# Truman Show, The (1998)

### reviewed by
Lars Lindahl

    by Lars Lindahl, high school student
    © 1999 Lars Lindahl
    email: sidspaced@aol.com

    "The Truman Show"
    Starring Jim Carrey, Ed Harris, Laura Linney, Natasha McElhone
    Directed by Peter Weir
    Written by Andrew Niccol
    Grade: A

Jim Carrey plays Truman Burbank, a man who lives in a perfect world with a perfect job and a perfect wife. Little does he know that his life is the center of a 24 hour widely popular television show known as The Truman Show. He is surrounded by actors in one huge dome studio and is constantly watched by a variety of cameras, which are hidden throughout the city.

"The Truman Show" is a creative and enjoyable movie which is wonderfully acted and directed. Jim Carrey, known mostly for his rubber faced gags and his talking rear end, takes a surprising and effective turn to drama as Truman, similar to how Robin Williams has succeeded in the last decade. Carrey is so believable and likeable that you feel shame for his character and cheer him on during the film. He also uses humor to his advantage, making The Truman Show even more entertaining.

Ed Harris gives one of his best performances, as well, as the creator of The Truman Show, who is extremely picky about using the right cameras, the right actors, and the right scenery. Harris adds a powerful god like appearance to the movie as his obsession towards the show and Truman's life for over thirty years makes him a creepy villain unlike the average "bad guy" of current movies.

Peter Weir masterfully directs The Truman Show using unordinary camera angles to emphasize that the cameras are watching Truman no matter where he goes. Weir also creates a magnificent set from an elaborate city to a sea that never seems to end. He cleverly displays advertisements in random places and errors of the show's production ( a studio light falls from the sky) reminding the viewer that it is live television and some faults will occur. Throughout the movie he asks the viewer whether the city should continue to entertain the world or if it should halt for the sake of one innocent, unknowing man. The Truman Show is not your ordinary movie. Its detailed 1984-ish plot, its powerful acting, and its phenomenal directing make it one of the best movies of the 1990's.

    © 1999 Lars Lindahl

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