As I watched this pleasantly funny, surprisingly entertaining flick by Ron Howard, of ANDY GRIFFITH and HAPPY DAYS fame, I noticed that the movie consists of alot, ALOT of television actors. Rob Reiner from ALL IN THE FAMILY, Ellen DeGeneres from ELLEN, Woody Harrelson from CHEERS, Walter Matthau from MISSION: IMPOSSIBLE, Jenna Elfman from DHARMA & GREG, and even Ralph Malph from HAPPY DAYS.
I don't know how Hollywood works. It seems like every year there has to be two similar movies coming out near the same time and compete with each other. Whether its volcanos erupting or meteors hitting the earth or even computer-animated bugs, there's always a pair. The difference is usually that one plays as intelligence or serious drama and the other is popcorn fare. This movie, which battled the inventive and intelligent TRUMAN SHOW as a movie about real life on television, is of the popcorn kind.
This movie is hardly a mirrored image of THE TRUMAN SHOW. Matthew McConaughey, as Ed, KNOWS he's on camera, LIKES his fame, and comes to exploiting himself. The only similarity, I can think of, it having with TRUMAN, is the numerous scenes in which real people are watching.
EDTV is more of a satire of MTV's THE REAL WORLD, where producers try to exploit real dramas and conflicts of young people living together and sculpt them into likable and dislikable characters through editing.
EDTV is LIVE on the air, so it's hard to sculpt Ed or the people he comes in contact with, but that's what is so fun. The people in his hometown watch his travels eagerly on T.V. and when they see him come walking on their street, they stick their head out of the window and yell for Ed, so they can be on TV. There's even a gang that follows Ed from time to time, and he is even asked to give out autographs. Ed's phenomonal show gets so popular, that there is a poll of whether he should dump his shy girlfriend (Elfman) or go with a sassy model he met on the Tonight Show (Elizableth Hurley). The high percentage go for Hurley because they want to see someone sexier and more attractive on the show, no matter how well she fits with Ed. Hurley's model hardly cares. She just wants to be on television, and the (near)sex-scene they have, all recorded live(!) is RED HOT (something TRUMAN lacks).
I thought this movie would be more predictable than it is. You know Ed is going to eventually hate the popularity and fame and try to wiggle out of it as the network tries to keep him on to keep the high ratings, but how the movie ends was something even I couldn't have predicted. Jenna Elfman is very likable here, maybe because she isn't her usually aloof self. I like McConaughey, but he played his character so slacker-ish and gruff, he seemed drunk and high even as he was sweet and good-hearted. Harrelson shined, with the few scenes he had, as the brother who writes a book with the funniest title ever.Oh, and Jay Leno makes a very funny appearance.
In conclusion, this isn't better than THE TRUMAN SHOW, because it doesn't strive to be. It's a Ron Howard film, so it's quite high-lit even as it tries to be risque. There are many scenes that are touching and sad, especially the one containing Dennis Hopper, but ultimately it's a movie that has more strength on video than in theaters. It fits your television nicely (maybe because it was intended that way). Where TRUMAN deserves an A, this runner-up deserves a marginal B+.
I don't know how Hollywood works. It seems like every year there has to be two similar movies coming out near the same time and compete with each other. Whether its volcanos erupting or meteors hitting the earth or even computer-animated bugs, there's always a pair. The difference is usually that one plays as intelligence or serious drama and the other is popcorn fare. This movie, which battled the inventive and intelligent TRUMAN SHOW as a movie about real life on television, is of the popcorn kind.
This movie is hardly a mirrored image of THE TRUMAN SHOW. Matthew McConaughey, as Ed, KNOWS he's on camera, LIKES his fame, and comes to exploiting himself. The only similarity, I can think of, it having with TRUMAN, is the numerous scenes in which real people are watching.
EDTV is more of a satire of MTV's THE REAL WORLD, where producers try to exploit real dramas and conflicts of young people living together and sculpt them into likable and dislikable characters through editing.
EDTV is LIVE on the air, so it's hard to sculpt Ed or the people he comes in contact with, but that's what is so fun. The people in his hometown watch his travels eagerly on T.V. and when they see him come walking on their street, they stick their head out of the window and yell for Ed, so they can be on TV. There's even a gang that follows Ed from time to time, and he is even asked to give out autographs. Ed's phenomonal show gets so popular, that there is a poll of whether he should dump his shy girlfriend (Elfman) or go with a sassy model he met on the Tonight Show (Elizableth Hurley). The high percentage go for Hurley because they want to see someone sexier and more attractive on the show, no matter how well she fits with Ed. Hurley's model hardly cares. She just wants to be on television, and the (near)sex-scene they have, all recorded live(!) is RED HOT (something TRUMAN lacks).
I thought this movie would be more predictable than it is. You know Ed is going to eventually hate the popularity and fame and try to wiggle out of it as the network tries to keep him on to keep the high ratings, but how the movie ends was something even I couldn't have predicted. Jenna Elfman is very likable here, maybe because she isn't her usually aloof self. I like McConaughey, but he played his character so slacker-ish and gruff, he seemed drunk and high even as he was sweet and good-hearted. Harrelson shined, with the few scenes he had, as the brother who writes a book with the funniest title ever.Oh, and Jay Leno makes a very funny appearance.
In conclusion, this isn't better than THE TRUMAN SHOW, because it doesn't strive to be. It's a Ron Howard film, so it's quite high-lit even as it tries to be risque. There are many scenes that are touching and sad, especially the one containing Dennis Hopper, but ultimately it's a movie that has more strength on video than in theaters. It fits your television nicely (maybe because it was intended that way). Where TRUMAN deserves an A, this runner-up deserves a marginal B+.