Press play when you start the movie. These notes follow along, minute by minute. Questions to think about are at the end.
The first thing you see are the show's credits and interviews with the cast of Truman's life. You know the secret before Truman does.
Artist Rob Silverman built Jim Carrey's face out of tiny images for a reported $75,000.
Source · IMDb triviaThe bit where he draws on the mirror with soap was fully improvised. In another take, he drew long curly hair and a dress.
Source · IMDb triviaThe movie was filmed in Seaside, Florida, a planned beach town built in the 1980s. The pastel houses and white picket fences were already there.
Source · IMDb triviaWriter Andrew Niccol first set the story in New York. Director Peter Weir pushed for a sunny, too-perfect small town instead.
Source · IMDb triviaIt says Sirius, the name of the brightest star in the night sky. The crew is lighting Truman's sky, one star at a time.
Source · IMDb triviaSince Carrey was in his thirties, the story shifted from teen angst to something closer to a midlife crisis.
Source · IMDb triviaThe show has no commercial breaks, so the cast slips ads into everyday conversation. Watch for products held right up to the camera.
Source · IMDb triviaThe show staged his father's death at sea so Truman would never try to leave the island.
It asks, "How's it going to end?" Natascha McElhone plays Sylvia.
Source · CinemaBlendThe first season of Big Brother aired in the Netherlands in 1999. Reality TV caught up with this movie very quickly.
Source · The Brussels TimesThe cast members are too. Meryl, Marlon, Lauren and Kirk are all famous actor names.
Source · IMDb triviaCrew members were told not to repeat lines from his earlier, sillier movies.
Source · IMDb triviaPeople who never see the real sun need it, and Truman has only ever had a fake one.
Source · IMDb triviaHe was the director's first choice for Truman.
Source · IMDb triviaPsychiatrists Joel and Ian Gold have written about patients who believe they are being filmed. They call it the Truman Show delusion.
Source · IMDb triviaBeing watched all the time by fans and photographers gave him a feel for life on camera.
Source · IMDb triviaHe replaced Dennis Hopper in the role of Christof. Harris won a Golden Globe for it and was nominated for an Oscar.
Source · IMDb triviaHe wrote some of the film's music and makes a short appearance playing it live for the show.
Source · IMDb triviaChristof stays in his control room the whole time, and so did the actor playing him.
Source · IMDb triviaThe show claims the dome can be seen from space. Everything inside it, including the sun and the weather, is controlled from the control room.
Notice the strange angles, from car radios, buttons and bathroom mirrors. That's how the audience sees Truman all day.
The show tells viewers he was the first child legally adopted by a corporation. His whole life is owned.
It's the Santa Maria, the name of Christopher Columbus's ship. Truman is sailing toward the edge of his world.
Source · IMDb triviaThe film got three Oscar nominations: Ed Harris, Peter Weir and Andrew Niccol's script. Many critics still call Carrey's missing nomination a snub.
Source · Academy of Motion Picture Arts and SciencesTeachers use it to talk about Christof, Marlon and the way the show uses Meryl.
Source · IMDb triviaQuestions to think about on your own, or to talk through with whoever you watched with.
Meryl talks like she's in a commercial. How many ads did you see today without noticing them?
Marlon tells Truman he would never lie to him, and then he does. What would it take to break your trust in your closest friend?
Truman takes a bow and walks through the door. What would you walk away from to live a life that's fully yours?
Times are matched to the film's subtitles, so they may be off by a minute on some versions. Each note links to its source. Still images will come from the studio's press materials.