The Truman Show is a prophetic masterpiece, but it’s more than that

The movie, written by Andrew Niccol (Gattaca) and directed by Weir (Dead Poets Society), is about a man named Truman Burbank (Jim Carrey) who has unwittingly lived his entire life on a colossal TV sound stage, observed by hidden cameras 24 hours a day. His every step from infancy to adult life has been followed by an adoring global audience. Everybody in his life is an actor, every beverage is an opportunity for product placement, and the sky over his home island of Seahaven is painted on a vast dome. Behind the moon sits Christof (Ed Harris), the show’s godlike creator, micromanaging every detail of Truman’s existence.