The Truman Show is a 1998 Americanpsychologicalcomedy-drama film[2] written and co-produced byAndrew Niccol, and directed byPeter Weir. The film depicts the story of Truman Burbank (played byJim Carrey), a man who is unaware that he is living his entire life on a colossalsoundstage, and that it is being filmed and broadcast as areality television show that has a huge international following. All of his friends, family and members of his community are paid actors whose job it is to sustain the illusion and keep Truman unaware about the false world he inhabits.
Selected at birth and legally adopted by a television studio following anunwanted pregnancy, Truman Burbank is the unsuspecting star ofThe Truman Show, areality television program filmed and broadcast worldwide, 24/7, through approximately five thousand hidden cameras.
Truman's hometown, Seahaven Island, is set inside an enormous soundstage inLos Angeles, which allows Christof, the show's creator andexecutive producer, to control most aspects of Truman's life, including the weather. Truman's world is populated by actors and crew members who serve as his community while carefully keeping him from discovering the truth. They also earn revenue for the show through cleverly disguisedproduct placement. To prevent Truman from escaping, Christof has orchestrated various scenarios, such as the "death" of Truman's father in a boating accident to instillthalassophobia (fear of deep bodies of water), and has the cast reinforce Truman's anxieties with messages about the dangers of traveling and the virtues of staying home.
Though the producers intend for Truman to fall in love with and marry a woman named Meryl, Truman develops feelings for Sylvia, anextra. Sympathetic to Truman's plight, she tries to tell him the truth, but is fired and forcibly removed from the set before she can convince him. Truman eventually marries Meryl, but their relationship is stilted and passionless, and he secretly continues to imagine a life with Sylvia and dreams of traveling toFiji, where he was told she had moved. Meanwhile, in the real world, Sylvia joins "Free Truman", an activist group that calls for Truman's liberation.
As the show approaches its thirtieth anniversary, Truman begins to notice unusual occurrences, such as a stage light falling from the sky, an isolated patch of rain that falls only over him, a radio transmission describing his movements through town, and the reappearance of his father, who is rushed away by crew members before Truman can confront him. Inferring that the city somehow revolves around him, Truman begins questioning his life and asking who he sees as his closest confidants to help him solve the mystery.
Truman's suspicions culminate in an attempt to escape the island, but increasingly implausible occurrences block his path. Eventually, he is caught and returned home under a flimsy pretext. There, he confronts Meryl and challenges the sincerity of their marriage. A panicked Meryl tries to change the subject with a product placement, causing Truman to snap and hold her at knifepoint. Merylbreaks character to call for help and is removed from the show.
Hoping to bring Truman back to a controllable state, Christof reintroduces his father to the show under the guise of him having developed amnesia after the boating accident. The show regains its ratings, and Truman seems to return to his routines. One night, however, Christof discovers that Truman has begun sleeping in his basement. Disturbed by this change in behavior, Christof sends Truman's best friend Marlon to visit and discovers that Truman has disappeared through a makeshift tunnel in the basement. Christof suspends the broadcast for the first time in its history, leading to record viewing numbers.
Christof orders a citywide search for Truman and is soon forced to break the production's day-night cycle to optimize the hunt. Truman is found sailing away from Seahaven, having conquered his fear of water. Christof resumes the transmission and creates a violent storm in an attempt to capsize Truman's boat. Truman nearly drowns, but he continues to sail until his boat strikes the wall of the dome. Horrified, Truman looks around and finds a staircase leading to an exit door. As he contemplates leaving, Christof speaks to Truman directly, revealing the truth about the show and encouraging him to stay by claiming that there is no more truth in the real world than in his artificial one. In response, Truman utters his catchphrase: "In case I don't see ya, good afternoon, good evening, and good night," bows to the audience, and exits. Viewers around the world celebrate Truman's escape, and Sylvia races to greet him. The executive producers end the program with a shot of the open exit door, leaving Christof devastated. After the broadcast ends, Truman's viewers look for something else to watch.
Laura Linney as Meryl, Truman's wife, as portrayed by the in-universe actress, Hannah Gill
Ed Harris as Christof, the creator and director of the in-universe show that Truman lives in
Noah Emmerich as Marlon, Truman's best friend, as portrayed by the in-universe actor, Louis Coltrane
Natascha McElhone as Lauren/Sylvia; Sylvia met Truman while playing Lauren, Truman's college schoolmate who was originally just a background character, but who Truman fell for
Holland Taylor as Truman's mother, as portrayed by an in-universe actress
Brian Delate as Truman's father, Kirk, as portrayed by an in-universe actor named Walter (his name is revealed in a deleted scene)
Una Damon as Chloe, Christof's control room assistant
This house inSeaside, Florida, served as Truman's home. The house is owned by the Gaetz family, which includes U.S. politiciansDon andMatt Gaetz.
Andrew Niccol completed a one-pagefilm treatment titledThe Malcolm Show in May 1991.[3] The original draft was more in tone of a science fictionthriller, with the story set in New York City.[4][5] Niccol stated, "I think everyone questions the authenticity of their lives at certain points. It's like when kids ask if they're adopted."[6] In the fall of 1993,[7] producerScott Rudin purchased the script for slightly over $1 million.[8]Paramount Pictures agreed to distribute. Part of the deal called for Niccol to make his directing debut, though Paramount executives felt the estimated $80 million budget would be too high for him.[9] In addition, Paramount wanted to go with anA-list director, paying Niccol extra money "to step aside".Brian De Palma was under negotiations to direct before he leftUnited Talent Agency (UTA) in March 1994.[7] Directors who were considered after De Palma's departure includedTim Burton,Sam Raimi,Terry Gilliam,David Cronenberg,Barry Sonnenfeld andSteven Spielberg before Peter Weir signed on in early 1995,[10][11] following a recommendation of Niccol.[6]Bryan Singer wanted to direct but Paramount decided to go with the more experienced Weir.[12]
Weir wanted the film to be funnier, feeling that Niccol's script was too dark, and declaring, "where [Niccol] had it depressing, I could make it light. It could convince audiences they could watch a show in this scope 24/7." Niccol wrote sixteen drafts of the script before Weir considered the script ready for filming. Later in 1995, Jim Carrey signed to star,[4] but because of commitments withThe Cable Guy andLiar Liar, he would not be ready to start filming for at least another year.[10] Weir felt Carrey was perfect for the role and opted to wait for another year rather than recast the role.[4] Niccol rewrote the script twelve times,[10] while Weir created a fictionalized book about the show's history. He envisioned backstories for the characters and encouraged actors to do the same.[4]
Weir scouted locations inEastern Florida but was dissatisfied with the landscapes.Sound stages at Universal Studios were reserved for the story's setting of Seahaven before Weir's wifeWendy Stites introduced him toSeaside, Florida, a "master-planned community" located in theFlorida Panhandle. Pre-production offices were immediately opened in Seaside, where the majority of filming took place. The scenes of Truman's house were filmed at a residence owned by the Gaetz family, which included Florida State SenatorDon Gaetz and U.S. representativeMatt Gaetz.[13] The scene at the Seahaven Nuclear Power Station was filmed outside the front entrance of the Lansing Smith Generating Plant atLynn Haven, operated then byGulf Power. Other scenes were shot at Paramount Studios in Los Angeles, California.[14]Norman Rockwell paintings and 1960s postcards were used as inspiration for the film's design.[15][16] Weir,Peter Biziou andDennis Gassner researched surveillance techniques for certain shots.[15]
ThoughRobin Williams was considered for the role of Truman, Weir cast Carrey after seeing him inAce Ventura: Pet Detective, citing that Carrey's performance reminded him ofCharlie Chaplin.[10]Gary Oldman did test footage for the role.[17] Carrey took the role so he would be known as a multifaceted actor, rather than beingtypecast in comedic roles.[18] Carrey, who was then normally paid $20 million per film, agreed to doThe Truman Show for $12 million.[19] Carrey also said it was the fastest that he ever accepted a role.[20] Carrey brought his own innovations to the role, including the idea for the scene in which Truman declares "this planet Trumania of the Burbank galaxy" to the bathroom mirror.[14]
The film started production withDennis Hopper in the role of Christof, but he left in April 1997 soon after filming began.[19] Hopper later stated that he was fired after two days because Weir and producerScott Rudin had made a deal that if they did not both approve of Hopper's performance, they would replace him.[21] A number of other actors turned down the role after Hopper's departure, untilEd Harris agreed to step in.[14] Harris later stated that he pitched the notion of making Christof ahunchback, but Weir did not like the idea.[10]
AfterLaura Linney was hired to play the actress pretending to be Meryl, Truman's wife, she studiedSears catalogs from the 1950s to develop her character's poses.[4]
Filming took place from December 9, 1996, to April 21, 1997.[22][23] Its overall look was influenced by television images, particularly commercials: Many shots have characters leaning into the lens with their eyes wide open, and the interior scenes are heavily lit because Weir wanted to remind viewers that "in this world, everything was for sale".[15] Those involved in visual effects work found the film somewhat difficult to make because 1997 was the year many visual effects companies were trying to convert tocomputer-generated imagery (CGI).[16] CGI was used to create the upper halves of some of the larger buildings in the film's downtown set. Craig Barron, one of the effects supervisors, said that these digital models did not have to look as detailed and weathered as they normally would in a film because of the artificial look of the entire town, although they did imitate slight blemishes found in the physical buildings.[24]
The Truman Show: Music from the Motion Picture was composed byBurkhard Dallwitz. Dallwitz was hired after Peter Weir received a tape of his work while in Australia for the post-production.[25] Some parts of the soundtrack were composed byPhilip Glass.[26] Philip Glass also appears in the film playing his composition "Truman Sleeps".
"This was a dangerous film to make because it couldn't happen. How ironic."
Director Peter Weir onThe Truman Show predicting the rise of reality television[14]
Ronald Bishop's paper in theJournal of Communication Inquiry suggestedThe Truman Show showcased thepower of the media. Truman's life inspires audiences around the world, meaning their lives are controlled by his. Bishop commented, "In the end, the power of the media is affirmed rather than challenged. In the spirit ofAntonio Gramsci's concept ofhegemony, these films and television programs co-opt our enchantment (and disenchantment) with the media and sell it back to us."[29][30]
Journalist Erik Sofge surmised that the film's story reflects the falseness of reality television. "Truman simply lives, and the show's popularity is its straightforward voyeurism. And, likeBig Brother,Survivor, and every other reality show on the air, none of his environment is actually real."[31] Weir declared, "There has always been this question: Is the audience getting dumber? Or are we filmmakers patronizing them? Is this what they want? Or is this what we're giving them? But the public went to my film in large numbers. And that has to be encouraging."[6]
In her essay "ReadingThe Truman Show inside out", Simone Knox argues that the film itself tries to blur the objective perspective and the show-within-the-film. Knox also draws a floor plan of the camera angles of the first scene.[32]
a prototypical adolescent at the beginning of the movie. He feels trapped into a familial and social world to which he tries to conform while being unable to entirely identify with it, believing that he has no other choice (other than through the fantasy of fleeing to a far-way island). Eventually, Truman gains sufficient awareness of his condition to "leave home"—developing a more mature and authentic identity as an adult, leaving his child-self behind and becoming aTrue-man.[33]
For the2022 Cannes Film Festival, its official poster pays homage to the film and its final scene with their website stating that "Peter Weir and Andrew Niccol'sThe Truman Show (1998) is a modern reflection ofPlato's cave and the decisive scene urges viewers to not only experience the border between reality and its representation but to ponder the power of fiction, between manipulation and catharsis."[34]
Parallels can be drawn fromThomas More's 1516 bookUtopia, in which More describes an island with only one entrance and only one exit. Only those who belonged to this island knew how to navigate their way through the treacherous openings safely and unharmed. This situation is similar toThe Truman Show because there are limited entryways into the world that Truman knows. Truman does not belong to this utopia into which he has been implanted, and childhood trauma rendered him frightened of the prospect of ever leaving this small community. Utopian models of the past tended to be full of like-minded individuals who shared much in common, comparable to More'sUtopia and real-life groups such as theShakers and theOneida Community.[35] It is clear that the people in Truman's world are like-minded in their common effort to keep him oblivious to reality. The suburban "picket fence" appearance of the show's set is reminiscent of the "American Dream" of the 1950s. The "American Dream" concept in Truman's world serves as an attempt to keep him happy and ignorant.[35]
The Truman Show has themes that can be perceived as being gnostic; with its symbolism and Truman exiting the world clearly showing in the woodcutFlammarion engraving, exiting the world.[36][37] Slowly, Truman realises the truth and he, like the figure in the Flammarion Engraving, explores the artificial seam between the sky and the sea, wondering what might lie beyond the torn canvas.
Originally set for August 8, 1997, the film's theatrical release was pushed back initially to November 14, 1997, and then to the summer of 1998.[38][39]NBC purchasedbroadcast rights in December 1997, roughly eight months before the film's release.[40] In March 2000,Turner Broadcasting System purchased the rights, and now airs the film onTBS.[41]
The Truman Show grossed $125.6million domestically (United States and Canada) and $138.5million in other territories, for a worldwide total of $264.1million,[51] against a budget of $60million.[52] It spent its first two weeks as No.1 at the domestic box office, and its first seven weeks in the Top10.[51]
On thereview aggregator websiteRotten Tomatoes, 94% of 162 critics' reviews are positive, with an average rating of 8.5/10. The website's consensus reads: "A funny, tender, and thought-provoking film,The Truman Show is all the more noteworthy for its remarkably prescient vision of runaway celebrity culture and a nation with an insatiable thirst for the private details of ordinary lives. "[53]Metacritic, which uses aweighted average, assigned the film a score of 90 out of 100, based on 30 critics, indicating "universal acclaim".[54]
Giving the film a perfect four star score,Roger Ebert compared it toForrest Gump, claiming that the film had the right balance of comedy and drama. He was also impressed withJim Carrey's dramatic performance.[55]Kenneth Turan of theLos Angeles Times wrote, "The Truman Show is emotionally involving without losing the ability to raise sharp satiric questions as well as get numerous laughs. The rare film that is disturbing despite working beautifully within standard industry norms."[56] He would name it the best movie of 1998.[57] In June 2010,Entertainment Weekly named Truman one of the 100 Greatest Characters of the Last 20 Years.[58]
James Berardinelli liked the film's approach of "not being the casual summer blockbuster with special effects", and he likened Carrey's "[charismatic], understated and effective" performance to those ofTom Hanks andJames Stewart.[59]Jonathan Rosenbaum of theChicago Reader wrote, "Undeniably provocative and reasonably entertaining,The Truman Show is one of those high-concept movies whose concept is both clever and dumb."[60]Tom Meek ofFilm Threat said the film was not funny enough but still found "something rewarding in its quirky demeanor".[61]
In the decades since its release, the film's exploration of surveillance and manufactured reality has been described as "prescient".[84][85] In 2008,Popular Mechanics namedThe Truman Show as one of the 10 most prophetic science fiction films.[31] In 2023,ACMI chronicled the modern societal developments that were predicted inThe Truman Show, with writer Anthony Frajman noting "it foretold the rise of reality TV, mass surveillance, social media, influencer marketing and our increasing obsession with celebrity," along with "the 24-hour news cycle, product placement, parasocial relationships, the merging of entertainment and news."[84] Journalist Erik Sofje deemed it an eerie coincidence thatBig Brother made its debut a year after the film's release, and he also compared the film to the 2003 programThe Joe Schmo Show: "Unlike Truman,Matt Gould could see the cameras, but all of the other contestants were paid actors, playing the part of various reality-show stereotypes. While Matt eventually got all of the prizes in the rigged contest, the show's central running joke was in the same existential ballpark asThe Truman Show."[31]
The film's set design and setting of Seahaven served as inspiration for future films with similar themes. DirectorGreta Gerwig consulted Weir for the inspiration for Barbie Land in the 2023 filmBarbie, with the idea of creating it as an "interior soundstage world" reminiscent of Seahaven inThe Truman Show.[86] DirectorJon M. Chu cited howThe Truman Show and its setting influenced the thematic portrayal of the Land of Oz in the 2024 filmWicked, saying, "It helps create this idea of the rebelliousness that this new younger generation are discovering ... You start to see the truth about things that maybe you were taught differently."[87]
Joel Gold, a psychiatrist at theBellevue Hospital Center, revealed that by 2008, he had met five patients withschizophrenia (and had heard of another twelve) who believed their lives were reality television shows. Gold named the syndrome "The Truman Show delusion" after the film and attributed the delusion to a world that had become hungry for publicity. Gold stated that some patients were rendered happy by their disease, while "others were tormented". One traveled to New York to check whether theWorld Trade Center had actually fallen—believing the9/11 attacks to be an elaborate plot twist in his personal storyline. Another came to climb theStatue of Liberty, believing that he would be reunited with his high school girlfriend at the top and finally be released from the show.[88]
In August 2008, theBritish Journal of Psychiatry reported similar cases in the United Kingdom.[89] The delusion has informally been referred to as "Truman syndrome", according to anAssociated Press story from 2008.[90]
After hearing about the condition, Andrew Niccol said: "You know you've made it when you have a disease named after you."[91]
Screenwriter Andrew Niccol had pitched a sequel show toThe Truman Show. This was his pitch:[92][93]
There has been talk of doing a musical – believe it or not – or a series. When it's a different art form, I don't think it takes anything away from the original. In my version of a series, I thought it would be fun, if after Truman walked through the sky, the audience clamored for more (which you sense at the end of the film). I imagine there would be a network with multiple channels all starring a subject born on the show. If I set it in New York City, there would be girl living on the Upper East Side, a boy from Harlem, a kid from Chinatown, etc. Since they are all on their own channel and move in their own circles, they are never meant to meet. But at the end of the first season, the boy from Harlem and the rich girl find themselves drawn to each other. They both sense that the other is acting differently from anyone they've ever met...because for the first time, they've met someone who is not acting! (In the second season, the Network would desperately try to kill off their romance.)
^"Turner Broadcasting AcquiresRunaway Bride,Deep Impact,The Truman Show,Forrest Gump and Others in Film Deal With Paramount" (Press release).Business Wire. March 6, 2000.
