USA

Synopsis

It is accepted that many Americans believe that television is the only place where you really get noticed, and is thus the ultimate determiner of your value in the world. But Andrew Niccol's script for The Truman Show develops a whole new spin on that idea, imagining a life lived only on television - and entirely for the viewers. Truman Burbank (Jim Carrey) lives in idyllic Seahaven, little suspecting that he is the central -indeed, the only - character in the world's longest running soap opera, now in its 10,909th day, and that all the people around him (including his wife and best friend) are merely actors. As developed by director Peter Weir, The Truman Show has proved that rare double-hitter: a truly original film that has become a major box-office hit. "One of the most spectacularly original American movies in years," wrote David Thomson in Esquire. What is more, he added, in case you should think that Jim Carrey was part of some trick to draw in the crowds, "The Truman Show is unthinkable without Carrey."
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Cast & Crew

Directed by: Peter Weir

Written by: Andrew Niccol

Produced by: Adam Schroeder, Scott Rudin, Andrew Niccol, Edward S Feldman

Cast: Jim Carrey (Truman Burbank), Ed Harris (Christof), Laura Linney (Meryl Burbank), Noah Emmerich (Marlon), Natascha McElhone (Lauren Garland)

Nominations and Awards

  • Screen International Award (for a non-European film) 1998