The first time I ever heard Jim Carrey’s name was over twenty plus years ago when I happened to catch an episode of Entertainment Tonight. They ran a short, five minute piece on this up-and-coming comic. I think I may even still have it on tape. In those five minutes, Carrey completely blew me away with his rubber faced antics. At the time the piece aired he was still only doing stand-up, but I remembered his name when he later popped up on the short-lived series, “The Duck Factory” and the film “Once Bitten.” Neither did much to get Carrey the attention he deserved, but each year he would pop up in a movie or two until the series “In Living Color” and the movie “Ace Ventura: Pet Detective” finally helped launch him into the stratosphere. Since that time, he’s created an incredible career out of the same style of antics he began with, and at times it gets a little tiring. It’s those rare times that he takes on a role that stretches his flair for the dramatic that we see the fine actor simmering beneath the silly exterior.

Though he hasn’t taken on the grim and gritty roles that comics like Robin Williams and Tom Hanks have done, his repertoire still includes some examples of great work. One of the better examples was director Peter Weir’s 1998 take on the world of ‘reality’ television, “The Truman Show.”

Carrey starred as Truman Burbank, a seemingly innocuous young man, living a relatively innocuous life. He lives in the same little town that he grew up in, and as a matter of fact has never… ever… left. Like most of us, he gets up every morning and goes to work, comes home and spends time with the woman he loves. Unlike most of us, and completely unbeknownst to him, everything around him is fake. The town, his job, his home, even the woman he loves… all put there in the name of Network Ratings. You see, from the time he was born, Truman’s life has been one, long reality TV show.

The concept, though it is not new, is a brilliant one and it is pulled off brilliantly in “The Truman Show.” The show within a show is a huge hit around the world, but little things cause Truman to start questioning his existence and the reality of the world around him. The network ‘suits’ scramble to keep everything in line out of fear that he will learn the truth and they will lose their little moneymaking machine. Leading the pack is Ed Harris, who never fails to deliver a powerful performance, as the brains behind “The Truman Show.” Since Truman’s world is made according to his design, he has developed somewhat of a ‘God Complex’, believing himself to be Truman’s ‘father.’

This week, Paramount is releasing “The Truman Show” in a collector’s edition DVD, complete with a beautifully upgraded transfer and all-new special features. You have the expected deleted scenes and trailers, but the best of the lot comes in the form of a lengthy 2-part documentary that delves into the making of the film in great detail. Brand new interviews have been recorded just for this documentary and offer some great recollections from many of the cast and crew. There’s also a separate featurette focusing on some of the film’s visual effects.

I loved “The Truman Show” when I first saw it, and was totally moved by the performances of both Carrey and Harris, but had never grabbed it on DVD. This new release makes up for that little case of short-sightedness on my part, and it comes highly recommended.

Directed by: Peter Weir
Starring: Jim Carrey, Laura Linney, Noah Emmerich, Natasha McElhone, Holland Taylor, Ed Harris
Extras: Two-Part Documentary: The Making of The Truman Show, Four Deleted/Extended Scenes, Photo Gallery, Two Theatrical Trailers, Two TV Spots
Specifications: Widescreen, Dolby Digital 5.1 Surround Sound, Dolby Digital 2.0
Studio: Paramount
Release Date: 8/23/2005
Region 1
MPAA Rating: PG (For Thematic Elements and Mild Language)
Website

We'll give The Truman Show: Special Edition a B.