User reviews

'The Truman Show' epitomizes strong and original storytelling on screen. This film is emotionally engaging, didactic, witty, dramatic and very unique. For those unfamiliar with the concept, Truman Burbank has never left his ideal home town of Sea Haven. What he doesn't know is that his entire environment is a materialized set and he is the ignorant star of a reality TV show of epic proportions.

Taking this entirely original concept, writer Andrew Niccol and director Peter Wier take the viewer into territory uncharted by anything in film history. Thus, the plot is entirely unpredictable but still flows along expertly. The tightness of the screenplay and the immaculate pacing of Peter Wier contribute largely to this film's brilliance.

The acting performances are amongst the best I've ever seen. Jim Carey is superb as Truman, effortlessly conveying his fears, desires and personality. Ed Harris is excellent as the reclusive creator of the production. In addition, the entire support cast appears synthetic enough to let the audience know they are "acting" for Truman but in some scenes let their "genuine" feelings shine through. The ensemble simply cannot be faulted. Carey was hardly done by not to get an Oscar nomination for his performance.

The music and visuals are top notch. The cinematography has a reality TV feel that is clever but never intrusive. The shot selection is of the highest quality, particularly in the movie's final sequence. Muscially, this film is incredible. Phillip Glass is a dream on the piano, perfectly evoking the mood for each section of the narrative. The two combine excellently during the scene in which Truman breaks his routine for the first time. During the sequence, Truman makes subtle changes to the bland routine he follows compliantly every day. The emotion of the music when combined with the apparent simplicity of Truman's actions makes this scene one the most powerful I'v ever experienced.

This film is an absolute gem. It effortlessly combines everything a classic film should have. It has comedy, drama, strong character development, atmosphere, originality, superb visuals, a superb score, tight writing, raises interesting moral questions as well as providing insight into the human condition. One cannot watch this spectacular film without wondering how a human would react when put in that kind of situation. It touches on our sense of adventure, desire for conformity and the courage we require to question the life we are presented with. 'The Truman Show' does all this in the most accessible and compelling fashion. One of the greatest films of our time.

One of the most creative films ever conceived, let alone made and executed- The Truman Show is on all fronts an absolutely perfect film- and will stand the test of time as an absolute classic. On every singular level this film works astoundly- jim Carrey provides a pitch perfect performance as our titular star Truman Burbank- in an incredible casting decision that I am sure turned a lot of heads at the time. Yes we see some of that classic Carrey throughout the film- but the man can act, and never before had it been brought to such attention as it had with this film- and he captures his role perfectly. The other actors do an excellent job as well, namely Ed Harris and Natascha McElhone- as well as Laura Linney and Noah Emmerich. The direction is fantastic, and much needed for the creative vision of the film at hand. The script is not only well done, but incredibly thought provoking, original, and brilliantly put into flm format. The music is fantastic, letting us feel so much emotion from such simple and classic pieces of work. The pacing is excellent, and the film leaves you with a smile and you wanting more- as I think any good film should. In the end, I have absolutely no complaints about The Truman Show. I've seen it more times than I can count, and it's easily one of my favorite films out there. Its a creative masterpiece that is unlike anything we would ever see today, or anything before it. It may be 20 years old, but The Truman Show may just be one of the most brilliant and influential films ever made.

My Rating: 10/10.

I asked a friend to describe The Truman Show. He said, "No, it's not a comedy, well...not exactly." I didn't quite understand until I watched it myself. Truman takes on a tone quite different than any parody/comedies I've seen lately. The point (the media and its destructive powers) is subtlely relayed through dark humor, and you don't feel like the director is smashing you over the head with his morals. Peter Weir demonstrated his artistic genius in Dead Poets Society and here as well. The soundtrack is great, Ed Harris is stellar (what were they THINKING at the Academy?) and for once I actually liked Jim Carrey. His performance wasn't ribald for once. The final scene--I will not reveal it--is a majestic, long-awaited finish to an intellectual movie. Some people will insist that it was boring or pointless. Those are the same viewers who prefer slapstick, obvious humor to the subtle layers presented here. This is a thinking person's movie. If you can't see the underlying message here, of course you won't like it!

As inventive and creative as Weir's staging is, The Truman Show wouldn't work without credible Truman. And Carrey carries off the tricky role with a chipperness that belies a deep-seeded longing for more in life than surface perfection in all this movie is one of my all time favorites.

An insurance salesman/adjuster (Jim Carrey) discovers his entire life is actually a T.V. show.

This movie has been brought to ethics and philosophy classes and used as a tool for discussion. Unfortunately it was never used in any class I took (despite being a philosophy major), but I guess we cannot all get that experience.

So much to ponder: was it right to treat Truman this way? Was the television executive playing God? If the wife (Laura Linney) was only in it as part of a contract and not because she genuinely cared for Truman, what does that make her? And what if this really happened? Would people watch it or rebel?

When I first saw 'The Truman Show' I came out of the theatre amazed. This is your first clue that you are watching something different from your normal Jim Carrey movie. I love the dialogue, camera shot, performances, direction, music, and running time of this movie. There is nothing I would do to change it. I came away from 'The Truman Show' feeling inspired which is the goal of good filmmaking Jim Carrey was outstanding as Truman, underplaying him, not making him too comic or too dramatic, but giving true sincerity when asked. He deserved an Oscar nomination. Ed Harris has always been a good actor, but in this movie he's a great actor. He plays Christof with such arrogance and bullheadedness that you don't know whether he's helping or destroying Truman. He and the director, Peter Weir, deserved their Oscar nods.

Weir, who directed the great 'Witness', uses different camera angles to make you feel like you're actually watching 'The Truman Show' and not a movie. He ends it before you get tired of the concept and helped Carrey and Harris give immaculate performances. Andrew Niccol script is a real star in the movie too because of it's inventiveness and ingenuity. Overall, 'The Truman Show' is what I like to call a true American classic.

The Truman Show is easily one of the most overrated movies of the 1990s. While the premise is excellent, and a number of the supporting performers (especially Laura Linney and Noah Emmerich) do well in their roles, in any star-oriented film, the final judge of the movie's quality must be the star. Jim Carrey ultimately fails to deliver. In yet another example of his unique, non-acting acting style, he manages to miss (or overshoot?) moments many other actors of lesser stature would hit dead on. What could have been a very powerful movie dealing with the pressures of life and the changes of aging is ultimately reduced to a hollow, meaningless study of its star. Since the material does not allow Jim Carrey to do that at which he truly excels--outrageous physical comedy--he looks and feels very stiff and very miscast. Watch the movie, if you can, for its interesting plot, sets, and supporting performances, but try to ignore Jim Carrey's non-performance.

I loved this movie. Everything about it. It is one you just want to watch over and over again. Jim Carey, as usually, played an amazing role. He made you think you were him, as the whole movie did. Watch it... its a must.

Imagine being captivated all your life in a show, without knowing. Your neighbors, your family, your loved ones... everyone you ever knew were just actors, pretending to be people they are not. Well Truman Burbank not only imagined it, but also lived it. This is a hilarious movie, that will catch you from the first minute you watch it. Just be aware... once you start watching it, it will be difficult to stop. I rate this movie 5/5, with no negative comments.

"The Truman Show" owes a lot to the direction of Peter Weir. Weir refuses to pump out the movies in a search for extra dollars. Instead he chooses wisely and directs brilliantly. Just by looking at a list of his movies will surprise and even amaze you. So as you would imagine "The Truman Show" is another success.

Truman Burbank has the perfect life, or so he thought until finally his life long suspicions about his world begin to unravel. Even though the idea for Truman is not totally original, it is thought provoking enough and allows the audience to wonder, what if? If you think this couldn't happen, just look back over the years at the stupidity of the human race and think again.

Jim Carrey once again nails his role, as do the entire cast. It is rare he fails to perform at a level that perfectly complements the movie and its genre. This is something he does not receive enough credit for. Acting for a comical role or a more dramatic role requires no less effort for the performance to be spot on.

"The Truman Show" is a rarity in Hollywood - or movies in general - a film that actually makes the audience think, and is about ideas. How do we know what we see is real? Why do we accept what is around us without questioning it? What would happen if we found out that a fundamental we were making about the world turned out to be completely wrong? You'd think a movie that was about those things would be a chore to get through, but in fact "The Truman Show" is great fun. I certainly wouldn't call it a comedy (although there are a few light moments here and there), but it's not too heavy and goes down easy.

It might sound like exaggeration, but the scene where Truman first starts to realize what's going on is one of the best scenes I've seen in any movie, because of Carrey's acting, the direction, and also because of the Philip Glass soundtrack (which was critical to making that scene work).

If you haven't seen The Truman Show, do yourself a favor and check it out.

"We accept the reality of the world with which we're presented". 1998 vs 2020/2021.

Although it sometimes seems that Hollywood is catering to the lowest common denominator of everything, The Truman Show is proof that there are great ideas that are able to be turned into great movies. Jim Carrey plays an excellent role as a man with whom you can emphasize as well as be entertained by. The film's surrealistic nature is frightening when the viewer realizes the legal feasibility in today's society, and it offers a great message about who or what we assume God to be and how He (he?) would react to our personal drives for discovery to challenge a world we treat as an aquarium. Some things to note and ponder: The way the real-life viewers ignore the real lives of their compatriots and customers while focusing on a false life on screen; whose life is more real and whose is worth living? Also, note that Christof does not have his name listed among the "real world" in the credits, but in "Christof's World." His high-profile media-driven life is no different from Truman's!

In the Truman Show, we follow the life of Truman, someone who was adopted by a film corporation at birth and lives as the focus of the most famous reality TV show, without even knowing it. This show is on 24/7, following every little detail of Truman's life. His little town is all he knows, and for years, he is okay with it. Since he is the star of the show, he is the center of attention of the town. Eventually this fact sticks out to him; Truman starts to figure out that something isn't right and decides to do something about it. He tries to escape, but he encounters many obstacles keeping him on the TV show's island. This movie inflates the idea of how far we will go for our own pleasure. In the movie, the whole world knows about the TV show, that the main actor is being watched 24/7 without knowing it, and that his life is being controlled by the cast and directors, yet they do nothing about it. In fact, they don't want to do anything about it; they enjoy it. Truman has no privacy, but no one seems to care; it must be alright since they are getting entertainment out of it, right? The movie also uses irony to convince the audience of flaws in our society. When Truman is struggling in his life, he turns to his "best friend" who talks to him using the director's words spoken to him over his earpiece. One of the most ironic line in the movie, in my opinion, was when Truman's best friend turns to him during a serious conversation and says, "The last thing I would ever do is lie to you,". This is ironic, because of course as he says this, he is lying. He is trying to convince Truman that he is just thinking crazy thoughts and everything is normal, when he actually knows that the whole world is watching is life play out. The Truman Show really makes us reflect on our lives; how far do we go for our own pleasure? It uses many satirical elements to convince us of this flaw. At first, while watching the movie, we find it crazy and over-the-top at this world's crazy idea of reality TV. When we stop and think about it, it makes us wonder how far-fetched it really is.

It's not often a Hollywood film arrives with such lofty ambitions as this. On one hand this is a high concept comedy in the vein of "Groundhog Day" about an unwitting man whose entire life has been a TV show. This is also a Jim Carrey vehicle designed to display his charms. On the other hand this a very satirical look at the way the media manipulates our reality. The film also wants to take a philosophical look at free will vs. a higher power and reality vs. fantasy. It doesn't always work as the satire often keeps you from thinking too deeply about the underlying themes and the philosophical stuff keeps the satire from biting as well as it could. Credit engaging performances and solid and thoughtful direction from Weir for keeping things afloat and entertaining. There are some great cinematic moments here. I loved the "stolen kiss on the beach at night" and "Cue the sun!"

In the end this film is closer in spirit to psychological dramas and sci-fi movies where a person suddenly realizes they are the pawn in some grand experiment or a prisoner in an alien world than it is to anything in our current "reality TV" obsessed culture. Eventually it touches on a very basic conflict all humans must face (most people do so in childhood, some I fear never do). The universe does not revolve around us. In the closing moments we are excited for Truman because he finally realizes there is a whole new world out there to explore, but also slightly saddened because we know all to well that he will never be able to return to that idyllic "childhood" existence. How's it going to end? Who knows...but things will never be the same.

The idea of living in a tv show, where your entire life is made up by a director, is overwhelming in itself. In the beginning of the movie, it really makes you think about life itself and it brought so many philosophical questions to my mind. Witnessing how the people he considered friends, and even his own wife didn't actually care about him was heartbreaking, as they were all just actors. That being said I believe so much more could've been done because they had such a brilliant idea behind it. The ending really leaves you wondering and I just can't help but wish for more. Although I thoroughly enjoyed it, it feels unfinished in my mind. Either way, even just for the idea itself and how well it is presented, it's totally worth the watch.

One of the rare roles where Jim Carrey is a "normal" guy, he's not goofy or over the top. It's interesting to see him act this way, but frankly it comes off a little on the boring side.

The overall concept of the movie is interesting, because its far outside of the box of a normal movie. A man being watched 24/7 on tv, while he lives in a fake world unknowingly. The movie could have taken that plot and made it darker or a lot more funny, instead it was given an even balance which came off slightly boring. I think the real question would be, why would anyone want to sit down and watch this guys life on television. He has such a "normal" boring life. Every day he does the same thing, he never fights with the wife, he's always happy, and he sells insurance at a desk. If you were going to make a tv show, you'd think you'd want to spice up the issues to make it interesting. Or perhaps in today's society, 2022, we have become so used to tv shows that have extreme drama, that it's hard to watch the normal.

Not a bad show, good acting, some funny stuff, but could have been more extreme.