The Truman Show

March 19, 2005 - Jim Carrey, Laura Linney and Ed Harris star in this 1998 movie about the ultimate TV reality show. Paul Giamatti, who went on to star in Sideways, also appears.

Carrey plays Truman, an insurance salesman living in the idyllic world of Sea Haven Island. Linney plays his wife. Thing is, Sea Haven Island is a giant biosphere of a TV studio run by a producer named Christof (Harris). Starting with his birth 30 years ago, Truman's every move has been watched by millions of people around the world. Everyone in Truman's life is an actor, even his parents, his wife and his best friend.

Everyone is in on the secret except Truman. He has no idea that his life is being controlled until strange things start happening. A studio light falls from the sky, he hears control room chatter on the car radio, he starts noticing that the same car passes the same point at the same time every day.

So, Truman decides to see what lies beyond his life-long home of Sea Haven. The producers try to thwart his attempts to find the truth but, ultimately, Truman proves that a person's desire to control his own life is very strong.

Overall review: I don't feel right giving this movie an actual "star" rating. I watched it on TV. There were commercials, phone interruptions and a brief nap or two. So, I can't say I watched the entire movie.

But, I watched enough to get the gist. And, it raises very interesting questions about human nature and about our own lives. The thing I wonder, though, is will Truman be better off in the real world? He's the ultimate reality TV star, so he'll still be watched by millions. The only difference is, this time he'll know he's being watched. Is that better, or is ignorance really bliss?