Search - The Truman Show on DVD

MPAA Rating: PG Content Advisory: Adult Situations, Questionable for Children, Adult Humor Movie Release: 1998 DVD Release: 01/26/1999 Format: DVD - Enhanced Wide Screen Letterbox for 16x9 TV Edition: Special Collection Audio Tracks: English, French Subtitles: English SwapaDVD Credits: 1 Number of Discs: 1 Run Time: 1 hrs 43 mins Studio: Paramount Total Copies: 5 Genres: Comedy Drama, Psychological Drama, Media Satire See Also: The Truman Show, The Truman Show [Special Collector's Edition], The Truman Show [Blu-ray], Truman Show [Circuit City Exclusive] [Checkpoint], The Truman Show [Blu-ray]

Peter Weir directed this comedy-drama, a commentary on all-pervasive media manipulation. Scripted by Andrew M. Niccol (Gattaca), the film plays like a combination of the British TV series The Prisoner and Paul Bartel's The Secret Cinema. Truman Burbank (Jim Carrey) is unaware that his entire life is a hugely popular 24-hour-a-day TV series. In this real-time documentary, every moment of Truman's existence is captured by concealed cameras and telecast to a giant global audience. His friends and family are actors who smile pleasantly at Truman's familiar catchphrase greeting, "In case I don't see you later, good afternoon, good evening, and good night!" Employed at an insurance company, Truman is married to merry Meryl (Laura Linney), and they live in the cheerful community of Seahaven, an island "paradise" where the weather is always mild and no unpleasantness intrudes. This is the basic situation of the series, which has grown over the years into a billion-dollar franchise for the TV network. As an unwanted pregnancy, Truman was adopted by the network and raised in the zoolike environment of a TV soundstage. Thus, the TV audience became hooked when Truman was very young. Now, at age 30, he still doesn't know he's a prisoner on an immense domed city-size soundstage, simulating Seahaven. Both the illusion and the ratings will collapse if Truman ever leaves Seahaven. In addition to elaborate events staged to make sure he stays put, Truman is given constant reminders of how wonderful Seahaven is compared to dangers in other parts of the world. However, his growing suspicions make him curious enough to try to leave, and the show's director and master manipulator Christof (Ed Harris) must constantly devise ways to thwart Truman's escape attempts. To enter the harbor, Truman must overcome his fear of water, intentionally instilled in him when his father "died" in a boating accident and was written out of the script. Exteriors were filmed in the Victorian-styled upscale community of Seaside, Florida. In addition to the Burkhard Dallwitz score, original music by Philip Glass and classical excerpts are also featured. ~ Bhob Stewart, All Movie Guide

Jim Carrey - Truman Burbank
Laura Linney - Meryl
Ed Harris - Christof
Noah Emmerich - Marlon
Natascha McElhone - Lauren/Sylvia

If there has ever been a DVD release that has missed out on a supplement-filled special edition, Paramount's disappointing =Truman Show disc is the one. The picture and sound quality are adequate in non-anamorphic widescreen -- the film should be matted to a 1.85:1 ratio, but appears closer to a 1.66:1 ratio -- and Dolby Digital Sound, but the rest of the disc leaves something to be desired. The impressive full-motion menus suggest what could have been, but except for two theatrical trailers, the disc has nothing left to offer. The half-hour, tongue-in-cheek "mockumentary" about the show within the movie, made for the film's appearance on pay cable using leftover footage, would have been a valuable inclusion, as would a commentary by director Peter Weir or writer Andrew Niccol (the latter's perspective would be especially interesting, since the original script changed dramatically between the page and the screen). It's odd that such a media-conscious film features no behind-the-scenes material. Paramount has started revisiting some of its early releases as special editions, but it's unclear whether or not The Truman Show will ultimately get the treatment it deserves. Until then, the disc is sadly only worth a rental. ~ Oliver Thornton, All Movie Guide