Movieposting: The Truman Show
Jan. 10th, 2026 05:22 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
teslac0ilsOk! I am caught up with the movie-a-week goal now!
Thoughts under the cut:
My wife picked this one for my next movie because she was sure I'd like it and it would reassure me that I do, in fact, enjoy movies. Well-regarded ones, even! And she was right! I feel my resolve to watch a bunch of movies strengthened again! She knows me and how much of what I like in a story is here- a compelling setting, a blend of poignance and absurdity, social commentary… yes, this is what I needed to remember that I actually can love movies.
Ok, so, damn, this movie aged extremely well. I know the library app says when the movie came out when you rent it, but I had to look it up again to double-check because I thought I read it wrong the first time. 1998? Really? Holy shit. I'm sure other people have written plenty on how much this film feels like a commentary on things that wouldn't become prominent features of celebrity and surveillance culture until the next couple decades after the film’s release. I'm probably late to the party there. Still, wow! I'm sure I had a very different experience seeing this film for the first time in 2026 than audiences did at its initial release. Even moreso than that statement is generally true for all films. Truthfully, I feel less “late to the party” and more “went to a killer afterparty”.
Also, the visuals! Holy shit! Yes, I've made it clear in my past movieposting, I love the use of a bright atmosphere to highlight something unsettling under the surface. It's great, the way you can see more and more things look “off” as Truman notices the cracks showing in his life. The way the manufactured town goes from looking too-perfect to outright haunting as Truman’s crashout escalates and the production's response to it is forced to break character… god, it's so good! AND! THE WHOLE CLIMACTIC SCENE AND TRUMAN'S EXIT! IS SO BEAUTIFUL!
Just as perfect as that scene is the way the whole film ends, with one of the show’s watchers asking what else is on TV. The shots of the show's fans interspersed throughout the film always felt so bittersweet- the human urge to want the best for others as they rooted for Truman to figure it all out, playing against the distance created by the fact that he is also an entertainment product and that is the only reason they are able to engage with his struggle in the first place. The ending just capped that all off for me- it’s a little sad that most of the world will move on so quickly, but at the same time, it’s a relief that finally, Truman is not an on-screen character anymore.
Thoughts under the cut:
My wife picked this one for my next movie because she was sure I'd like it and it would reassure me that I do, in fact, enjoy movies. Well-regarded ones, even! And she was right! I feel my resolve to watch a bunch of movies strengthened again! She knows me and how much of what I like in a story is here- a compelling setting, a blend of poignance and absurdity, social commentary… yes, this is what I needed to remember that I actually can love movies.
Ok, so, damn, this movie aged extremely well. I know the library app says when the movie came out when you rent it, but I had to look it up again to double-check because I thought I read it wrong the first time. 1998? Really? Holy shit. I'm sure other people have written plenty on how much this film feels like a commentary on things that wouldn't become prominent features of celebrity and surveillance culture until the next couple decades after the film’s release. I'm probably late to the party there. Still, wow! I'm sure I had a very different experience seeing this film for the first time in 2026 than audiences did at its initial release. Even moreso than that statement is generally true for all films. Truthfully, I feel less “late to the party” and more “went to a killer afterparty”.
Also, the visuals! Holy shit! Yes, I've made it clear in my past movieposting, I love the use of a bright atmosphere to highlight something unsettling under the surface. It's great, the way you can see more and more things look “off” as Truman notices the cracks showing in his life. The way the manufactured town goes from looking too-perfect to outright haunting as Truman’s crashout escalates and the production's response to it is forced to break character… god, it's so good! AND! THE WHOLE CLIMACTIC SCENE AND TRUMAN'S EXIT! IS SO BEAUTIFUL!
Just as perfect as that scene is the way the whole film ends, with one of the show’s watchers asking what else is on TV. The shots of the show's fans interspersed throughout the film always felt so bittersweet- the human urge to want the best for others as they rooted for Truman to figure it all out, playing against the distance created by the fact that he is also an entertainment product and that is the only reason they are able to engage with his struggle in the first place. The ending just capped that all off for me- it’s a little sad that most of the world will move on so quickly, but at the same time, it’s a relief that finally, Truman is not an on-screen character anymore.
