"We accept the reality of the world with which we are presented."

My enjoyment of motion pictures can often be directly correlated to the emotional response that film elicits from my own person. That is, I like movies because of how they make me feel.

There are so many factors involved when deciding whether a certain movie was “good” or not. I’m sure all of you can think of at least one movie you really like that most other people really didn’t like. I can think of several dozen. The point is that movie preferences are very personal. It’s like music, clothing, books or art – everyone has different tastes. Which begs the question, why is so much value placed on movie reviews? I don’t really have the time or desire to try and answer that question. In the end, all that really matters is my opinion. (Please note use of sarcastic humor.)

The Truman Show makes me feel really good. Wait, scratch those last two words. It doesn’t only make me feel good. It makes me feel excited, proud, awed, intrigued (is intrigue an emotion?), sad and even a little angry. A few days ago I watched Ladder 49. The thing I liked most about that film was the same thing – the way it made me feel. Maybe I’m getting sentimental now that I’m officially into my late, late twenties (read: 30), but I’ve noticed I get a lot more out of movies than I used to. It’s no longer about the visual effects and thumping soundtrack and huge explosions. Ok, it’s not just about the visual effects and thumping soundtrack and huge explosions. I find myself getting more wrapped up in the characters and settings. And with a movie like The Truman Show, it’s all about the characters and the setting.

I love the concept of The Truman Show. Create a fake world, with fake people and fake events and drop a real person into the middle of it. But don’t tell the real person that everything is fake. Oh yeah, and place thousands of cameras around the fake world so the real world can watch everything the real guy is doing. I’m sure there are way better ways to explain the plot of this film, but you get the idea. Jim Carrey stars as Truman Burbank, the only true man.

This is another of Jim Carrey’s attempts to deliver a more serious performance. While The Truman Show is still quite funny, it’s certainly not as over-the-top as Ace Ventura or Dumb & Dumber. Carrey manages to pull off several pretty dramatic scenes and shows that he can be a serious actor. One of my favourite movie moments is the scene where he starts to realize that the world actually does revolve around him. He stops traffic and everything around him with outstretched hands. The music and mood during this scene is definitely one of those “feely” moments. I love it!

If you’re a Jim Carrey fan and you like a unique story, check out The Truman Show. Ed Harris also stars and received an Oscar nomination for Best Supporting Actor in this film. Well worth a look.

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