A video store clerk agrees to have his life filmed by a camera crew for a television show.A video store clerk agrees to have his life filmed by a camera crew for a television show.A video store clerk agrees to have his life filmed by a camera crew for a television show.
- Awards
- 1 win & 1 nomination total
Larry Flash Jenkins
- Husband
- (as Larry Jenkins)
Featured reviews
people who keep saying this is just like the truman show are stupid. it's completely different, and it didn't rip of anybody. both movies were probably being made at the same time. Truman Show has barely any similarities to EdTV. EDTV is a romantic comedy, light satire, and truman show is a drama. EdTV didn't get what it deserved at the box office and i respect howard whose direction is excellent, for releasing this movie when he did. Harrelson and Landau are hilarious and this is probably matthew's best performance i've seen of him. he really does a great job. jenna elfman too. Very funny, entertaining movie, and a great DVD. I laugh so hard when the camera man falls in the outtakes section of the bonus materials.
Even though I like most of the players, I really wasn't expecting much from this movie. I wound up surprised by its freshness, wit and thoughtfulness. I feared a poor person's Truman Show, but this film took a lot of the same themes and spun them in different directions. The film lacked Truman's sadness and humanity but made up the difference with more concise and challenging social commentary (not to mention a better supporting cast). Issues of celebrity, entertainment, the media, the information age were all handled in interesting ways. When it needed to be abrasive and shocking, Ed TV took its shots, but it usually remained in a very comfortable and entertaining middle ground. As a viewer, I felt like someone who had spent the previous 15 minutes surfing channels before finally finding a gem worth watching.
EdTv is a comedy, but also a very serious movie: if you notice our reality in the present days, full of cameras watching us everywhere we go, and even the reality show programs, you will notice that the main thing in the movie is not only to entertain, but maybe also to alert people about the dangerous problems of all this stuff. Ed Pekurny is a regular guy who suddenly gets invited to be part of a reality show. He accepts,specially because he wants the money that the TV executives are going to pay him. Gradually, what starts being funny and even a nice way of popularity becomes a nightmare,with Ed not having any privacy at all,specially with his girlfriend Shari.
I found the end of this movie very cool. Go watch it :)
I found the end of this movie very cool. Go watch it :)
I first want to say, all those comparing EDtv to "Truman" just miss the point completely. They are as different in approach and intent as are "The Rock" and "The Birdman of Alcatraz" which both happen to be set in the same prison.
"EDtv" is meant to be a comedy with a lot of subtle and not so subtle references to the intrusive nature of the media. The characters are very engaging and well-acted. I laughed all the way through this movie. That's all I think it was supposed to be.
It isn't quite as good as "As Good As It Gets" or "Analyze This", but I still give it 8 of 10!!
"EDtv" is meant to be a comedy with a lot of subtle and not so subtle references to the intrusive nature of the media. The characters are very engaging and well-acted. I laughed all the way through this movie. That's all I think it was supposed to be.
It isn't quite as good as "As Good As It Gets" or "Analyze This", but I still give it 8 of 10!!
I wasn't expecting much of this when I went to see it, but I totally loved it.
Its misleading to try to compare it with the Truman Show. There's a superficial similarity in their basic concept, but otherwise they are completely different (and I loved Truman - still can't understand what the Academy thought it was doing).
There was not one dull moment, and at times I though I would pee myself laughing (and it takes a lot for me to say that to a world wide audience!) I don't remember laughing so much at the cinema since Speed 2 - but this time for the right reasons.
So it was funny, but there were also genuinely moving sad bits.
Martin Landau absolutely stole the film with some killer one-liners, but all the performances were fantastic (even Liz Hurley didn't make me cringe, as she poked fun at her own reputation) Ellen is great, as is Woody Harrelson (who looks uncannily like his on-screen brother) and I always love Adam Goldberg. Matt McConaughey is perfect, whether he's being a jerk or doing the right thing (oh OK, and damn cute with it.)
The whole thing is probably enhanced by being so utterly believable, and ends with a great anti-corporate finger (literally, in fact, now I think about it)
Its misleading to try to compare it with the Truman Show. There's a superficial similarity in their basic concept, but otherwise they are completely different (and I loved Truman - still can't understand what the Academy thought it was doing).
There was not one dull moment, and at times I though I would pee myself laughing (and it takes a lot for me to say that to a world wide audience!) I don't remember laughing so much at the cinema since Speed 2 - but this time for the right reasons.
So it was funny, but there were also genuinely moving sad bits.
Martin Landau absolutely stole the film with some killer one-liners, but all the performances were fantastic (even Liz Hurley didn't make me cringe, as she poked fun at her own reputation) Ellen is great, as is Woody Harrelson (who looks uncannily like his on-screen brother) and I always love Adam Goldberg. Matt McConaughey is perfect, whether he's being a jerk or doing the right thing (oh OK, and damn cute with it.)
The whole thing is probably enhanced by being so utterly believable, and ends with a great anti-corporate finger (literally, in fact, now I think about it)
Did you know
- TriviaThis film and The Truman Show (1998) were aware of each other during pre-production. Edtv was not that concerned because their film would be a comedy, and they didn't think audiences would turn out in large numbers to see Jim Carrey doing a drama. When The Truman Show (1998) turned into a big hit, Universal insisted that the promotions for this film make it look like more of a broad slapstick comedy than it actually was, contributing to its failure at the box-office. Coincidentally, Dennis Hopper was originally cast in the role Ed Harris portrayed in The Truman Show.
- GoofsWhen Ed is talking to Shari from the street, it's clearly raining pretty steadily. Everything outside is dripping wet and Ed's hair is soaked and rain noise is clear, yet his jacket is dry and no raindrops can be seen hitting the ground.
- SoundtracksHave You Ever
Written by Joe Tex and Buddy Killen
Performed by Joe Tex
Courtesy of Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC dba Tree Productions
- How long is Edtv?Powered by Alexa
Details
Box office
- Budget
- $80,000,000 (estimated)
- Gross US & Canada
- $22,431,897
- Opening weekend US & Canada
- $8,311,290
- Mar 28, 1999
- Gross worldwide
- $35,242,897
- Runtime
- 2h 2m(122 min)
- Color
- Sound mix
- Aspect ratio
- 1.85 : 1
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