Edtv (1999)

reviewed by
Edward Johnson-Ott


EDtv (1999) Matthew McConaughey, Jenna Elfman, Woody Harrelson, Ellen DeGeneres, Sally Kirkland, Martin Landau, Elizabeth Hurley, Rob Reiner, Dennis Hopper, Adam Goldberg, Viveka Davis, Clint Howard, Don Most. Written by Lowell Ganz and Babaloo Mandel, based on Michel Poulette's film "Le Roi des Ondes" ("King of the Airwaves"). Directed by Ron Howard. 122 minutes.

Rated PG-13, 3 stars (out of five stars)

Review by Ed Johnson-Ott, NUVO Newsweekly www.nuvo-online.com Archive reviews at http://us.imdb.com/M/reviews_by?Edward+Johnson-ott To receive reviews by e-mail at no charge, send subscription requests to pbbp24a@prodigy.com

When presenting her idea for a 24 hour a day TV show following a real person through his unscripted life, a network executive explains that her brainchild will be live and unedited, thus separating it from PBS' notorious documentary "An American Family" and MTV's "The Real World." Had I written the script, she would have added, "And it's not like 'The Truman Show' either. Our star will be a volunteer with a lot more charisma than Truman Burbank."

"EDtv" blends comedy and drama while exploring the lure of fame and the perverse contemporary mystique surrounding celebrities. The story suffers from unrealistic plot developments towards the end and fails to carry its theme through to its logical conclusion, but entertains nonetheless, thanks primarily to a deft performance from Matthew McConaughey. As 31 year old video clerk Ed Pekurny, McConaughey is just terrific, making Ed a thoroughly likable doofus stud.

Ed may be a slacker, but he's a cagey one. Asked by the network about his drawl, he explains, "I can get rid of this Texas accent whenever I want, or I can slide real deep into it just like this. As a rule, it's helpful with the ladies." He is remarkably relaxed around the camera, casually studying his fanny in one early scene and, later, addressing friends directly by talking into the lens. His self-awareness and lack of self- consciousness makes for a winning combination. When director Ron Howard cuts to shots of representative viewers who are hooked on the program, you understand why. In fact, "EDtv" the show is considerably more enjoyable than "EDtv" the movie.

"EDtv" the show is packed with colorful characters, family histrionics, big laughs, high drama and just the right amount of vulgarity. I'd watch it in a heartbeat; to catch up on the love triangle between Ed, Shari (Jenna Elfman) and big-brother Ray (Woody Harrelson); to hear the latest one-liners from Al (Martin Landau), Ed's lovable scene-stealing step- father; or to witness mother Jeanette (Sally Kirkland) frantically doing spin-control when Ed's long-missing father Hank (Dennis Hopper) reappears and drops some bombshells about the circumstances surrounding his departure. Hell, Ed's fun even during his down time. When he awakens sporting morning wood, will he remember the camera is there, or forget and allow his hand to slide down his drawers? Voyeurism may be tacky, but the truth is that most of you would watch as well.

"EDtv" the movie is far less engaging. Ron Howard inserts too many ironic winks about the decidedly mixed blessings of celebrity, from soundtrack lyric references ("Thank you for letting me be myself," "Be careful what you wish for") to visual underlining (Shari tries to escape the cameras by ducking into a theater playing the film "Solitude"). Enough, Ron, we get it!

Some of the inside gags succeed. After her well-publicized war with ABC, it's a kick seeing Ellen DeGeneres play a network executive. Shots of a TV talk show where commentators condemn "EDtv" as "a new low in broadcasting" work because the panelists, including "TV Nation" vets Michael Moore and Merrill Markoe, are not exactly strangers to video vulgarity in real life.

Unfortunately, the story takes some wrong turns. When Ed and Shari have a spat, the network inserts a cheesy femme fatale straight out of "Melrose Place." Ed would not be stupid enough to hook up with this patent phony, even for a night. Later, when Ed gets fed up with celebrity life, network officials refuse to release him from his contract, leading to a needlessly contrived finale.

In real-life, no network official would willingly appear on-camera as a villain. Instead, as soon as the show proved successful, they would anticipate the inevitable end of the series and be ready to begin "SARAHtv" or "MIKEtv" at a moment's notice. As opposed to the ending of the film, which I will not reveal, imagine this. The network releases Ed from his contract and continues the concept with a new subject. For a while, Ed savors his privacy, not to mention all the money. Then the cash runs out, he begins to miss the attention and eventually ends up pleading in vain for a sequel series. Such a resolution might be on the dour side, but if Howard really wants to explore the arc fame generally follows, it would be far more realistic and resonant than the film's tidy ending. Perhaps Ron Howard, by all reports a level-headed and decent man despite his life-long celebrity status, is just too clean-cut for this subject matter. Good for Ron, bad for us. As is, "EDtv" serves as breezy, disposable entertainment, but only skims the surface of its own dark waters.

© 1999 Ed Johnson-Ott

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