First off, my sincerest apologies for the more than 3-month delay in finishing this list. About the time I finished writing #7, my computer began acting up. After numerous attempts to work through the problem, I gave up, got it fixed, and now have it back and working. Thanks to Best Buy and my bowling teammate Josh Gillespie for their hard work in bringing it back to working condition and allowing me to complete this countdown.
So with that out of the way, it's good to be back and unveiling the top 6 movies in the countdown. It is quite the collection of movies and I don't envision any of these moving from their slots anytime soon. A really great movie would have to unseat them.
6. The Truman Show (1998)Starring Jim Carrey, Ed Harris, and Laura Linney
Directed by Peter Weir
I used to remember when I was little, what if I was on TV 24 hours a day and just didn't know it? I know, a crazy thought but when you're young, your imagination runs wild like that. If God and Santa both knew if/when I was being naughty or nice, it wasn't out of the realm of possibility that there was simply a camera following me at all times.
As I reached double digits, this thought slowly began to fade away as I started to realize that it just simply wasn't realistic. But then came this movie to rekindle those feelings and once I saw the trailer, I knew IMMEDIATELY that I was going to love this movie.
For one, it had Jim Carrey, who had become one of my favorite actors after watching him in "Ace Ventura", "The Mask" and my 44th ranked movie "Liar Liar". He had proven his comedic chops could go past his "In Living Color" days on TV. More than though, I knew I would like it because of the premise. It was something never seen on TV or the big screen before.
The plot is incredibly simple but also very complex. It's a TV show that follows Truman Burbank, starting from his birth. He lives in a bubble, literally and figuratively, as they have created this large domed soundstage that he knows as the world. Everyone he meets is an actor playing the role of someone any other human being would encounter in the "real world". His parents, his wife, his neighbors, his boss, his co-workers, everyone. Just actors. Literally thousands of cameras follow his every move, including sleeping, all for a worldwide audience to watch on TV 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.
Without getting too much into the details of the movie, what makes this movie great is just the progression of Truman as he slowly discovers that his every move is being watched and that life is not as real as it should be. Sometimes, the clues are obvious. Other times, it is a bit more subtle.
The way this movie weaves around the all the things that come with putting on a TV show of this magnitude is just amazing. The product placement, the manufactured relationships, the timing, the lighting, the weather, everything. It is simply extraordinary.
But along with that comes the great acting that goes with it. Let's start with Carrey, who is a bit of an interesting choice for this kind of role. Before this movie, he never really showed much depth in his acting. Instead, always opting for the physical comedy. But he really shows his depth here. His comedic background comes into play numerous times during awkward conversations or situations with his "friends" who squash his dreams. It also helps when he is making his great escape from the only world he knows. But Carrey also displays a guy who is truly torn inside on whether to accept the "perfect" life he lives now or to take a real risk and see what else is out there for him. It's a performance to be remembered, especially since Carrey is playing someone we aren't used to seeing him play.
Maybe an even better performance though is Ed Harris' role as Christof, the director of the show. Through him, you get a look at the inner workings of a reality television show. Yes, this movie came well before "Jersey Shore" or "The Bachelor" but it gives you a great idea of how those directors feel about their jobs. Harris values the show more than moral values. Cares more about ratings than the feelings of his cast. His intense personality and frank dialogue makes it easy to figure out who is the villain in this battle over pleasing millions of viewers or pleasing the life of Truman. The final scene feels more like a showdown between the two men. If you haven't seen the movie, don't watch this but if you have, re-live it now.
Unlike some of the movies in my countdown, I will make no excuses for why this movie makes my top 10. I still think this movie doesn't get the credit it deserves. The story is one of its kind. The acting is impressive and award-winning (Carrey and Harris won Golden Globes for their performances). The score is perfect for nearly every moment in the movie (also won a Golden Globe). And above all, it raises the question of what is the ideal world. In Truman's world, everything was ideally perfect. But ironically, it wasn't perfect for Truman.
TRAILER
FUN FACTS
Dennis Hopper was originally cast as Christof, but walked off the set after his first day. Ed Harris replaced him and went on to win the Golden Globe for Best Supporting Actor and an Oscar nomination for Best Supporting Actor.
Every street name in Seahaven refers to a movie actor, e.g. "Lancaster Square" or "Barrymore Road." All of the "cast" members are likewise named after movies stars - Meryl, Marlon, Lauren, Kirk, Angela, etc.
In an early scene on Truman and Meryl's kitchen table is a bottle of vitamin D - needed for those without exposure to the (real) sun.
NOTABLE QUOTES
Truman: Good morning, and in case I don't see ya, good afternoon, good evening, and good night!
Sylvia: Look at what you've done to him!
Christof: I have given Truman the chance to lead a normal life. The world, the place you live in, is the sick place.
Network Executive: For God's sake, Chris! The whole world is watching. We can't let him die in front of a live audience!
Christof: He was born in front of a live audience.
TEASE FOR #5: This 1996 movie amasses more than $817 million worldwide and includes one of the more memorable speeches in movie history (in my opinion).
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