Comments on: Flashback!: The Climactic Scene of The Truman Show

By: Thereisnospoon

Thereisnospoon — Thu, 05 Feb 2009 21:04:53 +0000

That was an amazing scene that still plays vividly in my head. It made me think about my own life and what walls of illusion there may be for me to find and break through. I did also notice that I was not amongst those who laughed when Truman’s sailboat pierced his world. That was a very powerful scene indeed. Since then I have come to realize that so much of what we see around us is an illusion. We are “tied down” by our careers, our mortgage and our car loans. Like Truman we were born into this illusion that tells us that this is the way things should be and that you are very small and that there is nothing you can do about it. Kristof, “the creator… of a television program that brings joy to millions of people all over the world” sums up the human condition when he says: “We accept the reality with which we are presented” I did not know that this scene had the same effect on others as it did on me. Thanks for your poignant review.

By: Mark Blankenship

Mark Blankenship — Fri, 16 Jan 2009 15:37:26 +0000

Thanks, Melle. I wish The Truman Show had been more appreciated come Oscar season, but I feel like in general people had a people thorough experience of it. (Or at least the critics I remember reading did.)

I’m glad the movie touched you, and I’m glad you found this site!

By: Melle

Melle — Fri, 16 Jan 2009 07:10:59 +0000

Hey Mark, wow – I came across your site looking for this image, and can’t believe you, and so many other people, got the movie. I’m in Australia and I can’t recall anybody agreeing with me about its meaning. Unless I’ve forgotten one or two people agreeing, everyone I’ve ever spoken to about it thought it was about celebrities being watched all the time. Maybe this is why CKO found the audience laughing when the boat hit the sky – they simply didn’t get what it was all about. A shame – a very powerful movie (one of my faves), and lost on almost everybody (and probably those that need it most!)

By: cko

cko — Sat, 30 Aug 2008 04:20:34 +0000

Hi, Mark! Beautiful piece on an absolutely amazing scene. When I first saw the film, I was in tears by this point. Oddly, most of the audience laughed when the boat ran into the “sky.”

My (now ex) boyfriend and I went three days in a row to see the film. I saw it the other day on cable, and it still holds the same magic.

Really love your writing. I first found you because of your articles on Reaper, which still stand out as among the best I’ve read. And, as part of a small but passionate fanbase, I’ve read a lot. I’m linking those at a board we set up, Reaper DMV; hope that’s ok! If you want to see, it’s at the site above. Let us know if you visit!

By: Darion

Darion — Thu, 28 Aug 2008 21:34:21 +0000

That last scene is also very breathtaking. For one brief, indescribable, excruciating moment, Truman finds himself overcome with emotion as he not only realizes that his world, his life was all predefined and that he knew it wasn’t real. It wasn’t the fact that he suddenly came upon this realization. When the fake sun’s light radiated towards Truman and he was told that he was on a TV show that gave hope to the world. It wasn’t a moment of revelation for him, it was that final, “Ah hah!! I knew it!!” moment. Sometimes life is the same for us all.

By: Lisa

Lisa — Thu, 21 Aug 2008 13:35:02 +0000

This is so true. Even reading this (at the office, don’t tell!) with a thousand things going on, reading about that moment in the movie took me back to how I felt watching it. It DOES make you examine your own life. And that is great when you go into watching a movie without expecting anything other than some laughs.
Great post!