Snack Bar Films

The Truman Show

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Story

Everything in Truman Burbank’s (Jim Carrey) life is a lie. Or, more accurately, completely made up and fictionalized via a 24/7 TV show. Through hidden cameras and an ensemble of actors posing as friends and family, Truman’s life is on surveillance all the time. The creator of the show, Christof (Ed Harris) does everything in his power to make sure that the stories he has created for Truman – and the world watching – stay perfectly together, without outside interference from fans, and even Truman himself.

My Thoughts

My initial reaction to watching The Truman Show was “WOW!” That movie is absolutely incredible, albeit terribly sad. Here Truman is, unknowingly living a false life while millions watch on TV. Not only is the message – which could genuinely be numerous things – going against the urge to completely minimize our lives to false, overly controlled ideals of reality, but the story is absolutely phenomenal. Terrible, yes, but phenomenal.

There were so many parts of this movie where my jaw dropped, like the part where the radio changes frequencies and we hear the crew tracking Truman or, following this, when all of the neighbors / friends / townspeople / actors hear the static in their earpieces and stop, only to continue again. I was also taken aback when Marlon takes the candy bars back out of the vending machine when Truman is not looking to restock them when he turns back. Just this one-off part creates such a different light, it’s incredible. Now, I may just be easily impressed, but every part of this movie was truly amazing. I could not find a fault. Even when Christof practically tries to kill Truman in the end, it is just so good. Jim Carrey was a great choice for Truman. Not only is he a familiar face – which pretty much plays into Truman’s role as this familiar figure that people are devoted to – but he combines the tragic life of Truman with the famous Jim Carrey humor and facial expressions. Not to mention the cinematography itself was just astounding – the fisheye lenses of the mini cameras and the way it showed his movement through different objects, like the side mirror of a car in one scene, felt so odd and off and yet expected of someone being watched. Again, just great.

One thing I thought while watching was what the film would have been like if instead of us learning as early as the prologue of the film that he was in a show, we learned alongside Truman, with the light falling being the beginning of the suspicion, then the different instances of reality poking through, throughout. How would this have changed the story itself? Would it no longer be a moral tale for us to heed and become just a sci-fi psychological thriller? I am curious to see if the message will still be carried out. I think in the end, I would still like to see the inside of the set (and outside, too), and have it revealed as Christof speaks to Truman while he is on the stairs who actually created the fake world. Actually, I take that back – it is not fake, but “merely controlled.”

Every piece of this film was meticulously put together from the camera angles to the names of the characters. It wasn’t until the end that I realized that the name Truman is “true man,” or that Christof’s name includes “Christ;” he, in essence, is the God controlling Truman and his life, and therefore, the name is fitting. You can absolutely see how the film is unknowingly (or knowingly but with the sense that it isn’t that bad) being reflected in the reality TV of today. The scripts, the false narratives, the perfection are all absolutely fake, and instead of creating an empathy inside us, watching very private parts of people’s lives, as it should – it does not. Instead, it becomes pure entertainment at the expense of those we watch. Now, of course, most do it willingly – those shows like the Bachelor or Bachelorette (or pretty much any dating show) don’t begin with door-to-door sales of “hey, you are our lucky random winner!” to get on; they have to be signed up for. The tragedy of Truman is not quite exactly mirrored today. I am sorry for the women who’s “nice, girl’s girl” montage is cut from the reality TV show they’re on, but really, they still get paid and the fifteen minutes of fame they were after. (Sorry if that makes me sound callous, I am a serious hater of reality TV of every kind, not just dating shows. It all reminds me of the time when you are in middle school and think everyone’s watching you, so you perform and act out all of the dramatic scenes of seventh grade).

Although I note that the story is awfully sad, I found the film uplifting and optimistic, too. His breaking free from the utopia-turned-dystopia is so powerful. It represents not only Truman getting his life back, but also that it is possible to escape the cage. I am surprised that it’s categorized as a comedy, since for the few times I laughed, there were three times more that I was dismayed or saddened. The film is just incredible, and I cannot believe this was my first time watching it. I can see myself watching over and over again just because it’s so good. I would say the tie for my favorite aspect would be the story (obviously) but the cinematography, too. Just amazing. “If I don’t see ya, good afternoon, good evening, and good night.”

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