A good film instead of an American classic.

Rating: 9/10 (14 November 2007)

This film is admirably original in its premise but its execution leaves something to be desired. With Andrew Niccol's deftly original screenplay, "The Truman Show" had the potential to be an American classic along the lines of Paddy Chayefsky's "Network." Instead, director Peter Weir elected to make a high concept Hollywood comedy with bankable funnyman Jim Carrey as his star.
The story unravels in a somewhat choppy manner coveting easy laughs instead of fully realizing the satirical power at its core. In fact, the comedy, specifically, the cutaways to "show viewers" and the interview segment with the "creator", is rather banal and uninspired.
As for Jim Carrey, to his credit, he does a fine job balancing comedy and drama, particularly in the film's climactic rite of passage.