1998

I've frequently wondered what my life would look like as a movie or television show. Every so often I get the feeling that a camera somewhere might be giving me my closeup, so I exaggerate my actions a little bit - give that movie star grin - and put an "I-mean-business" spring in my step. But it's all just fooling around. No one would ever really believe that their entire existence - everything they know - is in fact an elaborate fabrication, not in order to enslave the human race or some other high science fiction concept, but rather that they are being broadcast 24 hours a day as a reality television phenomenon. All your friends are actors, even your wife, and the major events of your life are influenced so as to get the best ratings. Now that's scary! And it's exactly what Truman Burbank is experiencing in the Truman Show, a fresh, original movie that asks a lot of tough questions and illuminates some pleasant (and extremely unpleasant) qualities of humanity. We pick up observing Truman (along with several different people all over the world who are addicted to the show) just a little before he begins to wonder about some things. He's getting itchy feet and wants to leave his town, but the coincidences preventing his departure become odder and odder until Truman slowly begins to suspect an overarching conspiracy. Ultimately, it will be a test of intelligence, courage, and spirit for Truman to either break free from his doll-house world or remain enslaved for the entertainment of everyone else. Functioning as a drama, a comedy, and a frighteningly astute satire of our society, The Truman Show is provides countless topics for discussion and introduces some weighty concepts within its neat, colorful tale. I suspect that it may actually become more interesting on subsequent viewings. Performances are strong all around. This is something everyone should probably see at least once.