The Truman Show Parent Guide

I have great difficulties in reviewing this film, as the whole premise is based on the viewer being unaware of the situation. I’m sure most readers by this point have seen or heard something about the story, but in case you haven’t, I’ll keep plot details to a minimum.

Truman Burbank (Jim Carrey) is an ordinary guy who sells insurance. We watch him interact with his wife and the world around him, but something isn’t quite right. His perfect little community seems a little too perfect, and as an audience we see much of Truman through small openings, giving us the feeling we are eavesdropping on his life. As we follow Truman through the few days that are covered in the film, he—and we—finally recognize the real truth of what’s happening.

This truth is the film’s secret, and it has interesting implications on the real world. It’s a truth that deals with us accepting the continuing presence of electronic media in our lives, and how we as an audience hold a responsibility for the handful of “celebrities” the media decides to shine its lights upon. While satisfying our insatiable appetites for glimpses into the private world of others, we often forget the costs inflicted on movie stars, politicians, princesses, and even the ordinary man.

On another level, those with religious views may detect a more subtle theme. There is a creator in Truman’s world named Christof, who, at his pleasure, directs the events that transpire in Truman’s life for his own gain.

But for no other reason, The Truman Show deserves a serious look just because it’s a unique, masterfully written and edited film that has very little sexuality or profanity. It explores an important issue in our society, and most amazing of all, it stars Jim Carrey and I liked it.

About author

Rod Gustafson

Rod Gustafson has worked in various media industries since 1977. He founded Parent Previews in 1993, and today continues to write and broadcast the reviews in newspapers, on radio and (of course) on the Internet. His efforts also include writing and researching media in all its forms and observing how it effects society and culture. He and his wife Donna have four children.