Today’s movie of the day is: The Truman Show
The thing most people don’t understand is this isn’t supposed to be a comedy movie featuring Jim Carrey. It is suppose to be a movie featuring Jim Carrey, which is a big difference, given his hits before The Truman Show such as Dumb and Dumber and The Mask. Many say it was Jim Carrey’s first step into a serious role, although the movie was marketed as a comedy.
While any movie goer can tell you there are parts in just about every movie that should make anyone laugh, be it a dumb line or just a well placed gag, this movie has heart in it, forcing laughs to the back burner. The film follows the life of Truman Burbank, perhaps a little too closely. Truman was adopted at birth, and placed into the fictional city of Seahaven to be recorded 24 hours a day, 7 days a week for a TV Show. Everyone else in town is just a simple actor, while Truman believes it is all reality.
Truman grows past his thoughts of reality and seeks freedom from Seahaven, with the simple desire to visit Mount Fiji. This is where the movie starts getting interesting, as you see Truman’s past through a series of flashbacks, allowing you to empathize with the character being trapped by a greedy corporate producer.
Ed Harris gives a great performance as the TV Producer Christof, while Paul Giamatti commands the screen in the most simplest of roles, really showing the depth of the actor. All in all I recommend the film to just about anyone who is looking to kill a few hours, but if you decide to miss it, not all is lost. It’s charm is present, and leaves a lasting impression, but it isn’t anything to write home about.
