Reviews

The Truman Show is both an entertaining and thought provoking film. Its philosophical themes bring up important issues about what reality truly is, while its comedic approach keeps the audience laughing. The acting of Jim Carrey and Ed Harris add an extra element of enjoyment as they portray their perspective roles. The movie will keep you thinking, laughing, and begging to know what life holds for Truman. If you want a more extensive review from audiences and viewers check out Rotten Tomatoes.

 

Katie Gallagher

Extreme Product Placement

Among the strangest aspects of Truman’s life as an unknowing reality television star is the constant product placement. From the knives they use, to the beer and hot chocolate they drink a character is constantly promoting products. Throughout the film, these updates highlight the falsity that is Truman’s life. The lack of control he has over his life extends even into small details such as the beer he drinks. While we realize this occurs to Truman because he is on television, it may be saying something about consumerism in general. Perhaps the product placement says something about those who buy the products. Do we really have control over what we buy? Or are we as consumers to corporations comparable with Truman to Christof?

Check out some this video of the hilariously, obvious product endorsements throughout the film!

Katie Gallagher

 

Philosophical Theme: Descartes

The Truman Show, although a highly entertaining movie, has many connections to philosophical themes. By creating this false sense of reality in Seahaven, the movie presents an interesting idea about perception and reality. René Descartes, a famous philosopher, began asking questions about what reality was in his book Meditations. In order to begin to understand his place in the world Descartes first needed to gain an understanding of knowledge and truth. The journey that Descartes must endure on his quest for understanding reality is parallel to Truman’s determination to discover the truth about his own so-called reality. Descartes’s themes of discovering knowledge and seeking truth to understand one’s actuality are present throughout the Truman Show.

In Meditations, among the early assertions the Descartes makes is that he does not know what reality is. Descartes is certain that he has allowed himself to be muddled or fooled into believing certain truths, but he decides to end this path of deception. Descartes chooses to abandon his past knowledge in order to discover what is really true. Among the first types of knowledge Descartes discards is a posteriori knowledge, or knowledge that is acquired through experience. He reasons that this type of knowledge is subject to bias and falsehood that occurs from his own mind, not from any truth. He believes that he must discard his opinions because they were derived from the senses, which are deceptive and untrustworthy.

Similarly to Descartes skepticism of his a posteriori knowledge, Truman begins to doubt what he believes as well. After seeing his father, who he knows to be dead, Truman is uncertain about his life and the people who are in it. Truman begins to test the citizens of Seahaven and comes to the conclusion that he sees “loose threads, false steps and notices many ‘slips of the tongue.’” He becomes skeptical of even his own wife and holds a knife to her in hopes of gaining certainty. He begins to feel as though there is a plot and “everyone seems to be in on it.” Although Truman does not question every aspect of his reality, like the physical objects and composition of it, he no longer believes anything to be genuine. Similar to Descartes, Truman begins to doubt everyone around him. Truman’s abandonment of his posterior knowledge and his skepticism for the people around him is largely similar to Descartes method of doubt in uncovering reality.

As well as having similar methods in discovering what is real, Descartes provides an explanation of why Truman was forced into this false reality. In Meditations, Descartes presents the idea that an evil genius, or “malevolent demon” exists in order to deceive humans. This description of the evil genius is similar to that of Christof, the director and creator of The Truman Show. Christof is the person who created the concept of the television show in which Truman is trapped. Christof chooses the characters, the weather, and the circumstances of Truman’s life and keeps him from reality. Christof deceives Truman into believing that Seahaven is his reality. Christof is successful in his deception for 30 years of Truman’s life. It is not until Truman, like Descartes, begins questioning the life he lives can he discover the truth.

While Seahaven and all who inhabit it are a falsity, the one truth that Truman holds onto is that he is real. While the circumstances of his life may be planned and plotted, Truman has a mind, he has thoughts and doubts, and he therefore exists. No matter what falsity he may have believed, Descartes confidently asserts that he is a thinking being. He is able to doubt and question his reality and therefore he must have a mind that can reason. Descartes famous statement, “I think, therefore I am,” becomes the Archimedean point, or the basis of knowledge. This point is one that is crucial for The Truman Show. For, no matter how uncertain Truman was about those around him, he never doubts the realness of himself. The Truman Show, and Truman’s discovery of reality have strong similarities to Descartes Meditations. Although reality is a difficult concept to understand, both Descartes and Truman do so by doubting, asking questions, rejecting past knowledge, and remembering their own existence.

Katie Gallagher

Want to Learn More about Philosophy? Buy the Books!

If you are interested in learning more about these philosophers check out their books on Amazon. The philosophical analysis of The Truman Show has been connected to Meditations, Ethics, Pragmatism, I and Thou

Katie Gallagher

Character Quiz

Find out which character from The Truman Show you are! Take the quiz.

Katie Gallagher

Character Analysis: Christof

Christof (Ed Harris), the director and creator of The Truman Show, displays qualities of being both a genius and an exploiter. Christof creates the most successful television show in the world based on the concept of following the life of Truman Burbank from his birth to his death. He constructs an illusionary world for Truman to live in by creating a massive set and hiring actors. He produces and designs a reality for Truman to exist in. Christof, although a creative mastermind in television production, alienates Truman by treating him as a commodity rather than a person.

During an exclusive interview, Christof describes how Truman came to be the star of the acclaimed television show. He explains that of five babies, all from unwanted pregnancies, Truman was the first to be born. He was adopted by the television corporation and was immediately put in front of the cameras. The 30-year run on the television show generates a yearly income that is greater than the gross national product of some small countries. Christof has developed the use of product placement throughout the show to generate profits. The entire show that Christof has created is done so at the expense of Truman. Christof choose the life that Truman was forced to live, and has manipulated every aspect of his life for profits. Truman is treated as a commodity not as a human and Christof is to blame. Any and every person that Truman has ever known or loved, including his wife, parents, and best friends, was all plotted and controlled by Christof.

This way in which Christof treats Truman would be cause for serious concern to philosopher, Martin Buber. In Buber’s book “I and Thou,” he examines human life as it relates to society. Buber asserts that exteriority plays a larger role than other philosophers may have believed. He holds beliefs that humans are all connected to one another. Human’s are not self-sufficient beings, but rather require others to gain an understanding of him or herself. Buber also explains that there are two styles of comportment to other beings in the world, I-Thou and I-It. I-Thou is living one’s life through encounter. In other words, we begin a relationship with a being or object and see it as a whole. We can value this being for all that it is and has to offer. I-It, however, is the breakdown of a being into its sums. When this I-It relationship exists, the being is not seen for all that it is. Distinguishing these comportments is crucial for Buber’s idea known as “the sickness.” Buber believes that humans live in an age of alienation due to everyone treating others as I-It. People do not see each other for their whole beings, but rather only parts of who they are. Christof is a prime example of a human who has “the sickness” based on the way he treats Truman.

In an effort to continue his television show, Christof views Truman in the I-It style. Christsof is willing to force Truman into total alienation. He hires actors and actresses who are only ever able to see Truman in the I-It style. Truman is no more than an object that they trick and control simply to make a profit. Christof’s obsession to continue the show without considering its consequences to Truman proves Christof has only a partial view of Truman. Christof exploits Truman by treating him only as a commodity rather than a person.

Despite his ingenuity in television broadcasting, Christof is a part of “the sickness.” He embodies Buber’s notion of being a person who only looks at the I-It in life. Christof is a self-centered and selfish character. He does not view Truman and his entire being, as a human, but rather as a way to create success. Truman is alienated due to Christof’s selfishness. Christof is responsible for continuing “the sickness” that is alienation.

Katie Gallagher

 

Interested? Watch the Trailer

Check out the trailer and find out what it’s all about!

Katie Gallagher

The Truman Show Awards

The Truman Show was popular among critics when it was released in 1998. It received three Academy Award nominations in 1999 for Best Actor in a Supporting Role, Best Director, Best Writing- Screenplay Written Directly for the Screen. Although The Truman Show did not snag any awards at the Academy Awards, the film took home three at the Golden Globes. These included Best Performance by an Actor, awarded to Jim Carrey, Best Performance by an Actor in a Supporting Role, awarded to Ed Harris, and Best Original Score, awarded to Burkhard von Dallwitz and Philip Glass. Check out the rest of its nominations at IMDB. And watch Jim Carrey’s acceptance speech below.

Katie Gallagher

Summary: Contains Spoilers

Truman Burbank (Jim Carrey) appears to be living a perfectly normal life on Seahaven Island. He spends his days strolling around the perfectly groomed suburbia, working at an insurance company, drinking beers with his best friend (Noah Emmerich) and spending time with his wife, Meryl (Laura Linney). Truman has lived a happy, peaceful, and ordinary life; except for the fact that he is unknowingly the star of a reality television show.

The creator and director of the show, Christof (Ed Harris), films Truman 24 hours 7 days a week. Seahaven is really the world’s largest set located in the Hollywood Hills and Truman’s family and friends are hired actors and actresses. Every aspect of Truman’s life has been filmed and broadcasted worldwide, from his birth to his bathroom routines.

For 10,908 days Truman is unsuspecting and oblivious to the reality of his life. Although minor mistakes are made, such as Truman hearing a radio transmition of his location, Christof can easily cover them. However, Truman begins to ask questions when he sees his father, who he believed had drown, walking through town. His father is quickly dragged away by townspeople. Truman begins to suspect that someone is hiding something from him. He starts testing boundaries and even attempts to leave Seahaven, only to be stopped by a “nuclear spill.”

After experimenting to see how townspeople react to spontaneous actions, Truman decides to confront Meryl. He holds a knife to her and she eventually begs for help. After this incident, Christof pulls Merly from the show to leave Truman alone in his house.

That evening, Truman pretends to sleep in his basement in order to fool the cameras. He sneaks out of his basement via a secret tunnel in hopes of leaving Seahaven to discover answers. When the crew realizes Truman is missing, Christof demands that every cast member try and hunt him down. Christof and the crew eventually locate Truman on his sailboat. Christof demands the crew to create a storm in the hopes of scaring Truman back to Seahaven.

Determined to obtain answers, Truman shows that he is willing to die instead of return to his life. Eventually the bow of Truman’s boat pierces the edge of the set. As he looks towards the large EXIT sign, Christof suddenly begins speaking to Truman over the sound system. He explains to Truman that life outside of Seahaven is no more a reality than what he has experienced for the past 30 years. After brief consideration, Truman speaks his catchphrase, “in case I don’t see you…good afternoon, good evening, and good night,” one final time.

After Truman’s exit, Christof and the crew cease transmission of their beloved show. The loyal viewers begin to celebrate and cheer Truman’s escape. Truman is able to live his life as a free man.