3 reviews
Rightly/wrongly compared to 'The Truman Show', this is probably the less accessible/critically maligned version of quite a similar premise.
It's got a good cast, all very much put through their paces, and has more than enough likeable moments along the way.
It does sag though at times, and overstays its welcome, and perhaps needed a bit more tightening in the edit.
I thought it was a smart idea though, and well executed for the most part.
I thought Elizabeth Hurley was fine in her small/rather standard role, so I don't get the criticism in other reviews on this site.
Overall, a good one time watch.
It's got a good cast, all very much put through their paces, and has more than enough likeable moments along the way.
It does sag though at times, and overstays its welcome, and perhaps needed a bit more tightening in the edit.
I thought it was a smart idea though, and well executed for the most part.
I thought Elizabeth Hurley was fine in her small/rather standard role, so I don't get the criticism in other reviews on this site.
Overall, a good one time watch.
"EDtv" is "The Truman Show" lite. A product of the mass-media culture it pretends to abhor, it raises the same questions about media inundation and the decay of privacy, but with none of "Truman's" ingenuity. "Truman" challenged the audience, while "EDtv" panders to the easily entertained.
Like "Truman," the main character is a man whose entire life is broadcast on television; the only difference is that Ed knows it. In fact, he dimwittedly signs a contract allowing a film crew to document his every move.
All of the clever wrinkles that made "Truman" one of 1998's very best films have been ironed out of "EDtv" for the sake of mass appeal. Instead of Peter Weir, the Australian auteur who has puzzled and provoked audiences with daring films like "Fearless," "EDtv" offers Ron Howard, the Hollywood pro who puts no personal stamp on his movies. Instead of Jim Carrey defying expectations and expanding his range in a brave dramatic performance, "EDtv" gives us Matthew McConaughey doing what he does best, the only thing he *can* do: being Matthew McConaughey. Like "Truman," "EDtv" features cutaways to loyal viewers, but unlike the delightfully quirky collection of Truman-philes, Ed's fans consist of a politically correct cross-section of America--an African American couple, a gay couple, a trio of Latino chefs, and a dormful of girls at the University of Iowa.
What's worse, "EDtv" offers no subtext. "Truman" was a multi-layered film: Aside from commenting on the power of television to shape our views and dominate our lives, it also explored humankind's relation to God (if there is one) and questioned the implications of living in a created universe. "EDtv" contains nothing beneath its explicit surface message: that the phenomena of instant celebrity and the destruction of privacy are B-A-D T-H-I-N-G-S.
Ultimately, the film fails to engage the viewer. Howard's slick direction and McConaughey's superficial acting turn Ed into little more than a genial presence on the screen. Some viewers may care about what befalls him, but I wanted to grab the remote.
Like "Truman," the main character is a man whose entire life is broadcast on television; the only difference is that Ed knows it. In fact, he dimwittedly signs a contract allowing a film crew to document his every move.
All of the clever wrinkles that made "Truman" one of 1998's very best films have been ironed out of "EDtv" for the sake of mass appeal. Instead of Peter Weir, the Australian auteur who has puzzled and provoked audiences with daring films like "Fearless," "EDtv" offers Ron Howard, the Hollywood pro who puts no personal stamp on his movies. Instead of Jim Carrey defying expectations and expanding his range in a brave dramatic performance, "EDtv" gives us Matthew McConaughey doing what he does best, the only thing he *can* do: being Matthew McConaughey. Like "Truman," "EDtv" features cutaways to loyal viewers, but unlike the delightfully quirky collection of Truman-philes, Ed's fans consist of a politically correct cross-section of America--an African American couple, a gay couple, a trio of Latino chefs, and a dormful of girls at the University of Iowa.
What's worse, "EDtv" offers no subtext. "Truman" was a multi-layered film: Aside from commenting on the power of television to shape our views and dominate our lives, it also explored humankind's relation to God (if there is one) and questioned the implications of living in a created universe. "EDtv" contains nothing beneath its explicit surface message: that the phenomena of instant celebrity and the destruction of privacy are B-A-D T-H-I-N-G-S.
Ultimately, the film fails to engage the viewer. Howard's slick direction and McConaughey's superficial acting turn Ed into little more than a genial presence on the screen. Some viewers may care about what befalls him, but I wanted to grab the remote.
- illinformedgadfly
- Mar 13, 1999
- Permalink
This movie really should come with a parental advisory warning. No one under 18 should be allowed to see "EdTV"--if they do, they'll realize how moronic adults really are: believe it or not, grown-ups, not five-year-olds, wrote, produced and starred in this movie. And of course, once the youth of America realize how stupid adults actually are, civilization as we know it will collapse, and Ellen DeGeneres will once again be given a major role on the big screen. But back to the "film"--the writing and acting are absolutely ABYSMAL. During the entire film, Jenna Elfman acts as if she can't believe she's been given a part in a major movie. I can't believe it either, Jenna. And Matthew McConaughey? I've seen more realistic, believable acting in a porn film. The sole believable, enjoyable character in the entire flick is the ex-girlfriend of Woody Harrelson's character, who makes a cameo to defend his virility. That 15 seconds is the only watchable portion of the film.