Seahaven is a place some might call paradise. It is a "Brady Bunch/Ozzie and Harriet" type of an environment that is free of homeless, crime, and even profanity. Unfortunately, Truman Burbank is the only person who truly lives in this artificial environment, as all of the inhabitants are actors and actresses. Even the sun and the moon are artificial, created by silhouettes and a huge light source.
Truman Burbank is displayed as an average man, maybe because that is what appeals to the audience. His routine we find is pretty simple. He wakes up to the perfect sunrise everyday, greets his neighbors and drives to work. He is a sales executive at an insurance company. He has a beautiful and loving wife named Meryl (Laura Linney). She is a woman who seems to be modeled perfectly from the television shows in the sixties i.e. "Leave It to Beaver." She also has an odd tendency of describing household products as if she were in a TV commercial. Truman also has his best friend named Marlon (Noah Emmerich), who strangely resembles an adult version of Richie Cunningham, to keep him company. These people in Truman's life are also the tools of the producers used to control Truman.
Even with all the "elements" that a person needs in life, Truman still feels a void in his life. Maybe he'll find it in Fiji, where Lauren (Natascha McElhone), the only woman he really loved, allegedly has moved to. Why did she leave so quickly? The woman, who was meant to be nothing more than an extra, caught the attention of Truman's eye. After a confrontation in the library, the actress who played her, whose name is Sylvia, started to harbor a sense of sympathy for Truman, and felt he should know the truth about his existence. When the producers saw this scheme she was quickly removed and replaced by Meryl. Meryl is a reliable actress who doesn't have any qualms leading a pseudo-life with Truman. Yet it does raise some questions on their sex life. What if he wants a baby? Is she ready to grant his wishes?
The creator of The Truman Show is also the producer named Christof (Ed Harris), who has been with Truman since his birth and so has a couple of other million people too when I come to think of it. His control room is high in the artificial dome that provides the sky and horizon of Seahaven like any God who wants to watch his creation. When he isn't discussing new situations for Truman to get into, he goes on talk shows, and fights the protests of those (including Lauren) who believe Truman is the victim of cruel manipulation and deception. Unfortunately, their voice is in the minority.
Truman's fascination for Lauren drives him to brink of freedom. He is willing to sacrifice his whole life to get away from Seehaven to meet this mystery woman. His fascination for her is so deep that he even buys women magazines to try to piece her back together. Lauren becomes the symbol of his need to get out. It is also the only decision that is made by him without any interference from anyone.
As the film progresses, we see that Truman gradually learns about his surroundings and tries to escape. Unfortunately, his past traumas of water causes some trouble for Truman to escape. As we watch the film, we realize that we are no longer watching a character anymore, but a man fighting for his freedom like the slaves in the South fighting from their masters.
The director, Peter Weir and writer, Andrew Niccol, of The Truman Show have written a thought-provoking film with many questions on how we view technology and entertainment in society. What does it say about the state of the society when people start to watch a person's pseudo-life? Do they find comfort in watching Truman's simple life because it differs from their own? Why do they continue to let this injustice happen, when they know Truman is a human being that was forced into this situation? I ask you the reader, would you be a fan of The Truman Show?
Carrey is wonderful as Truman Burbank. He imitates what a man would be like if he lived in a Boy-Scout world, yet still balances it with his wild physical comic persona. He has the personality of Jimmy Stewart's everyman quality with some aspects of Jack Nicholson's craziness. What he does well, is that from the start of his first screen appearance is that he is likeable and the audience has no trouble rooting for him.
Afterwards, I asked myself if a show like The Truman Show could exist in today's society. I quickly realized that not only would the show exist, but it probably would be the highest rated show on television like the Truman Show. I'm afraid that this film might have given some of the TV executives an idea.
I wondered what the future of entertainment would be? It seems that the question has already been answered. If you examine our society, you will already realize that in some facets, The Truman Show does exist i.e. The Real World on MTV, Webcams on the Internet. It is fascinating yet terrifying that these shows exist because of the public's fascination to live through other people's lives.
While good movies entertain us, great movies go beyond their expectations and enlighten us. They question what is normal in society and urge us to think differently. The Truman Show has no problem filling that standard. Grade: A-
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