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Before I begin, let me dispel any notions that you have that EdTV is anything like The Truman Show. It is not. It is a very different movie that has a similar premise. The Truman Show was more of a morality tale with little basis in reality - an Orwellian nightmare meant to illustrate how close we are to such a state.
EdTV doesn't try to pretend that it is set in the future or happening anywhere but here. It could very easily happen today (and in fact I wouldn't be surprised if some television executive seizes on the idea).
The movie tells the tale of Ed Pekurny (Matthew McConaghey), a likable every-man who is 31 years old, has a dead-end job in a video store and no girlfriend. Ed hangs out with his mother and stepfather (Sally Kirkland and a brilliant Martin Landau), loutish brother (Woody Harrelson) and pines after his brother's girlfriend, Shari (Jenna Elfman). Ed's trouble begins when he is selected to be the first candidate on TrueTV, a new network run by an insensitive executive (Rob Reiner) that will show Ed's life 16
hours a day.
At first, of course, Ed enjoys the celebrity and all the perks that go along with it - a free Pepsi machine in his home, being recognized on the street, a permanent parking spot at work. And of course, he gets the opportunity to be with Shari - except Shari doesn't like all the attention, the mobs clamoring for Ed and the unexpected public interest in her life.
The attention pulls Ed's family apart as well. His brother gets angry with Ed for going out with Shari and writes a tell-all book; Ed's real father shows up out of nowhere and reveals some family secrets. Ed tries to quit the show, only to be told that he cannot - only the network can pull the plug.
McConaghey is wonderfully cast as Ed - he really looks like someone you could meet in the corner bar. He and Woody Harrelson must have been separated at birth because I really did believe they were brothers. The rest of the cast performs nicely, but there really aren't any surprises. Ellen DeGeneres plays a neurotic network executive, Elizabeth Hurley plays an opportunistic actress who wants to be Ed's girlfriend, Dennis Hopper plays Ed's sad sack yet charming father. They all do a serviceable job, but it kind of felt like they were phoning it in.
One interesting caveat: many people involved in the film have had interesting takes on the nature of celebrity. Ron Howard, the director, became famous at a very young age as "Opie" on the Andy Griffith Show and then as "Richie" on Happy Days. When you think about it, he has never known a time when he wasn't recognizable to most Americans. I would imagine that would give him a unique insight into the nature of celebrity, but he didn't put much of that into the film. Sure, you discover that fame isn't all it is cracked up to be, and that it doesn't just affect the famous person, but also all of the people around him or her. But didn't we all already know that? There are no new insights here.
The movie is enjoyable, but it didn't give me any new insights or hilarious moments. I laughed some, I didn't have to think much. Overall, I give it a 6 out of 10 - wait for it to come out on video. |