weir is well - respected in hollywood for turning scripts with difficult subject - matter into deceptively simple , powerful films , the mosquito coast ( utopia ) and fearless ( post - traumatic stress disorder ) among them .
in the truman show , weir essentially breathes life into the now - tired concept of media - manipulation by tackling the material from the inside - out .
it certainly helps that he has an underrated performer in top - form playing the title character , truman burbank .
by now you must be aware of the premise : unbeknownst to him , truman ( carrey ) is the star of his own tv series , a 24 - 7 peep - show in which he is surrounded by actors and placed in loosely scripted situations ; people around the world tune in for the voyeuristic thrill of his genuine reactions to fictitious stimulants .
` seahaven ' , his hometown , and the show itself , are the brainchild of christof ( harris ) , who presides over his creation in the base of a fake moon , directing over 500 cameras and hundreds of actors and extras .
for 30 years , truman suspects nothing-`we accept the reality we 're given , ' poses christof - but a desire to break free of the sunny town and visit a long lost love in ` fiji ' ( mcelhone , who was actually an actress fired by christof for trying to break the confidentiality agreement ) overwhelms him .
thus , christof and his team suddenly find themselves working twice as hard to keep the veneer of seahaven intact , lest truman discover the world outside and put an end to the highly - rated program .
in a few broad strokes , weir creates a convincing second - reality , and he has the good sense not to bring christof into the picture until almost three - quarters through .
this allows us to comprehend and accept truman 's world before we contextualize it .
for all his madness , christof has shown the world a place without violence and hardship , and demonstrated that a human being can function well within it .
truman is an inspiration to his audience because he grew up to be , well , so darn nice ; like a sibling ( or , perhaps more appropriately , a caged animal in an interactive zoo ) , they want to see him succeed .
the surrealistic soap opera is completely plausible thanks to a tight screenplay and a sympathetic carrey - he really is an everyman here , abandoning his facial contortions in favour of a credible , wide - eyed bewilderment .
cinematically , the truman show is impeccable , stylishly photographed by peter biziou and littered with symbolic images .
as well , it employs wojciech kilar 's piece " zycie za zycie
' masterfully and beautifully .
if the film has any flaws , one may find them in laura linney 's characterization as meryl , truman 's " wife
" ( i doubt that betty crocker impersonation would fool anyone ) , and in a subplot involving truman 's ` father ' , which feels curiously incomplete .
there are a few stupendous sequences , and the film pulls off a wonderful trick : we become truman 's audience as much as the loyal viewers in the film .
they wear buttons asking ` how will it end ? '
i could n't wait to know myself , though i did n't exactly want it to end , for
this inspired movie is possibly the best - and most complex - summer picture in years .
has the good sense cinematically , the truman show is impeccable , stylishly photographed masterfully and beautifully this inspired movie is possibly the best - and most complex - summer picture a tight screenplay breathes life into weir creates a convincing second - reality