Better than Carrey's usual, but doesn't live up to the hype

Rating: 6/10 (14 February 1999)

While it's certainly refreshing to see a movie with Jim Carrey in it that doesn't involve rectal rhetoric and other childish antics, I was disappointed that The Truman Show failed to live up to the extreme ballyhoo that preceded it. Certainly it would be difficult for any movie to shine under those circumstances, but a better effort would've been nice. A simplistic plot that could've been explored fully in a Twilight Zone episode (and, I think, probably was). Intentionally bad acting by Burbank's "supporting cast" was off-putting, as was the logical inconsistency of the basic premise: that the dreary details of an excruciatingly boring life could be the source of endless fascination for millions of viewers. Certainly enough to make your average Jerry Springer devotee ponder, but for the rest of us, come on!