The Truman Show (1998)

User Rating:

7.9/10   

Director:

Peter Weir

Writer (WGA):

Andrew Niccol (written by)

Release Date:

5 June 1998 (USA)

Genre:

Drama | Sci-Fi

Tagline:

All the world's a stage...

Plot:

An insurance salesman/adjuster discovers his entire life is actually a TV show.

Plot Keywords:

Cult Favorite | Spatial Loop | Boat Accident | Insurance Agent | No Opening Credits

Awards:

Nominated for 3 Oscars. Another 29 wins & 34 nominations

Cast

Jim Carrey	...	Truman Burbank
Laura Linney	...	Meryl Burbank / Hannah Gill
Noah Emmerich	...	Marlon
Natascha McElhone	...	Lauren / Sylvia
Holland Taylor	...	Truman's Mother
Brian Delate	...	Truman's Father
Blair Slater	...	Young Truman
Peter Krause	...	Lawrence
Heidi Schanz	...	Vivien
Ron Taylor	...	Ron
Don Taylor	...	Don
Ted Raymond	...	Spencer
Judy Clayton	...	Travel Agent
Fritz Dominique	...	Truman's Neighbor
Angel Schmiedt	...	Truman's Neighbor

Also Known As:

Truman Show, Die (Austria) (Germany) [de]
A Vida em Directo (Portugal) [pt]
Show Truman, Le (Canada: French title) [fr]
Show de Truman (Una vida en directo), El (Spain) [es]
Show de Truman - O Show da Vida, O (Brazil) [pt]
Show de Truman, O (Brazil) [pt]
The Truman Show (Argentina) [es]
The Truman Show (France) [fr]
The Truman Show (Denmark) [da]
Truman Show (Poland) [pl]
Truman Show (Turkey: Turkish title) [tr]
Trumani show (Estonia) [et]
Trumanov show (Slovenia) [sl]

MPAA:

Rated PG for thematic elements and mild language.

Runtime:

103 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Sound Mix:

DTS | Dolby Digital

Certification:

Brazil:Livre (DVD rating) | Philippines:PG-13 | South Korea:12 | USA:PG (certificate #34959) | Argentina:13 | Australia:PG | Belgium:KT | Brazil:12 | Chile:TE | Denmark:11 | Finland:K-12/9 | France:U | Germany:12 (bw) | Hong Kong:I | Iceland:L | Ireland:PG | Mexico:A | Netherlands:12 | Peru:PT | Portugal:M/12 | Singapore:PG | Spain:T | Sweden:11 | Switzerland:7 (canton of Geneva) | Switzerland:7 (canton of Vaud) | UK:PG

Filming Locations:

Florida, USA

Company:

Paramount Pictures

Trivia:

Various trailers included scenes that were deleted from the theatrical and DVD releases: A cast read-through (a sign on the wall warns "ATTENTION: 1. REMOVE CELLPHONES. 2. NO SCRIPTS ON SET. 3. NO I.D. CARDS ON SET"); a visible tear in the "sky" after a stage light falls on the "street" in front of Truman's house; Truman singing the Planet Trumania anthem.

Goofs:

Crew or equipment visible: When Truman is backing up from the "traffic jam", toward Atlantic City, Truman's driver side mirror shows a brace attached to the car for some kind of equipment.

Quotes:

[first lines]
Christof: We've become bored with watching actors give us phony emotions. We are tired of pyrotechnics and special effects. While the world he inhabits is, in some respects, counterfeit, there's nothing fake about Truman himself. No scripts, no cue cards. It isn't always Shakespeare, but it's genuine. It's a life.

Movie Connections:

Referenced in This Girl's Life (2003)

Soundtrack:

Wiegenlied (Lullaby)

Lawn Mowing At Its Best

"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.