Dear Truman,
You’ve got guts.
You were patient zero of the Too Much Information Age, born and raised on live television, your life laid bare for 24/7 streaming, even while you slept. You’re the ultimate media experiment, a person raised inside a television screen, no permission necessary.
You lived on a set populated by actors who were paid to adore you. After all, they were employees of the corporation that adopted you, and everyone knows you have to be nice to the boss’s son.
You were manipulated into believing the rest of the world was Too Dangerous, and your father’s untimely death by drowning was scripted to give you a paralyzing fear of water. This gave producers a secure feeling that you would never abandon their squeaky-clean seaside community of Seahaven.
You lived in a 1950s-style-American petrie dish but didn’t know it, couldn’t know it. The show’s creator, Christof (Ed Harris), was unconcerned about how patently obvious everything was.
“We accept the reality of the world with which we’re presented,” he said. “It’s as simple as that.”
Indeed, you were made for television, as we see in The Truman Show (1998). People in the Real World gathered in bars to watch you on the screens and cheer you on, like they would a playoff game. It was All Truman, All The Time and television audiences couldn’t get enough of you.
Yet, even though you lived a sheltered life, you weren’t stupid. Many things about your life were strange and, once you developed suspicions, the show’s producers and crews could no longer outwit you. You were On To Something which gave you momentum and riveting entertainment for audiences.
Until that episode when you left.
Truman with mother (Holland Taylor, L) and wife (Laura Linney). Image: Plejmo
The guts it would take to leave.
To forsake everything you’ve known – everything – and trade it for the Great Unknown, where you’re not assured of love nor shelter nor employment. In this abyss, you’ll have no immediate resources or finances, only your intense but temporary fame. You’ll likely receive endorsements and lucrative media contracts, until the cameras are packed away.
Then what.
Will you long for Seahaven during times of darkness and uncertainty, where you knew the world and your place in it? Life there was tidy; here, life is messy.
Adjusting will not be easy, and it’s possible you many never fully adjust. You were a prisoner in a world of Safety and Order, and that doesn’t prepare one for anything.
You may be overcome by moments of paranoia: Are they still watching me? If so, will this affect the choices you make in life?
However, there will be payoffs, and they’ll be worth it. You’ll discover a planet big enough to engage your curiosity, and you’ll develop relationships with folks who aren’t paid to like you – and wouldn’t accept the money if offered.
We desperately want this for you, because when we see you step out of your sanitized-climatized world, we’re reminded of what Freedom means.
Hopefully, your fame will be boiled down to a reduction of Ordinary Life with people you love and pursuits that aren’t thwarted. May your stolen life be returned tenfold.
And may your fame subside so much, that in the bars where people used to toast you as a sporting event, someone will occasionally raise a glass and say, “Here’s To Truman What’s-His-Name.”
♣
This post is part of THE REEL INFATUATION BLOGATHON hosted by Font and Frock, and yours truly.
The Truman Show: starring Jim Carrey, Ed Harris, Laura Linney. Directed by Peter Weir. Written by Andrew Niccol. Paramount Pictures, 1998, Colour, 103 mins.
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Although not billed as such, for me, THE TRUMAN SHOW is one of the most frightening horror movies ever made.
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I completely agree. And this nightmare becomes more relevant with each passing year, no?
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Ooh, I love your perspective on Truman. I never really considered how the effects of his choices will impact him later. It does make him appear much braver than I ever thought him.
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Thanks! I can’t imagine how betrayed a person would feel in a situation like this, and how you’d have to re-learn what you thought you knew. The last time I saw this film, I wondered if Truman would face the same kind of issues that defectors from North Korea face…
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Fabulous tribute to a fabulously eerie and hauntin Jim Carrey film, adored him in this and The Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind.
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Oh yes, I loved him in Eternal Sunshine, too! He’s a terrific dramatic actor, isn’t he? He has a way of breaking your heart.
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I prefer him much SO more in those dramatic roles than his zany whacky silly ones.
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I love your letter to Truman. It is something he needs. This is a movie I avoided until fascinating pulled me in and it started occupying the part of my brain where the nightmares live.
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Note: Spelling error or “fascination.”
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This film does have a way of sticking to a person, doesn’t it? It has Hollywood shine and Super Happy Colours, but with dark themes.
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How lovely to see this treatment of The Truman Show. I loved that movie — so insightful and deep, and so timely! It was one of those films that made me appreciate Jim Carrey as a real actor.
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Yes, me too. I was skeptical, at first, but I became quickly engrossed in Truman’s life and didn’t even see Jim Carrey the actor. Well, except for the scene in front of the bathroom mirror.
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Ooooh I saw that movie! Such a great performance by Carrey. A wonderful post!
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Thanks! Jim Carrey is pitch-perfect here, I think. I watch this film quite a bit. So much to admire in it.
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Your post makes me think a sequel might be a good idea. If placed in the right hands.
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Yes, IF placed in the right hands, indeed.
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I should add something original but basically what everyone said above. I need to get to your posts faster haha.
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Haha! You always add something original.
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😃
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I’m raising my glass now. To Truman and to you for this post!
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Thanks so much! *clink!*
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That was beautiful! You made me want to rewatch The Truman Show with a new perspective, this that the film is an ode to freedom and to taking risks.
Thanks for co-hosting this great blogathon!
Kisses!
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Thanks, Le! I really get a lot out of this film. And thanks for joining us for the blogathon. It’s always a party when you’re around. 🙂
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Aww, your choice of Truman reveals as much about you as it does about him. You’re a swell gal, Ruth. Lovely post and many thanks for co-hosting the blogathon.
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Marsha, your comment made me a little verklempt. Thank you so much for stopping by. 🙂
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Thank you for this truly amazing post, Ruth! I remember renting this on DVD and loving it (whilst also being appalled, for obvious reasons). I haven’t seen it since then, but I need to rectify that soon. It’s more relevant than ever. Thanks for being the best co-host ever! Cheers to you AND to Truman.
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Indeed, The Truman Show is more relevant than ever. Thanks for the opportunity to cohost! 🙂
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