Are we Trapped in Our Own Reality?

            The movie The Truman Show (1998) directed by Peter Weir, is a perfect example of a person being trapped in his or her own reality. Basically Jim Carry plays the role as a human being who since birth has been put in a fake world where everything is done by script and is put out as a television show. His whole life is acted out by other characters who are known to be his family members and friends. He does not find out what is really happening until he is 29 years old. One message I took out of The Truman Show (1998) is that some humans are oblivious to what is going on around them. It also shows the arrogance of humans to want to put Truman in the situation he is in by making his world fake. To the greatest extent, maybe our world is fake; we would not know the difference just like Truman. Until one day he decided to push his limits and try to uncover the secrets behind his “life”. The television show that Truman provides the real world with without knowing it is a really big hit. By the end when he is about to discover his true reality, the audience and characters who have been involved in the show cheer for him and hope he makes it out of the fake world. “like the TV audience of The Truman Show, who can enjoy their voyeurism even as they cheer for Truman’s escape” (Baccolini and Moylan 2003, 158). The true audience, us as the viewer’s know what is truly happening, but yet are very intrigued as to how Truman will react with the movie crew who he thought to be his true family. Showing that even the real audience of the move The Truman Show (1998) likes to be taken away to a fake world where we can get away from reality.                     

            Truman’s world can be related to ours in present day. We watch many reality shows that are said to be reality, but really are not.  Movies that are labeled as fiction still interest people for whatever reason they would like. Even fiction books that we know are not true still create enjoyment out of us reading them. Being taken away to a dystopian or utopian world that is fiction is something people enjoy very much. It takes our imagination away and lets us create our own fantasy. “the sunny but false utopian present of Truman’s world” (Baccolini and Moylan 2003, 159). When I watch or read a fiction story I almost like to put myself in the character’s position and imagine what the story would be like if I was in his or her position. After a movie is over and you walk out of the theatre everything seems so different and we are thrown back into reality just like that. Being taken in by a story has a great effect on the viewer especially if you are very interested in the story line, explaining why the audience in the film The Truman Show is cheering for Truman to escape and find his true reality.