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The Truman Show (1999) [Full Reaction] (Patreon)

Published:
2026-04-02 06:00:09
Edited:
2026-04-03 01:13:20
Imported:
2026-08
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Long review from me with this one and I feel like I could still talk about it! Jim Carrey is a great actor and I'm very happy to have finally watched this movie. The worst sitcom ever? 😅 I hope you enjoy the reaction and I'm looking forward to your comments! 🥰

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The Truman Show (1999) | Full-Length Watchalong Reaction

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Great movie we watched in my psychology class at uni pretty crazy how accurate it was to the word we are living in. Also tv show recommendation, Jury Duty. It's a real world show where every one is an actor except one person. Funny and worth the watch.

Chris Thom

Not that anyone particularly cares, but I saw this for my 13th birthday at the theater, and have loved it ever since. Was very, very surreal to Jim Carrey in a dramatic role like this at the time. But it definitely cemented his position as a huge story. Also love Laura Linney.

Movies with KL

I bet it was! I think many comedians have a real talent in acting dramatically.

Chris Thom

He and Kate Winslet were really good in Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind as well. Feel like you may have mentioned it before on here, but not entirely sure. But it's well worth seeing if it's not on the channel already.

Tyler Foster

The Truman Show was directed by the legendary retired filmmaker Peter Weir. In his homeland of Australia, he made the classics The Cars That Ate Paris (1974), Picnic at Hanging Rock (1975), The Last Wave (1977), Gallipoli (1981), The Year of Living Dangerously (1982). These were well-received enough for him to come to America, where he made movies you will probably recognize: Dead Poets Society (1989), Witness (1985), and Master and Commander: The Far Side of the World (2003). He also is a contemporary and friend of George Miller, the creator of Mad Max and Babe (the spiky VW bug that cues the first vehicular action scene with Furiosa in Mad Max: Fury Road is a homage to The Cars That Ate Paris). My potentially controversial opinion is this: The Truman Show is a very good movie with great direction and great acting...that save a mediocre screenplay. Andrew Niccol is the writer/director of a couple of well-liked movies, the three most popular probably being this, Gattaca (1997), and Lord of War (2005) (which is getting a 20-years-later sequel that just finished filming). I don't know all the details, but my understanding is that the script went through some incredibly wild revisions; apparently there were 16 drafts done before Weir agreed to make the movie, and it was darker, with staged crimes to make the world seem more realistic, and there was a whole confrontation between Truman and Christof in person at the end, on a rooftop, and it might've even involved Truman holding Christof at gunpoint. I read while writing this comment that there was originally a scene where a rape is staged, and Truman doesn't take action, leaving the actors to wonder why he didn't step into to help. That's an insane thing for Niccol to have come up with, especially if Truman's inaction remains an ambiguous question mark about his personality (which seems to be the case). In the end, I find the movie dramatically and emotionally convincing, which is more important, so I can acknowledge that the movie is good, but the way the illusion fails in the film is frustrating to me for two reasons. The first level is pretty basic: why aren't the crew prepared for any of this? I think it would be better and more believable if every time Truman tried to leave or something went wrong, they were like a well-oiled and pretty convincing machine, with *just* enough leeway for Truman to be left with a nagging feeling that something weird is happening. For example: what is the purpose of having those pedestrians circle the neighborhood that Truman lives in? It makes sense as an indication of artificiality, but that doesn't explain why the show would want them to do that. The movie suggests that on-screen advertising is part of what keeps it afloat, which I buy, but frankly, wouldn't it be even better if every person and business in Seahaven were actually just...doing their jobs? That would create an internal economy that would also help support the show. For example, a show like this has to have a set medic, and in this case many of them, so it seems like the local hospital should just be real. Even if the actors know they're actors, it creates a perfect cover if one of them gets injured: they go to the hospital. Instead of the actor playing a bus driver not knowing how to drive a bus, there should be fake ways of making the bus break down. Everything about the way "The Truman Show" is fake is so obvious and clunky that it makes it hard to buy they managed to keep the illusion going for 30 years. More importantly, this stuff undermines Christof's belief that what he is making is real. To some extent, sure, the fact that he's wrong is the point of the story, but the entire plotline with Meryl completely betrays his own internal logic. To me, it makes more sense that Christof is willing to let Truman choose anyone as a romantic partner. Truman meets Sylvia, they have a quick romance -- doesn't have to be any longer than the scenes in the film now -- and she actually realizes *because* of this romance that she is betraying him by allowing him to continue on inside this illusion (perhaps because he explains his dream of traveling and experiencing as much of the world as possible), at which point Christof has no choice but to step in to preserve the illusion. Instead of Meryl being forced on Truman, it could just be that he meets her after Sylvia is gone and settles for her, which is really not much different than the movie is now. In any case, I think Christof is a more interesting character if he really is trying to achieve what he believes is the least-artificial reality (even though it isn't) rather than just a lazy hypocrite; it would make his statement that Truman may prefer the artificial reality of the show more convincing. I also think it would be a rich detail that could be explored for the character that Sylvia's abruptly-ended romance with Truman is "on the Greatest Hits tape," that one of the times he had to step in and destroy his own illusion is one of the most memorable moments of the show. Not only does it underline the fact that what he's creating *is* an illusion, but it could be paid off at the end, by giving Christof some sort of expression or moment of epiphany when he realizes that Truman is being more real by making a choice to leave than Christof could ever achieve. In any case, as mentioned, I do think the drama of the movie holds up even if the specifics are silly, so the movie works. No matter how many nitpicks I have, Truman saying goodbye is always moving. Thanks, Peter Weir! I absolutely do *not* think Meryl has a single shred of compassion for Truman. In the way Laura Linney performs it, there is the clear implication that she will get some kind of massive, massive payday or reap some sort of publicity benefit if she has Truman's child. Even from their first meeting in the high school flashback, she's trying too hard; she's looking for a career, not a partner or a friend. On the other hand, another thing I learned while writing this is that there are deleted scenes backing up your contention that Marlon actually cares about Truman. Apparently there was a deleted scene where Marlon does find Truman before he gets on the boat, and lets him go, because he can't bring himself to lie to him again.

Death Lego

I love the headcanon. I was thinking towards the end. Imagine the diabolical sequel that never got made. One of the best courtroom dramas ever made, where Truman has to further fight for his freedom. Fighting against the corporation that claims they own him. Because who could really claim that his adoption was anything else than slavery. It's not hard to believe that in a world that lets this so publicly happen to him for 30 years. They wouldn't litigate the freedom he's never had against lost revenue. That would definitely have had plenty of scenes of placard waving supporters outside the courthouse too. We didn't need this horrendous vision of the next stage of his life, I prefer yours. But let's have a fun thought experiment all the same. Who would have played his lawyer?

Movies with KL

Interesting thoughts, thank you! This definitely could have been a darker movie. To your point: "Everything about the way "The Truman Show" is fake is so obvious and clunky that it makes it hard to buy they managed to keep the illusion going for 30 years.", I'll say that I can believe it. Truman has only known this environment and he has absolutely nothing to compare it to. This is his normal and even if there was something "wrong" that happened here and there in these 30 years that we as viewers could easily pick up on and see as a big sign that things were off, I doubt that Truman would have noticed or realized if it was just a one-off. For the purposes of this movie and telling the story, I think they had to make a bunch of errors happen in quick succession to make the story entertaining for us viewers, but thinking about what this would be like in reality, I think that it was probably pretty smooth sailing for the crew and actors, with just the occasional hiccup. Truman lived in a routine and structure (as many of us do) and that's easy to work with. While they hired actors to commit to this for the real long-haul (like Marlon), people moving in and out of the neighbourhood every few years (rotating actors) would be common. I imagine that the job listings for The Truman Show stated that you'd have to commit to a certain period of time if you wanted to have the job. As for your question, "Why aren't the crew prepared for any of this?", I think it's pretty believable that they're not prepared for this level of chaos. While there were those three weird things that happened (light falling from sky, rain just over Truman, and the radio broadcasting the crew), I think that Truman's illusion really started falling apart to him because of his Dad's actor getting onto the set unauthorized (and I'd love to know how he managed to do that) and getting himself in front of Truman. He hadn't been on the show in like 20 years. I don't think the crew ever expected a situation like that to happen. His Dad's actor likely watched the show, so he'd know Truman's routine and know exactly where to put himself to be seen. Once that happened, that gave Truman a very personal reason to start paying even more attention to his environment and to be spontaneous. I don't think Truman had ever tried to "escape" before this, because 1) It wouldn't have been escaping to him because he didn't know he was in something like this, and 2) If he had tried to leave before this to go on a trip or a holiday, it seems like he was the type of person to accept any type of roadblock that prevented him from doing it. Truman would have probably just considered himself unlucky (and the actors around him like his friends and family would have echoed the same to him and then they would have done their typical lines of encouraging him to stay at home and that travel is dangerous). I don't blame the actors themselves for being unprepared for Truman's spontaneity. I really enjoyed those scenes, especially the ones with actors who ended up having to talk to Truman directly, because you could tell they were confused about what they were supposed to do. If actors were newer to the set, they'd really have no clue. It's hard to know if they were being fed lines in that moment or if they had to improv it themselves. I think they would have had some sort of plan for something like this, due to the few hiccups in the past, but even if you have a plan it doesn't always mean it will work out. I actually think what the crew/actors did to try to make things go back to normal were good ideas, but Truman was already hellbent on uncovering all of this so it just didn't work on him (and I'm so proud of him). I also think that Truman approaching his 30s was a big reason that he was successful with this. The man has adulted for a whole decade without ever travelling (while always knowing that people do come and go from Seahaven Island) and he's probably worked the same job for most of that time too. He's in a marriage that isn't great, while being surrounded by people who are, in his eyes, "happy". Not suggesting a true mid-life crisis, but something close to that. Aww, that deleted scene with Marlon would have been awesome if they had kept that in. The last thing I'll say is in response to "Wouldn't it be even better if every person and business in Seahaven were actually just...doing their jobs? That would create an internal economy that would also help support the show." What's the draw for people to watch the show if it were that? Isn't the point of this show is that a human has been birthed and raised in a curated set environment only surrounded by actors? If you start replacing actors with regular people, the show loses it's show vibe. And not everyone who does "normal jobs" can act and not everyone is good in entertainment. I also think the risk is so much higher for Truman's illusion to be wiped when you bring in regular people instead of actors. I think The Truman Show was intended to land somewhere between "reality TV" and "sitcom". Truman is the only "reality TV" part of it though. Everyone else is the "sitcom".

Movies with KL

Fun thought experiment! Since this movie came out in 1999 and one of my favourite shows of all time, The O.C., started in 2003 and in that show, Peter Gallagher's character is a lawyer, I'd have to go with him. 😅

Movies with KL

I did mention it on the weekly schedule post, as a reply to Clay! Eternal Sunshine is my favourite Jim Carrey role. I've definitely seen that movie far too many times to be able to do a proper reaction to it. I watched it a lot in my early 20s. It's been at least 5 years since I've seen it last. I'm due for a re-watch.

Steve Mercier

"This means that Truman can't even masturbate in peace!" Brilliant. You know, I'm not the biggest Jim Carrey fan. His whole rubber-face-look-at-me-I'm-gonzo-as-fuck schtick wears pretty thin really fast for me. A few exceptions aside--including this, Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind (my favorite Jim Carrey movie), and...yes, Dumb and Dumber and Me, Myself & Irene--his catalogue just isn't for me. This one I feel works somewhat in spite of his rubber-face schtick--maybe it works with it to a degree, because he's a quirky star of a tv show, I guess. The concept is just so good, the supporting cast is pitch perfect, and the director (Peter Weir), is just such a go-for-broke legend, that this movie kind of can't fail. Okay...Jim Carrey's more than a little good in this. He manages to get us all behind him; and, that ain't nothing. Oh: and the sound of the growling Dalmation haunts my dreams. Anyway...good shit.

Movies with KL

I've seen Dumb and Dumber, but it was not for me back in the day. I'd like to give it a re-watch at some point though.

Steve Mercier

It's...soooooooooooo stupid. I mean, it's right in the title. But...it makes me laugh. So be it.

Tyler Foster

I will say that I agree the movie could make something out of the notion that the actors have become accustomed to Truman's consistency, and that having to deal with Truman breaking his habits throws them a little. That would provide at least a little evidence to support Christof's claim that Truman "prefers his prison," if routine is comforting to him and part of what makes him so watchable is that he is a relatively straight arrow. I think what muddles the illusion is that they *do* have contingency plans, but there is no insight into why some of them don't go as smoothly as they ought to. For example, when Truman is attempting to leave Seahaven by car, they pull down one road, and cars magically appear to block them in. However, they then immediately leave in order for him to escape 30 seconds later, which not only doesn't make sense but barely seems logistically possible, and of course, if they could swoop in that fast once, why don't they do it again? I agree with your interpretation of the moment with the dad. I like the light falling, which is simple, easy to understand and believe, and is mysterious and evocative. I would probably cut the thing with the rain, which seems a little more broadly goofy in the same vein as the quick cars, and let the light alone be a prelude to the dad arriving. In any case, I admit that these small details aren't fundamental problems that derail the movie, as most could be fixed very quickly (say, during the traffic bit, that the houses around them have lawns without fences, and he just drives across a couple to get around the cars), but to me they reveal a writer that has not thought out the logistics of their premise in the way I would like. Even if much of the thought put into these details is never articulated directly to the audience, or enough to derail the core of the story, I would definitely prefer to feel like this sort of stuff was taken into consideration, because I just think it makes the movie better. It's very similar to the principle of not wanting to make the obstacles your hero faces dumber, but make your hero smarter. I would also say that the nitpicks and my issues with Christof as a character are one and the same. Since you didn't mention it, it seems like you agreed with that part more, but to me, they're two sides of the same coin. The nitpicks are less individually important as they are a reflection of a character who doesn't strike me as very well thought out. For me, the whole core of the movie is that Truman aspires to live a genuine life, and Christof mistakenly thinks he's already given him one, and even if Truman has nothing to compare it to, Truman clearly enters the movie with an air of melancholy, an awareness that his dreams are going unfulfilled. I don't mind the "Leave It to Beaver" vibe of Seahaven (especially because they shot it on location in a real Florida town, so there's literally a real world place that looks exactly like it), but I get the sense that for you the "sitcom" element is part of Christof's artistic vision, whereas I think I would say that's Weir, and also not mutually exclusive with Christof believing that he has still given Truman the space to be his truest self, even in a world that is idealized and a little retro. As for the "normal jobs" thing, a couple of thoughts. I'm not sure what you mean by "what's the appeal for the viewer" -- a good 75%-95% of the people in Seahaven will never be on screen except by chance, because the narrative is solely following Truman, and anyone else only gets on screen through interactions with him. The viewer will probably never think about the vast majority of the people who live there. Beyond that, as mentioned, it just feels like a good way to disguise things that are essential within the world of the show. The set must need upkeep, so it will need maintenance workers and landscapers and firemen and people who may not be actual police officers (because who knows how law works in "The Truman Show") but who represent that on set up to a certain point, all of whom can be pulling double duty not just attending to production upkeep, but in the rare case that Truman or one of the other cast members needs those services, someone who can actually do it. Other jobs will be able to project one thing and do another: for example, if there were a call center in Seahaven, it could secretly be used for taking phone orders for a "Truman Show" fan club. A local restaurant that Truman books a dinner reservation at could secretly ship in a world-class chef as promotion for restaurants outside of Seahaven. Hiring people for this would actually be quite easy. In the real world, there are enough small-time actors living paycheck to paycheck who have done other jobs who would clamoring to book a gig like "The Truman Show," even if it meant doing a version of a traditional job, just because the nature of the show means it's guaranteed consistent pay AND (hopefully) free housing, since they have to live there, for however long they can stand to do it, on top of which maybe they get to interact and "perform" with one of the most famous television personalities of all time. If you're already working at Starbucks, you'd probably rather be doing it in Seahaven. I would imagine these people get to ask for more because they're being hired as actors and people who keep the world of Seahaven running. Best of all, since most of these people will not be regulars, they can decide they've had enough and just act as if they've moved away. As far as integrating actors, you only need to hire a couple on-screen performers for key businesses. In the restaurant, for example, you'd probably hire a waiter and a manager, which would be the two people interacting directly with Truman, whereas there is no expectation that the kitchen staff would be on-camera, or any waiter not attending to Truman.

Clay F

I am not a huge fan of most Jim Carey movies. I liked him with the Wayan brothers in the TV series "In Living Color" (1990-1994). Watching that when aired was a weekly event for me and my wife in our house. Friends would come over to join in watching.

Vincent Hollow

I would 1000% support that Truman v. Christof lawsuit. Bro would be stacked, because let's be honest, they would totally win that case. Fuck Christof. And I can't believe I never considered the masturbation scenario after all these years! 🤣🤣🤣🤣

Bryan Dempsey

I found your continued comparison of Truman to social media very interesting. Definitely not what I first think of. When this movie first came out cell phones were still luxury items. MTV invented reality tv with, “The Real World” in the early 90’s and I see The Truman Show as reality tv to the extreme. But now half of the programming on television is reality tv and cell phones have become social media platforms. I find this movie disturbing and prescient. Truman never had privacy and Meryl was effectively prostituting herself. We now live in a society where people put on displays for a voyeuristic audience who are waiting for them to misspeak or lose the facade long enough to point fingers and turn against the very person that was entertaining them just yesterday. People have willingly given up privacy in an effort to attain privilege. While Christof argued Truman was genuine, everything he experienced, every decision he was shepherded. Which lines up with your point on social media influencers and their kids, they lead an inauthentic life. It’s sad to think about. Both the people putting their kids into that environment and their followers getting off on it. I can only imagine what social media and reality tv will be like in another 20+ years.