The Truman Show (1998)
• Jim Carrey (Star)
• On the page a text has only words to stimulate
the reader’s response.
• On film, performances bring the story to life in a
critical way.
• Who plays a part, and how it is played, are crucial
to the success of the film.
The Truman Show (1998)
• Jim Carrey (Star)
• The choice of Jim Carrey for the central role of
Truman Burbank was a crucial one. Carrey was
best known in Hollywood for his many zany comic
roles, such as Ace Ventura: Pet Detective (1994)
and Dumb and Dumber (1994).
• Although he is celebrated for his highly physical
form of comedy and his elastic face, he also has
the intelligence to play a straight character – and
his charm was useful to the role
The Truman Show (1998)
• Jim Carrey (Star)
• The toothy grins in which Carrey specialises and his bodily energy
well match the idea of the show (and Seahaven) as ‘feel good’
reality TV.
• All – at least on the surface – is cheer and wholesomeness
• But the quieter Carrey, glimpsed in scenes like the flashback to the
‘drowning’, express a totally different idea – the emptiness behind
the mask of all-American happiness.
• There is also a boyish innocence brought to the role by Carrey,
which perfectly suits the notion of a man naïve enough to be the
unwitting subject of a TV show
The Truman Show (1998)
• Ed Harris (Supporting Star)
• Ed Harris was a seasoned veteran, like Laura Linney, with a
strong career already behind him by the time he was cast as
Christof.
• Strong performances in The Right Stuff (1983, where he
played square-jawed pioneer astronaut John Glenn, and
critically acclaimed roles both onstage and in adaptation of
David Mamet’s Glengarry Glen Ross (1992) and later in The
Firm (1993) and Apollo 13 (1995) had made him a household
name.
The Truman Show (1998)
• Laura Linney (Supporting Star)
• Supporting actors are equally well cast and just as important
as the main star(s).
• Laura Linney has played a variety of dramatic roles throughout
her career , including Lorenzo’s Oil (1992) and Primal Fear
(1996).
• The dominant impression however is her all-American blonde
good looks. Hers is the ideal face for an ‘apple pie’ American
wife – Meryl Burbank aka Hannah Gill. Even her dimples work
to underpin the (false) innocence of the role.
The Truman Show (1998)
• Natasha McElhone (Supporting Star)
• She studied at the London Academy of Music and Dramatic Art for
three years, graduating in 1993, before beginning her career in the
theatre.
• She debuted on British television in a episode of Bergerac (1991) and,
three years later, played an army officer in A Breed of Heroes (1994) , a
BBC drama production. Other television credits include two episodes
of Absolutely Fabulous (1992 and 1994)
• Her career really took of in 1996 where she made her film debut in
Surviving Picasso (1996), starred in the acclaimed Dennis Potter TV
mini-series Karaoke (1996) and also appeared opposite Brad Pitt and
Harrison Ford in The Devil’s Own (1997).
The Truman Show (1998)
• Noah Emmerich (Supporting Star)
• Born and raised in New York City, he attended Yale University,
where he sang with a capella group the Yale Spizzwinks. He
attended NYU Film School where he wrote and directed an award
winning short film called "The Painter"
• Emmerich had already starred in a variety of different supporting
roles in some of America’s greatest television shows (NYPD Blue)
before starring in the cult hit Beautiful Girls (1996) and the star
studied Copland (1997).
• He is considered a real "actor's actor," noted for his understated,
subtle realism and his deep emotional presence on screen. His
older brother is film Producer Toby Emmerich.
The Truman Show (1998)
• Other Supporting Stars
• The skills of a good director and casting director allows the film to
be filled not only with strong central stars but also strong
supporting actors. The Truman Show has a lot of minor roles that
were filled by seasoned actors these included:
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Paul Giamatti (Control Room Director)
Adam Tomei (Control Room Director)
Harry Shearer (Michael Michaelson)
Phillip Baker Hall (Network Executive)
Peter Krause (Lawyer)
Brian Delate (Truman’s father)
Holland Taylor (Truman’s mother)
Joel McKinnon Miller (Garage Attendant – audience member)
Research Task
• Using this PowerPoint as a guide, research the
main stars of The Truman Show (1998) and
make notes in the spaces provided that offer
you with any additional information you think
is relevant or that you may use to revise or
write about in relation to the final exam
• Try to find any information in relation to
stereotyping/typecasting
The Truman Show (1998)
• The speech and behaviour of other characters in Truman’s world such as
his family, friends and the wider community of Seahaven indicate to the
target audience that we are watching something which is not following the
conventions of the film world as we know it.
• Discussion Points and Tasks
• Think about the speech and behaviour of Meryl, Truman’s wife. In what
television genre would you expect to see this? What about that of their
neighbours and acquaintances?
• Does Truman himself talk and act differently to the rest of the
community? Comment on this?
• Which of the characters in Truman’s world would you say are stereotypes?
What effect does this have?
The Truman Show (1998)
• Discussion Points and Tasks
• Think about the names of the principal characters in ‘The Truman Show’ Truman, Meryl, Marlon, Christof What impression do we get of each
character?
• What genre would you say the world of Seahaven is reminiscent of? Does
this change within the film?
• Several characters are involved with product placement in the show. What
products can you remember as being advertised? How does this add to
the atmosphere of Seahaven?
• Discuss and create a short scene involving three characters in which a
product is advertised. Aim to make the advertising fit in as naturally as
possible, as Meryl tries to do in ‘The Truman Show
The Truman Show (1998)
• Discussion Points and Tasks
• Think about the names of the principal characters in ‘The Truman Show’ Truman, Meryl, Marlon, Christof What impression do we get of each
character?
• What genre would you say the world of Seahaven is reminiscent of? Does
this change within the film?
• Several characters are involved with product placement in the show. What
products can you remember as being advertised? How does this add to
the atmosphere of Seahaven?
• Discuss and create a short scene involving three characters in which a
product is advertised. Aim to make the advertising fit in as naturally as
possible, as Meryl tries to do in ‘The Truman Show
The Truman Show (1998)
• Task / Discussion Point
• Explore the different ways that myths are revealed and
highlighted throughout the film. Think about the presentation
of family, society and culture.
• In what ways is the film a comment upon and disguised
depiction of birth?
• What biblical imagery surrounds the character of Christof?
• Apply Propp’s Theory to the central characters within the film.
Use the spaces provided on this sheet if you simply wish to
write their role next to their picture.