The Truman Show

The Truman Show is a 1998 American psychological comedy-drama film written and co-produced by Andrew Niccol, and directed by Peter Weir. The film depicts the story of Truman Burbank (played by Jim Carrey), a man who is unaware that he is living his entire life on a colossal soundstage, and that it is being filmed and broadcast as a reality television show that has a huge international following. All of his friends, family and members of his community are paid actors whose job it is to sustain the illusion and keep Truman unaware about the false world he inhabits.

The movie's supporting cast includes Laura Linney, Ed Harris, Noah Emmerich, Natascha McElhone, Holland Taylor, Paul Giamatti, and Brian Delate.

Niccol's original spec script was more of a science-fiction thriller, with the story set in New York City. Producer Scott Rudin purchased the script and set up production at Paramount Pictures. Brian De Palma was to direct before Weir signed as director, making the film for $60 million—$20 million less than the original estimate. Niccol rewrote the script while the crew was waiting for Carrey to sign. The majority of filming took place at Seaside, Florida, a master-planned community located in the Florida Panhandle.

The Truman Show held its world premiere in Los Angeles on June 1, 1998, and was released in North America on June 5. The film was a financial success, grossing $264 million worldwide, debuting to critical acclaim, and earned numerous nominations at the 71st Academy Awards, 56th Golden Globe Awards, 52nd British Academy Film Awards, and 25th Saturn Awards. The Truman Show has been analyzed as an exploration of simulated reality, existentialism, surveillance, metaphilosophy, privacy, and reality television, and described as a genre-blending work that features elements of dystopian fiction, meta fiction, psychological drama, romantic comedy, satire, and social science fiction.

Selected at birth and legally adopted by a television studio following an unwanted pregnancy, Truman Burbank is the unsuspecting star of The Truman Show, a reality television program filmed and broadcast worldwide, 24/7, through approximately five thousand hidden cameras.

Truman's hometown, Seahaven Island, is set inside an enormous soundstage in Los Angeles, which allows Christof, the show's creator and executive producer, to control most aspects of Truman's life, including the weather. Truman's world is populated by actors and crew members who serve as his community while carefully keeping him from discovering the truth. They also earn revenue for the show through cleverly disguised product placement. To prevent Truman from escaping, Christof has orchestrated various scenarios, such as the "death" of Truman's father in a boating accident to instill thalassophobia (fear of deep bodies of water), and has the cast reinforce Truman's anxieties with messages about the dangers of traveling and the virtues of staying home.

Though the producers intend for Truman to fall in love with and marry a woman named Meryl, Truman develops feelings for Sylvia, an extra. Sympathetic to Truman's plight, she tries to tell him the truth, but is fired and forcibly removed from the set before she can convince him. Truman eventually marries Meryl, but their relationship is stilted and passionless, and he secretly continues to imagine a life with Sylvia and dreams of traveling to Fiji, where he was told she had moved. Meanwhile, in the real world, Sylvia joins "Free Truman", an activist group that calls for Truman's liberation.

As the show approaches its thirtieth anniversary, Truman begins to notice unusual occurrences, such as a stage light falling from the sky, an isolated patch of rain that falls only over him, a radio transmission describing his movements through town, and the reappearance of his father, who is rushed away by crew members before Truman can confront him. Inferring that the city somehow revolves around him, Truman begins questioning his life and asking who he sees as his closest confidants to help him solve the mystery.

Truman's suspicions culminate in an attempt to escape the island, but increasingly implausible occurrences block his path. Eventually, he is caught and returned home under a flimsy pretext. There, he confronts Meryl and challenges the sincerity of their marriage. A panicked Meryl tries to change the subject with a product placement, causing Truman to snap and hold her at knifepoint. Meryl breaks character to call for help and is removed from the show.

Hoping to bring Truman back to a controllable state, Christof reintroduces his father to the show under the guise of him having developed amnesia after the boating accident. The show regains its ratings, and Truman seems to return to his routines. One night, however, Christof discovers that Truman has begun sleeping in his basement. Disturbed by this change in behavior, Christof sends Truman's best friend Marlon to visit and discovers that Truman has disappeared through a makeshift tunnel in the basement. Christof suspends the broadcast for the first time in its history, leading to record viewing numbers.

Christof orders a citywide search for Truman and is soon forced to break the production's day-night cycle to optimize the hunt. Truman is found sailing away from Seahaven, having conquered his fear of water. Christof resumes the transmission and creates a violent storm in an attempt to capsize Truman's boat. Truman nearly drowns, but he continues to sail until his boat strikes the wall of the dome. Horrified, Truman looks around and finds a staircase leading to an exit door. As he contemplates leaving, Christof speaks to Truman directly, revealing the truth about the show and encouraging him to stay by claiming that there is no more truth in the real world than in his artificial one. In response, Truman utters his catchphrase: "In case I don't see ya, good afternoon, good evening, and good night," bows to the audience, and exits. Viewers around the world celebrate Truman's escape, and Sylvia races to greet him. The executive producers end the program with a shot of the open exit door, leaving Christof devastated. After the broadcast ends, Truman's viewers look for something else to watch.

Andrew Niccol completed a one-page film treatment titled The Malcolm Show in May 1991. The original draft was more in tone of a science fiction thriller, with the story set in New York City. Niccol stated, "I think everyone questions the authenticity of their lives at certain points. It's like when kids ask if they're adopted." In the fall of 1993, producer Scott Rudin purchased the script for slightly over $1 million. Paramount Pictures agreed to distribute. Part of the deal called for Niccol to make his directing debut, though Paramount executives felt the estimated $80 million budget would be too high for him. In addition, Paramount wanted to go with an A-list director, paying Niccol extra money "to step aside". Brian De Palma was under negotiations to direct before he left United Talent Agency (UTA) in March 1994. Directors who were considered after De Palma's departure included Tim Burton, Sam Raimi, Terry Gilliam, David Cronenberg, Barry Sonnenfeld and Steven Spielberg before Peter Weir signed on in early 1995, following a recommendation of Niccol. Bryan Singer wanted to direct but Paramount decided to go with the more experienced Weir.

Weir wanted the film to be funnier, feeling that Niccol's script was too dark, and declaring, "where [Niccol] had it depressing, I could make it light. It could convince audiences they could watch a show in this scope 24/7." Niccol wrote sixteen drafts of the script before Weir considered the script ready for filming. Later in 1995, Jim Carrey signed to star, but because of commitments with The Cable Guy and Liar Liar, he would not be ready to start filming for at least another year. Weir felt Carrey was perfect for the role and opted to wait for another year rather than recast the role. Niccol rewrote the script twelve times, while Weir created a fictionalized book about the show's history. He envisioned backstories for the characters and encouraged actors to do the same.

Weir scouted locations in Eastern Florida but was dissatisfied with the landscapes. Sound stages at Universal Studios were reserved for the story's setting of Seahaven before Weir's wife Wendy Stites introduced him to Seaside, Florida, a "master-planned community" located in the Florida Panhandle. Pre-production offices were immediately opened in Seaside, where the majority of filming took place. The scenes of Truman's house were filmed at a residence owned by the Gaetz family, which included Florida State Senator Don Gaetz and U.S. representative Matt Gaetz. The scene at the Seahaven Nuclear Power Station was filmed outside the front entrance of the Lansing Smith Generating Plant at Lynn Haven, operated then by Gulf Power. Other scenes were shot at Paramount Studios in Los Angeles, California. Norman Rockwell paintings and 1960s postcards were used as inspiration for the film's design. Weir, Peter Biziou and Dennis Gassner researched surveillance techniques for certain shots.

Though Robin Williams was considered for the role of Truman, Weir cast Carrey after seeing him in Ace Ventura: Pet Detective, citing that Carrey's performance reminded him of Charlie Chaplin. Gary Oldman did test footage for the role. Carrey took the role so he would be known as a multifaceted actor, rather than being typecast in comedic roles. Carrey, who was then normally paid $20 million per film, agreed to do The Truman Show for $12 million. Carrey also said it was the fastest that he ever accepted a role. Carrey brought his own innovations to the role, including the idea for the scene in which Truman declares "this planet Trumania of the Burbank galaxy" to the bathroom mirror.

The film started production with Dennis Hopper in the role of Christof, but he left in April 1997 soon after filming began. Hopper later stated that he was fired after two days because Weir and producer Scott Rudin had made a deal that if they did not both approve of Hopper's performance, they would replace him. A number of other actors turned down the role after Hopper's departure, until Ed Harris agreed to step in. Harris later stated that he pitched the notion of making Christof a hunchback, but Weir did not like the idea.