The Truman Show

The Truman Show was one of those rare films that are both disturbing and delighting at the same time. Jim Carrey stars as Truman Burbank, a 30-something year old man who has lived in the town of Seahaven all of his life. 

The big secret is, however, that the town of Seahaven is completely made up for the purposes of a reality TV show. All of the people in Truman’s life, including his closest friend and wife, are hired actors. The film is not blatantly a dystopia, however it warns against media influence throughout the entire movie.  The essay Unmasking the Real? Critique and Utopia in Recent SF Films states that The Truman Show focuses “on the television’s role in the production of an illusory reality”. These messages are relayed through a dark sense of humor that support the message of falseness of reality TV. 

The same essay compares the film to reality TV shows that actually exist such as Survivor and Big Brother, where hidden cameras are aplenty. Although the people in these shows know that they are being filmed, the concept is relatively the same. When Truman starts to become suspicious that he is being watched, actors that he knows as friends or family are sent to try and ease his conscience. Despite their efforts, Truman still escapes from the utopian world he was set up to live in. We see Christof and his crew manipulating Truman’s world throughout the entire movie, where we see how much of a false reality his life really is. When he finally tricks them and gets to the edge of the dome, he simply escapes. We as the film’s audience do not see him having any larger self-realization, just like the essay says. 

What I found to be really compelling about this film was how it displays many of the ideals that occur in reality television today. As I said before, we see Christof manipulating Truman’s world and attempting to adjust and deal with Truman’s own life choices in order to still be in control of the outcome the producer’s want. In order to keep the show running and entertaining, the outcome must be something the audience wants. Then, the audience feels like the show is authentic, while it is completely staged by the producers despite the “characters” free will. 

Additionally, the film shows the power of the media. The Truman Show is televised 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 365 days a year, for the duration of Truman’s life since birth. People are truly addicted to this show, even sleeping with the TV on while Truman sleeps as well. His life inspires audiences, therefore making a huge impact on their lives because they think what happens in the show is real and authentic. Like in the reality TV shows that are broadcasted in our homes, The Truman Show fakes reality and influences audiences based on false premises. Unfortunately, these things work because humans accept so many things without a question.