THE TRUMAN SHOW
US, 1998, 105 minutes, Colour.
Jim Carrey, Ed Harris, Laura Linney, Natascha Mc Elhone, Noah Emmerich, Holland Taylor.
Director: Peter Weir
The teaming of Peter Weir and Jim Carrey is not a collaboration one would automatically think of. Weir has directed some powerful dramas about Australia (Picnic at Hanging Rock, Gallipoli), about Indonesia (The Year of Living Dangerously) and about the United States (Witness, Dead Poets Society, Fearless). Carrey is admired for his frenetic clowning (Ace Ventura, The Mask, How The Grinch Stole Christmas, The Majestic). In The Truman Show the Weir-Carrey? combination works perfectly. Carrey is restrained and shows he can manage serious acting. He is able to create pathos. Ed Harris is the grimly obsessive director, Christof. Laura Linney exudes TV sunny commercial cheerfulness as Meryl.
Weir directs a screenplay by New Zealander, Andrew Niccol, (Gattaca). Niccol is fascinated by technology, its power to control individuals and manipulate society. The screenplay shows us society's consumerist interpretation of human nature and the temptation to 'play God'. The movie is geared towards a popular audience rather than an 'art-house' exploration of themes in depth. Other movies about the manipulative and intrusive power of television include Ron Howard's EdTV, Pleasantville, Holy Man, Series 7. The Contenders. Even Truman's surname has TV overtones: Burbank is the Los Angeles suburb where many of the television studios are found.
1. The impact of the film, its status as an instant classic? Reflecting on the media of the '90s? The role of television in people's homes, filling their lives, emotional identification? The nature of truth and reality? Real life? TV viewers as voyeurs? The managers, the producers, scriptwriters? Big Brother and control? Individuals performing, not knowing they were performing, not knowing they were being watched?
2. The film as a piece of Americana: Seahaven as the perfect town, sunny, perfect, people commenting on its perfection? The birds chirruping, the use of the musical score to swell emotions?
3. The initial interviews: Christof and his discussion of reality and what was fake? Meryl and her cheery comments of performing, that it was a blessing? Marlon and his friendship - and the irony that it was all a performance?
4. The focus on Truman Burbank (and the American significance of his name, Truman president, Burbank Studios)? The manifesting of his life on screen, the daily routines, the greetings to the neighbours, the cliché language, the pleasantries, the wisecracks?
5. The interruption to his life with the light falling from the sky, the quick broadcast explanation, his surreptitious phone calls about Fiji, his memories of Sylvia, the rain leaking on him and moving with him, his father suddenly reappearing, the radio going awry and hearing the voices commenting on his behaviour?
6. His work, the best place on earth, insurance, threat of cutbacks, keeping him in Seahaven?
7. Jim Carrey as Truman Burbank, age and appearance, a nice and good man, in himself, home, workplace? His fear of water and the memories of his father drowning and the flashbacks? His being asked to go to the island, seeing the boat sink? Yet having itchy feet, discussions with Marlon, Fiji, his memories and then growing suspicions, the sequence of his long walk and looking at everybody with suspicion, running to escape? The elevator with its openness to the set?
8. His relationship with Meryl, her being so cheery, the greetings, working as a nurse, advertising coffee, lawnmowers, reading the dream machine, her constant discussions about their future, wanting to have a child? Her relationship with her mother-in-law, going to the hospital for the amputation, Truman following her, the behaviour of the people at the hospital, the pretend operation? Truman taking her in the car, wanting to escape, the jammed traffic, the return? Her looking at the camera, getting unnerved, not wanting to continue because it was 'unprofessional'?
9. Marlon, friendship from being children, having beers, Truman talking with confidentiality, playing golf on the road, the talk on the beach, Marlon and his discussions about friendship and lies? His going into the house to find Truman, looking at Christof, making a fool of himself on television, leading the search?
10. Truman's parents, his memories, the storm, losing his father, his father appearing in the street, being caught up in the crowd, taken on the bus, his mother's constant chatter, looking at the photos?
11. The audience: the two men and their comments on the program, watching it together, comments on propriety and sexuality and the toilet and not seeing it? The girls at the bar and their continued watching, sympathy? The people in the bar and the crowds watching? The man in the bath and his emotionality?
12. Memories of Sylvia, at the dance, Meryl falling on him and wanting to marry him, pressurising? Seeing Sylvia, discussions, at the study in the library, going to the beach, her telling him everything? Her father coming and taking her to Fiji? Her continued watching the program? Her ringing up Christof and arguing with him about his control of Truman, her being ready to follow him at the end?
13. Christof and his creating the show, directing and controlling it, improvising, changing the characters' behaviour? His interview and calm exposition of his 'playing God'? The storm, his growing frustration? Blacking out the show? the final confrontation?
14. The film as offering a critique of television and of audiences?
