The Truman Show
3 Oscar Nominations·National Film Registry
Rent/Purchase
In a picture-perfect seaside town, an insurance salesman begins to realize that his entire existence may be staged and observed by a vast unseen audience as part of a long-running real-time reality TV show.
What critics thought
One of the most acclaimed films of 1998, The Truman Show was praised for balancing sharp satire, genuine comedy, and emotional depth in ways that felt both crowd-pleasing and genuinely unsettling. Jim Carrey's restrained dramatic performance surprised nearly everyone, drawing comparisons to Tom Hanks and James Stewart rather than his usual comic-chaos mode. The few dissenting voices didn't reject the film outright but questioned whether its high concept was as smart as it appeared, or whether it fully delivered on its comic promise.
“The Truman Show is emotionally involving without losing the ability to raise sharp satiric questions as well as get numerous laughs. The rare film that is disturbing despite working beautifully within standard industry norms.”
Kenneth Turan·Los Angeles Times
“Undeniably provocative and reasonably entertaining, The Truman Show is one of those high-concept movies whose concept is both clever and dumb.”
Jonathan Rosenbaum·Chicago Reader
“not being the casual summer blockbuster with special effects”
James Berardinelli·ReelViews
“something rewarding in its quirky demeanor”
Tom Meek·Film Threat
Genres
Comedy, Drama
Cast & Crew
DirectorPeter Weir
StarringJim Carrey, Laura Linney, Noah Emmerich, Natascha McElhone, Holland Taylor
ComposerBurkhard von Dallwitz
The Truman Show
3 Oscar Nominations·National Film Registry
In a picture-perfect seaside town, an insurance salesman begins to realize that his entire existence may be staged and observed by a vast unseen audience as part of a long-running real-time reality TV show.
What critics thought
One of the most acclaimed films of 1998, The Truman Show was praised for balancing sharp satire, genuine comedy, and emotional depth in ways that felt both crowd-pleasing and genuinely unsettling. Jim Carrey's restrained dramatic performance surprised nearly everyone, drawing comparisons to Tom Hanks and James Stewart rather than his usual comic-chaos mode. The few dissenting voices didn't reject the film outright but questioned whether its high concept was as smart as it appeared, or whether it fully delivered on its comic promise.
“The Truman Show is emotionally involving without losing the ability to raise sharp satiric questions as well as get numerous laughs. The rare film that is disturbing despite working beautifully within standard industry norms.”
Kenneth Turan·Los Angeles Times
“Undeniably provocative and reasonably entertaining, The Truman Show is one of those high-concept movies whose concept is both clever and dumb.”
Jonathan Rosenbaum·Chicago Reader
“not being the casual summer blockbuster with special effects”
James Berardinelli·ReelViews
“something rewarding in its quirky demeanor”
Tom Meek·Film Threat
Genres
Comedy, Drama
Cast & Crew
DirectorPeter Weir
StarringJim Carrey, Laura Linney, Noah Emmerich, Natascha McElhone, Holland Taylor
ComposerBurkhard von Dallwitz
Rent/Purchase