One of the most critically acclaimed films in the ‘90s, The Truman Show is considered

today as a classic. The 1998 American psychological comedy-drama is directed by Peter Weir.
It stars Jim Carrey who plays the character of a man named Truman Burbank, a gentle
insurance salesman in an idyllic island community called Seahaven, who always found himself
living an ordinary life, without knowing that all of it is entirely fake from the very start. Unknown
to him is the fact that he is the star of a 24-hour-a-day soap opera and everyone around him
including his wife, mother, best friend, and neighbors are all actors and extras of his own show.

The film is generally applauded for its theme that has to do with entertainment,
particularly the media and the impacts it has on one’s existence, identity and lifestyle. As the
film went on, I was not surprised why the film is called “thought-provoking” and “intricately-
structured” in the very first place, but rather flabbergasted on how well it was executed. The plot
is simple but it is clever. A man who questions his own “reality” and breaks away from what he
had always believed and tries to discover the unknown seems like a usual plot-line where a
conflict arises which leads to the character’s realization of something that will cause him or her
to go through a journey and ends with him or her making a very difficult decision that will
determine his or her life and the people around him or her. However, it is interesting that this
film is not about the people surrounding the character but Truman, the main character himself
but he was yet to realize it. When he begins to do so by trying to discover beyond what is shown
to him, Christof, the director of the show tries to manipulate him by saying that he has given
Truman “a chance to live a normal life” and that the world outside the huge stage he builds is a
very disturbing, dangerous and sick one. It is fascinating to tell that I found this certain scenario
similar and I could definitely relate it to the reality I am facing today, which is the fact that people
intend to create their own realities, usually a less flawed, refined version of their lives. However,
as I continuously watched the film, it led me to one simple realization: “Something less flawed is
not always the better one.”

The Truman Show is a reflection of the exact opposite of life. It is full of uncertainty. In a
way, Christof is right that it is dangerous and sick. It surely is not always beautiful but the
wonderful thing about this reality is the growth it can provide to one person. In the end, Truman
chooses to discover the unknown and the millions of audience cheers him on. I found this
certain part of the film as a statement of how one’s life can just be mere entertainment for many
but like Truman, I have realized that we have to be the star of our own show and be in
command of our own actions, decisions, and mistakes. It is only that way, by producing and
directing our own life, we can become more than we have always been.As the film ended, I
found myself reflecting on some lines from my favorite The Greatest Showman soundtrack
which says, “Some people long for a life that is simple and planned. Tied with a ribbon, some
people won’t sail the sea ‘cause they’re safer on land.” I realized that in life, we can never be
sure about things but we can always choose to explore, to dare, to run, and to live.