The final bit with the two security guards 'hey what else is on?' is also striking - this guy's been imprisoned, controlled and corralled his entire life, it's all been televised and watched for decades.. and the moment he leaves and it's all over, some (many?) of those watching just basically shrug and switch over.
This movie is one of the most incredible experiences. I love the way the footage stops when Truman leaves, and that he just gets to go live his life without people watching him.
People have always wanted the two of them to meet up at the end, but I love that they don't actually show it. It fits with how it's set up. The entire time they had been filming his life, and they can no longer see what happens when he leaves.
This was filmed along the Gulf Coast in a planned community in Florida called Seaside. This town looks almost identical in real life as it does in the movie. The one thing that had to be changed was they added floors to the buildings around where Truman worked so it like a larger city.
@@AwesomeUSMovies It's actually a very beautiful place. I have stayed there and also in Seacrest another planed community about 15 minutes away. It's very relaxing. Also I noticed everyone recommended Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind as another good Jim Carrey drama but I believe his best serious role is a less popular movie of his called The Majestic. Definitely worth a watch even if you don't do it for your channel.
Truman's journey represents the human drive. Despite every obstacle, he eventually frees himself through his force of will. People are clapping at his success over the adversity.
Trivia/cast and crew notes (for James and anybody who doesn't know): 1. James mentioned how much he loved the best friend. The actor is named Noah Emmerich. 2. Ed Harris is the one James is thinking of from Apollo 13 and The Abyss. 3. The 1999 movie "EDtv", directed by Ron Howard and starring Matthew McConaughey and Woody Harrelson, has a similar theme, except the title character Ed actually is aware he's on camera, and is more of a comedy than this one. 4. It's the same director - Peter Weir - who did Dead Poets Society. 5. Nominated for 3 Oscars in 1998: Best Director (Peter Weir), Best Supporting Actor (Ed Harris as Christof, aka The Creator), and Best Original Screenplay. It didn't win in any category. Additionally, many consider the lack of nominations for Jim Carrey and the film itself for Best Picture to be huge snubs. In the directing category, Steven Spielberg won for Saving Private Ryan. 6. The wife, Meryl, is played by Laura Linney. Her character name Meryl is a reference to actress Meryl Streep, who holds the record with 21 Oscar nominations for acting in her career (and three wins). The best friend character, Marlon, is likely named for Marlon Brando. 7. The college girlfriend is British actress Natasha McElhone. This is probably her most recognizable film role. 8. Paul Giamatti (the control room director, Simeon) was previously in Saving Private Ryan and San Andreas. 9. Dennis Hopper (the mad bomber from Speed) was originally cast in the Ed Harris role, but was reportedly replaced after two days of filming because they felt he couldn't give the character what it needed. 10. Screenwriter Andrew Niccol originally wanted the film to be more of a sci-fi thriller, perhaps something like The Matrix. Peter Weir asked him to re-write it, and I think the false utopia aspect works better here. 11. Film critics Siskel and Ebert not only loved the movie, but gave an on-screen apology to Jim Carrey during their review, because they thought that he could never do something like this after watching Ace Ventura.
12. The "guy at the piano" was Philip Glass, the composer of some of the music pieces they used for the movie. Additional music for the film was written by Burkhard Dallwitz.
"Good morning, and in case I don't see ya, good afternoon, good evening, and good night!" Fun Fact: Ed Harris and Jim Carrey never met during filming. Medical Cameo Fact: In an early scene, a bottle of Vitamin D is on Truman (Jim Carrey) and Meryl's (Laura Linney) kitchen table, needed for those without exposure to the (real) sun. What Script Fact: The Trumania bits, where Truman draws on the mirror with soap and acts strange, was completely improvised by Jim Carrey. Carrey and Peter Weir initially found working together on set difficult (as Carrey's contract gave him the power to demand rewrites), but Weir was impressed with Carrey's improvisational skills and the two became more interactive.
You asked what he could do if he escaped...I think considering how many people watched the show, he could write a book and it would be a best seller, or he could start his own travel show. He could finally follow his dreams and make a living at the same time.
I always imagined that he would have the basis for a MASSIVE lawsuit against the studio and all the sponsors that highjacked his entire life for profit. Of course, he would then have to go into seclusion somewhere and have loads of therapy to start sorting out the repercussions.
This movie came out before reality TV and social media became a huge thing, so the concept was quite mind blowing at the time. The thought of someone’s life being captured on camera as some kind of tv show for entertainment. There are many philosophical concepts explored, as well as ideas about questioning your reality and accepting the existence you are presented with. Free will versus gods plan is a big one. You aren’t supposed to be okay with the concept of the Truman show. It is morally reprehensible and forces you to think about these different concepts.
It's a mind-blowing concept for sure. This was released in the early stages of reality TV becoming a big deal, and this is pretty much the logical conclusion of how reality TV was heading for a while. The idea that a corporation could adopt a child to build a show around is incredibly far-fetched now, but for a while it seemed as though it was a reality TV show waiting to happen! Not sure how many times I've seen this, but I still occasionally notice new details that I'd previously missed.
This was his first serious film. He was typecast as a "slapstick actor" (even though he did serious scenes in some of his comedy films). So, he started doing films like these in order to add versatility to his career.
If you want to see the dramatic side of Jim Carrey, you must watch Eternal sunshine of the spotless mind, with Kate Winslet and an incredible cast... Personally, my favorite Jim Carrey movie!
Yeah, I've seen some people react and feel like it is so farfetched. But there was a time where people thought this is where "reality TV" was going. This about rhe time people started subscribing to the shows like big brother that gave people access to the cameras 24/7. This movie was the ultimate evolution to this genre. Cause the one problem with "Reality TV" was since the actor/actors knew they were being filmed, and people act differently in front of cameras or plan conflicts.
Peter Weir is one of the best directors yet one not many people think of when naming great directors. He had one masterpiece after the other. My favorites are A Year of Living Dangerously, Witness, Dead Poets Society, and his peak work, Master and Commander: The Far Side of the World.
It’s a brilliant commentary on our society as whole , “reality” TV, and our greed for the sake of money at another’s expense. And it’s only gotten more applicable over the years.
I've watched this in the theater, then again every few years, or sometimes a couple times a year. I really enjoy it. I think this is what reality tv could be at some point in our future. Jim Carrey made his bucks and career from being that goofy guy we loved but could also be a but odd. I was personally shocked to see how well his acting chops hold up to drama. Guess I shouldn't have been. Robin Williams showed us how absolutely amazing hilarious funny guys can put on the drama cap.
The reason why his best friend was different is I feel like his best friend, even though he’s been acting since he’s a child, with Truman, he did actually care for him. Maybe that’s because they had been together for so long. Even if he knew the reality and Truman didn’t. But because of that lifelong friendship, he really did care about him. The rest of the actors didn’t seem to have that connection. His father, maybe, because he came back. He found a way to sneak onto the show. Because, even though he was not his biological father, he was his adoptive father, for all intents and purposes. He raised him. With that in mind, certain actors or individual seem to have more of a caring standpoint, while others seem to be more in the situation from a professional acting standpoint.
I think his dad snuck back on the show just because he was an out of work actor who wanted the gig. But his friend, I think you're right, even though he started out on the show as a child actor, he still grew up with the guy and spent a lot of time with him, as his friend... probably the same way that many actors who play romantic partners in film end up dating in real life, but amplified.
There was a deleted scene where Marlon find him on the beach (he knows where Truman went) but he let him go, he know that Truman really wanted to leave, so he care more than others,
I absolutely love this film. The hints and intricacies are sooo good, like there's vitamin D in their medicine cabinet because they don't get sunlight in the dome. All the main cast would need that. People hate on Marlon (Truman's best friend), but he was a victim too in a way. He was Truman's friend since they were kids, so they've built up a real friendship. But Marlon was put in this situation as an innocent child himself, and he's had to lie and pretend his whole life. This has resulted in mental issues and stints in rehab because of dependencies developed as a coping mechanism for the mental conflict.
12:39 She's still got a tissue tucked into her collar as she's just been rushed in from the makeup van, obviously caught unawares as Truman doesn't travel.
@@AwesomeUSMovies In an ideal world, everyone involved with the production of the show would be going to jail and all profits would be confiscated and turned over to Truman. The fact that the world in which the film is set not only allowed the Truman Show, but condoned it and made it immensely popular, makes me think that's unlikely to happen. Of course we'll never know and that's the point: when Truman steps through that door the audience, which includes us, doesn't get to see his life any more.
I love this movie. It didn't really hit me when I first saw it though. After some time, I came to see how much of a tragedy this story is. To take someone's life and free will away from them in order to be a puppet. Having their whole life experience be a lie. It's very science fiction in that way. I remember growing up a lot of people would brush this movie off and were more into Jim Carrey's comedies. Sort of disregarding it as just this weird movie he did. I think it's aged very well though. I'm sure it's been recommended countless times but Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind is another great serious role from Jim.
Yes, because they dont let him make his decisions, they made up his fear by "killing his father", they dont let him decide how to fall in love, they made him follow a script
@patriciaalvareztostado8170 They limited his knowledge to control him. The Show seems set in a different decade to not only for the more "idealistic" and "simpler" time aesthetic. But also because it helped them control Truman. You're not looking for hidden cameras if you don't know they exist. Truman can't know about cellphones and the internet because it would have given him access to the outside world. And that meant escape
@@brandyanderson3522 Yes I know, but is bad, control a person like that, Kristof said to Sylvia that Truman could leave if he wanted before, but that was not true, they didnt let him out by putting fear on him, until he realize that his world was fake
This film hit just as reality TV was about to explode. There were shows like The Real World gaining traction but Survivor was coming in just two years. The public’s obsession with having a prying eye on the lives of others was perfectly expressed and foretold here.
When I was a kid I lived where this was filmed. We moved away a little before filming started, and I was excited to see my old neighborhoods in a major movie. None of the other kids where we moved to believed me that it wasn't an island though XD
23:21 - this piece of wall is in the parking lot of the studio where I worked for YEARS. Everyday I parked in front of it and thought about this scene.
I saw this in theaters. It was mind-blowing to me... GPS was around but in its infancy, It's amazing how less connected we were back in 1998... even though we were. This was before reality tv caught on. But, this is one of my favorite movies! Check out another favorite of mine if you haven't seen it, Pleasantville.
20:00 - Truman will live the life of luxury from the lawsuit against the company. Extreme emotinal distress. He'll never have to work again in his life.
My favorite moment is Ed Harris saying "I am the creator . . . of a television show." It's that slight pause that always gets me. It's a crime that Jim Carrey wasn't nominated for an Oscar for this performance and that he hasn't really gone back to a dramatic role since. He made some comments about it at the Oscar ceremony that year. This movie was a big deal when it came out because it represented how people felt about the whole Reality TV phenomena that was just starting then. Truman Show is the extreme example of that.
Aw, your reaction has made my Friday! This movie had such a huge impact on me. So glad you've seen it. I loved the originality and quirkiness and as you say, the ethical question of playing God, given that as Ed Harris said, it brought so much joy to the world! In a similar vein, three quirky/unusual movies for your consideration list 🙂 Being John Malkovich (1999), Adaptation (2002). Downsizing (2017). And for non-comedic Jim Carrey flicks, there's The Cable Guy (1996) and The Number 23 (2007).
I absolutely love this movie. For me it's all about the slow discovery and his final argument with a literal "big guy in the clouds". And you're 100% right this would be hugely unethical. Truman had zero consent to basically anything in his life.
Wonder how it went after he left though. I imagine there would be some major court battles because for this to happen the courts had to have somehow found this legal. Would he still be physically owned?
@@FirstLast-yc9lq I think some people like they show in Sylvia house "Free Truman" that werent al right with this, is completely unethical, the character of Christof is sick (Ed Harris dose an amazing job been a creep),
@@patriciaalvareztostado8170 Well yeah of course, Christof clearly has a god complex that he warps himself into thinking he's doing good for Truman. My point was, for Truman to even have a show, this had to pass the courts and they somehow deemed this legal. My question was, is Truman even deemed a person or pretty much a slave? Honestly, would have set up an interesting court room drama in a hypothetical sequel.
@@FirstLast-yc9lq As I recall he was the "first person legally adopted by a corporation" and the show was only supposed to last one year (as) "Bringing up baby"
If you think about it, were our lives any different than his during the last few years? Carrey was RIPPED OFF by the Oscars, the beginning of the end of my viewership w that group. Great reaction! ❤
Even better than this, and a true depiction of Jim Carreys diversity. Wait til you see him play the antagonist in the psychological thriller "the number 23"
Definitely. There are too many questions on a first watch. I liked the film on first watch but fell in love with it on second watch. Now it is one of my 'replay' flicks that I can put on and rewatch anytime.
I'd say watch Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind. Now that! Is a departure for Carrey. Probably unanimous with it being his best dramatic performance.
So the actor you liked in this who plays the best friend is named Noah Emmerich He had a major role in an outstanding TV series called “The Americans” This was such a brilliant TV series from start to finish. It’s probably not a TV series that would ever win a poll just because not many people saw this show. It is excellent though! And the actor who played the best friend you liked so much plays a major role in it.
The Americans was a damn good show, it's up there with Breaking Bad as far as I'm concerned. I loved Noah Emmerich's character, especially that subtle facial twitch he'd do whenever he felt suspicious about someone. Might be time for a rewatch!
"Number 23" is in my opinion another movie, after which i was absolutely convinced, that Jim Carrey's acting talent was not fully used throughout his career! he can be so "captivating" in more serious roles, you just wouldnt believe it until you see it!
In US law, corporations are legally people. That's why corporations can fund the politicians they want to win a race. So, if an oil company gives a ton of money to help someone win, that person is cohersed into cutting regulations on oil or offer tax breaks in order to ensure future elections. This legal bribery is considered freedom of speach. There was recently a request that companies vote in election polls. I recall it being denied, but if that ever becomes legal, then there's no reason why a company couldn't adopt a child.
If you enjoyed this, Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind, Simon Birch and The Majestic are musts for Jim Carrey movies. As a disabled guy, I have a soft spot for Simon Birch, and Jim is the narrator. It’s very underrated. I remember seeing this and thinking he was robbed of an Oscar nomination. He was so believable. I didn’t see Ace Ventura. I saw Truman Burbank. He could be goofy, but believably goofy. And the ending is bittersweet. I’m such a fan of Jim, especially his more dramatic work. He’s like Jimmy Stewart. He can do anything. Sadly, I think he’s retired now. He deserved an Academy Award Nomination. He’s done roles every bit as good as Robin Williams.
When Ed Harris starred in The Abyss, he really didn't get along with the director, James Cameron, at all. There were a number of dangerous accidents during the production, and in one scene Harris himself almost drowned. Harris got the definite impression that the very lives of the cast and crew were less important to Cameron than getting the film finished, and he vowed he would never work for the guy again. And he kept that vow. When Harris was cast as the callous director in The Truman Show, a character who saw Truman Burbank as nothing but usable property and an ultimately expendable commodity, he knew there was only one way to play him, as a James Cameron impersonation.
This show when the first season of BIG Brother and the birth of reality TV. Now we have people on TikTok and RU-vid sharing their life like in the movie because it fascinates people.
I love this movie! I think you are supposed to find what was done to him disgustingly manipulative, to be pro-Trumans escape, rather than finding it acceptable to buy into the idea of the movie. I also think it was more a commentary on society's growing obsession with reality TV at the time, than a deeper commentary on the extent to which all our lives are controlled by the systems we buy into, but maybe thats just me. I know there were literally hours of unused footage that didnt make the final cut, which I would love to see.
Of course the ocean ends at a wall! Why do reactors see the dome tucked in neatly behind the Hollywood sign, miles from the ocean, always act surprised when Truman's ship hits a wall? This movie predates & predicts the Reality TV craze. It was a revolutionary concept when made. The implication is that Sylvia was part of a Free Truman movement. No doubt, people had infiltrated the backstage crew & were responsible for bits of sabotage. The cop who knew Truman's name was probably an actor who'd requested an appearance on the Truman Show, but hadn't been cast as anything, yet. I'd imagine the faux mainland was normally used as a backstage area. After all, if a medevac flight were ever required to transport an injured extra to a specialty hospital "on the mainland," the helicopter would have to take off from & land *somewhere,* to transport the actor outside of the dome! The "nuclear power plant" was a mock-up. I've imagined the "cop" was probably at home watching the Truman Show when he got an urgent call to come in! He didn't have a script. They told him the BS to say. He just slipped up because he was so tickled to be speaking with Truman! The fun part is watching the movie a second time, & spotting all the cameras hiding in plain sight.
You are the first reactor (that I've seen) that pays attention to the fact that his wife-actress has a full-fledge relationship with Truman. And that goes for all actors, like his friend. All these actors must be available all the time. How do these actors have a personal life, outside of this set? It is of course a fantasy that does not need to be really possible to convey it's message. This movie came out just before the TV show "Big Brother" was broadcast for the first time, and with other shows it started the era of "reality-TV". I see this movie as mainly a critique on that brewing trend in our society.
The wife character says in her interview that there is no separation between Truman and her real life, that The Truman Show IS her real life. And I 100% believe there are people out there who would sign up for something like that to be famous
As a person who was psychologically abused, I have to say that the level of manipulation this movie shows can happen in real life more than the average person realizes. It's exceptionally sad but also very true.
Let Jim Carrey take another departure and hold your hand into Kaufman's world. Try "Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind." Let go of Carrey's hand and swim in "Being John Malkovich." Then die with Nicholas Cage in "Adaptation."
I wish the movie had fewer comedic scenes. It's really a DARK movie when you think about the idea of the concept. I would have liked them to keep it darker so we could really question more about what we as a society think about it. I think some of the humor distract from the deeper ideas in the movie. The quote "We Accept The Reality Of The World With Which We're Presented. It's As Simple As That." is so spot on. Would any of us know if we were actually in Truman's shoes? Side note: The house Truman lived in is owned by the Gaetz Family (Congressman Matt Gaetz of Florida)
If you're someone who loves books and you haven't read the Thursday Next series by Jasper FForde you absolutely should. It's books about books and policing books and going inside books. You get to hang out with characters like Edward Rochester, Miss Havisham and the Cheshire cat
