The Truman Show (1998)
Director: Peter Weir Cast: Jim Carrey, Laura Linney, Noah Emmerich, Natascha McElhone, Holland Taylor, Ed Harris Screenplay: Andrew Niccol Producers: Edward S. Feldman, Andrew Niccol, Scott Rudin, Adam Schroeder Runtime: 103 min. US Distribution: Paramount Rated PG: thematic elements, mild language
By Nathaniel R. Atcheson (nate@pyramid.net)
I think the one thing that the general crop of Hollywood films lack entirely is originality. Most of them have a glimpse of originality buried somewhere in them, but it seems to me that the vast majority are padded with so many cliches and formulas that the films feel familiar even if you haven't seen them before. The Truman Show is a film completely original in both its conception and execution, a picture so intelligent and entertaining that I'm certain most will hail it as one of the best films of the decade so far.
But it's not just a well-made movie -- it's an emotionally moving and profoundly direct film that comes across as an all-new experience. I don't recall ever seeing a film that feels like this one. Certainly there are movies out there that attack the television industry (the wonderful Quiz Show, for instance), but none of them do it in a manner like this. The image that director Peter Weir has created is seamless and beautiful, Andrew Niccol's script is subtle and superb, and the acting -- especially from Jim Carrey -- is perfect.
Ideally, you should not know what the film is about before you see it. The trailers all tell you the big secret, though -- Carrey plays Truman Burbank, a man who lives in Seahaven, Florida. What he doesn't know but the rest of the world does is that he's the star of a television show that features every moment of his life. He goes about his daily routine as if it were a script, saying almost the exact same things to his wife, Meryl (Laura Linney), that he did the previous day. He works in a real estate firm, and his best friend's name is Marlon (Noah Emmerich).
We've all considered the possibility that our lives are staged, that we are at the center of the universe, that there might be people in white coats looking at us at all times, that the walls might be illusions and that we're actually in a laboratory somewhere. The Truman Show takes this idea and makes it somewhat pleasant (at least Truman isn't being studied and probed for fun), but it also makes the concept believable. The show was created by Christof (Ed Harris), who is truly wrapped up in the idea that he's created something wonderful, something pure -- much more real than anything you can see in the real world.
The way Weir and Niccol set up the film is ingenious, because you don't know for sure that Truman's at the center of everything (unless you've seen the previews). They drop hints though, such as moments during which we see Truman through the eyes of a strange camera buried in the bushes (we know it's a strange camera because of the oval matte around the central image). Weir allows these hidden cameras to be seen, but all the hints are subtle (Truman's neighbor, for no particular reason, carries around a garbage can at eye level, and the camera in the side of the can is visible, but not obvious). I can't effectively convey the sheer completeness of the way Weir has created this fictional little town, but this is the kind of film that you can watch repeatedly and still see new things with each viewing.
As the film progresses, Truman starts seeing things that baffle him. A stage light falls out of the sky and crashes onto the street in front of his house. He examines it as if it were dropped from an alien ship (a few seconds later he hears a newscast which announces that a passing airplane had dropped some of its parts). Soon, though, he sees things that can't be explained with such ease. He gets so bent on the idea that he rushes into a strange building when no one would expect it, and finds that there are people in a fake elevator eating donuts. Quickly he's thrown out onto the street by security guards.
Truman wants to get out of Seaside and go to Fiji, mostly because of a woman (Natasha McElhone) whom he met in high school. The woman was actually an extra who tried to tell Truman that his life was a television show, but ended up failing. Truman's attempts at getting out of the city are not successful, for every time he tries to leave something strange stops him (random forest fires, sudden traffic jams, etc.). He also sees lots of things that are intended to deter him, such as a poster of an airplane under attack from a giant bolt of lightning, with the caption, "IT COULD HAPPEN TO YOU!" in block letters across the top.
Weir's direction is amazing (he should easily be in for the Best Director nomination), and his work is complemented by the wonderfully pleasing aesthetics of Seahaven. Cinematographer Peter Biziou and production designer Dennis Gassner have done splendid work with the look of the film; the imagery, such as in all the scenes with Truman sitting on the beach, is absorbing and immersive, and is matched perfectly with Philip Glass' score (it's worth mentioning that the musical score is always flowing lightly in the background). Even without the script, The Truman Show is simply a pleasure to look at.
With this film, Carrey proves that he can act. But this isn't just a "coming out" performance, or a performance that everyone will adore simply because he doesn't play himself. This is a truly great accomplishment, and deserves to be recognized on higher levels. Carrey is complex and subtle, but still manages to be hilarious in a more realistic way than he has in the past (perhaps the funniest scene is when Meryl forces a product placement for coffee at a moment when Truman is very upset). Carrey never goes overboard, but he's so good at playing this character that I can't imagine anyone else in the role. He has the perfect face and demeanor for the character.
The supporting work is also fantastic, particularly from Ed Harris. Harris is a versatile actor (though he's often typecast as the bad-ass military guy), and here is utterly convincing as a man who truly believes that he is doing a great thing both for Truman and for the entire world. Linney is also perfectly pitched, and her acting is clever in that she's playing an actress who constantly acts. Natascha McElhone, with her gleaming eyes and soft smile, is simply magnetic to look at (a good casting choice), but she also turns in a great performance as Truman's true love.
I haven't talked about the fact that the film is uproariously funny. This is the best kind of humor -- you have to think before you laugh, and most of the jokes will only strike if you're paying close attention. Some of the humor is over-the-top if you think about it (watch closely the scene in which Truman sees his father dressed as a homeless man), but every attempt at humor in The Truman Show hits with full force.
But this isn't just a comedy. This is a smart and intelligent film that actually takes a satirical view of the television industry. It's also a moving picture, because Truman is so well-written by Niccol and well-acted by Carrey -- he's a likable man, and we want him to be able to succeed and live a real life. The Truman Show is actually quite acidic towards the industry, but the message hardly bogs down the story (note the final shot of the film, though, and then ask yourself what the point of the film is). Above all things, though The Truman Show is original. It's a new kind of film experience, as intelligent as it is funny, and perfectly made as it is perfectly acted. I recommend it unreservedly to all viewers to love great films.
**** out of **** (9/10, A)
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Nathaniel R. Atcheson
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