The Truman Show is a American psychological drama film [ 2 ] written and co-produced by Andrew Niccol , and directed by Peter Weir. The film depicts the story of Truman Burbank played by Jim Carrey , a man who is unaware that he is living his entire life on a colossal soundstage , and that it is being filmed and broadcast as a reality television show which has a huge international following.
All of his friends, family and members of his community are paid actors whose job it is to sustain the illusion and keep Truman unaware about the false world he inhabits. Niccol's original spec script was more of a science-fiction thriller , with the story set in New York City.
Producer Scott Rudin purchased the script and set up production at Paramount Pictures. Niccol rewrote the script while the crew was waiting for Carrey to sign. The majority of filming took place at Seaside, Florida , a master- planned community located in the Florida Panhandle. The Truman Show has been analyzed as an exploration of simulated reality , existentialism , surveillance , metaphilosophy , privacy , and reality television , and described as a genre-blending work that features elements of dystopian fiction , meta fiction , psychological drama , romantic comedy , satire , and social science fiction.
Truman's hometown, Seahaven Island, is set inside an enormous soundstage, which allows Christof, the show's creator and executive producer , to control most aspects of Truman's life, including the weather. Truman's world is populated by actors and crew members who serve as his community while carefully keeping him from discovering the truth. They also earn revenue for the show through cleverly disguised product placement.
To prevent Truman from escaping, Christof has orchestrated various scenarios, such as the "death" of Truman's father in a boating accident to instill thalassophobia , and has the cast reinforce Truman's anxieties with messages about the dangers of traveling and the virtues of staying home.
