George Lucas and Arnold Schwarzenegger provide DVD commentary for The Truman Show

GEORGE:

I must admit, I'm disappointed with this opening sequence. It just doesn't have the right fanfare. And we don't see the credits first. That's important. Remind the audience what the film is called. That's not happened yet.

ARNOLD:

Ja.

GEORGE:

We have this closeup of Ed Harris. Now Ed is a great actor, but is he a villain? Is he a hero? We just can't tell yet.

ARNOLD:

Also there is that woman who is quite hot. Mmmm.

GEORGE:

Now here we have Jim Carrey talking into a mirror. And at last the title. But where's the fanfare?

ARNOLD:

This guy is actually quite puny. Look at him, with his little girly pajamas. Now he is afraid of a dog. He should just kick the dog and be done.

GEORGE:

Now something exciting is happening. Something falling out of the sky. It could be an escape pod, perhaps. With some droids in. Already I feel like this movie could benefit from more droids.

ARNOLD:

Ja. Also I cannot see what is happening through this blurry camera work.

GEORGE:

It's not an escape pod, alas. But it could be a clue to a wider backstory here. Why would a spotlight fall from a clear sky? Where could it have come from? What could it signify?

ARNOLD:

Rain?

GEORGE:

Here we see Truman's life, such as it is. He's stuck in a backwater world, hoping for something dramatic to fall out of the sky. Which ironically, it already has. This is all very familiar. Now he's forced into a new chain of events. His boss, or possibly his uncle, sends him on an errand. He needs a ship. But he's afraid.

ARNOLD:

Puny little man. Get on the boat already.

GEORGE:

He obviously has unresolved issues. They are explained to some degree later in the movie, but after all this time, I still wonder if there's room for a prequel or two.

ARNOLD:

And now his wife is home. She is dressed as a nurse. Although I am not appreciating this shot of his butt.

GEORGE:

Yeah, that's pretty unnecessary. Isn't this supposed to be a family movie?

ARNOLD:

Now with the golfing, at night.

GEORGE:

Some plot exposition here. Truman dreams of a faraway galaxy. Adventure, excitement... we've been through this already.

ARNOLD:

His friend doesn't have as puny a vehicle as he does. But it is no hummer. He needs a man's car.

GEORGE:

And now Truman sits on the beach and has a flashback. It's here that we first glimpse his father. Truman has a lot of unresolved issues here. His father served on a ship. But his father was killed. Or was he?

ARNOLD:

Ja. Now it is raining on the puny man.

GEORGE:

I can't help feeling at this point that the special effects are somewhat lacking in this movie. I mean, they can barely manage the rain properly. Look at it. And now Truman goes home, soaked.

ARNOLD:

His wife is not wearing the nurse's uniform anymore.

GEORGE:

Two slobs comment briefly on the movie. Why are they here? What's the point? One of them obviously thinks he's intellectually superior, he knows it all. The other is just making crude remarks.

ARNOLD:

Mmm. Silky.

GEORGE:

Now more of Truman's father issues emerge. He sees his father on the street. But surely his father is dead? This hints at a bigger backstory. Now we're beginning to get somewhere. Two people burst out of nowhere and grab his father, sweeping him away onto a bus. Why? What's going on here? Only Ed Harris knows for sure.

ARNOLD:

Look at the little puny man again. Why does he not just shoot the tires out of the bus with his machine gun?

GEORGE:

In a moment his father is gone. He longs to go after him, to follow in his footsteps.

ARNOLD:

Or he could steal a car, and have an exciting car chase.

GEORGE:

Now we meet Truman's mother. I'm a little confused at this point. Does Truman need a mother in this movie? He longs after his father, wishes to be like him. A mother figure just confuses the issue.

ARNOLD:

Ja. Also, his mother is not very hot.

GEORGE:

Truman now, in his basement. Looking through his treasured possessions. Perhaps there is something in here that belonged to his father, that his father wanted him to have, when he was old enough.

ARNOLD:

No. He is looking through garbage. But here is the hot woman again.

GEORGE:

She leaves, and we are treated to a flashback moment. Young Truman first sets eyes on a beautiful girl. Is she a senator? A princess, perhaps?

ARNOLD:

No.

GEORGE:

Regardless, she's not too old for him. No way.

ARNOLD:

Still he dresses like a pansy.

GEORGE:

A dance now. Truman eyes the pretty girl across the dancefloor.

ARNOLD:

Ja. She is hotter than Truman's wife.

GEORGE:

Without a doubt. Now Truman is in the library, studying. This looks a lot like the archives in the Jedi temple on Coruscant. Before the Emperor destroyed them, of course.

ARNOLD:

Ja, whatever. Here is the hot chick again. She has very wide teeth.

GEORGE:

I think we're getting off track here. Where is Truman's father in this? Where is his great destiny? The dark forces that will ultimately shape his world have not yet begun to reveal themselves. Yet we can sense evil afoot here.

ARNOLD:

Now the puny man and the pretty girl are running out onto the beach.

GEORGE:

Ah, sand dunes. Now we're getting somewhere. This is an ideal setting for a romantic moment. Or an action sequence. Or some extended plot exposition.

ARNOLD:

Finally. The puny man is kissing the pretty girl. Perhaps he is not a complete wuss after all.

GEORGE:

Or a moment of introspection. Or a dramatic plot device. Or a grand finale.

ARNOLD:

Now we are in a bar? This movie is confusing.

GEORGE:

Back in the basement, Truman appears sad. It's clear he still longs after this girl, that she is more important to him than his career, his life. He will do anything for her. But will he betray everything to be with her? This, perhaps, is the crux of the movie. It's very important.

ARNOLD:

Wait, she is back again. Why is she watching him?

GEORGE:

And now Truman drives to work.

ARNOLD:

Perhaps he will be involved in a high speed action sequence. That would be good.

GEORGE:

Something strange is happening with his radio. He becomes suspicious. Perhaps not everything he believes in is real. Will he uncover the truth?

ARNOLD:

The puny man looks confused now.

GEORGE:

He's not going to work. He's stopping buses with just a gesture of his hand. It's clear he has power, power he has not yet begun to understand. He could be very powerful.

ARNOLD:

He is in a building. Men are making him leave. Perhaps he will crush their throats, with a mighty punch.

GEORGE:

I doubt it.

ARNOLD:

Bah. He is still pathetic after all.

GEORGE:

Now he turns to his friend, who is stocking a vending machine. They leave together.

ARNOLD:

His friend is also puny. No man should be filling a machine with chocolate.

GEORGE:

And now they sit before the sunset. You can see the twin suns of this world. Or possibly one of them is a moon. It's difficult to tell. They talk, briefly.

ARNOLD:

Ack, baby photos.

GEORGE:

Now we're back with the mother character. Truman obviously can't stand her either. But she's leaving. We see moments from Truman's life, captured in a photo album. Is this another clue? His wife's fingers are crossed.

ARNOLD:

I don't get it.

GEORGE:

And now the next morning. Truman is beginning to explore the possibility that his world is not what he thought.

ARNOLD:

Is this an action sequence? He is getting on a bicycle. This is not an action sequence vehicle, but I hear action sequence music.

GEORGE:

This is establishing more of the false nature of Truman's world. He's at the hospital now. The doctors aren't real. The nurses aren't real. Even the patient is fake. It's possible that someone could lose a leg here. I was just thinking that we could use something like that here.

ARNOLD:

The travel agent is not hot at all.

GEORGE:

Maybe someone will lose an arm later. That would be good.

ARNOLD:

The puny man cannot fly. He is getting on a bus. This is also not an action sequence vehicle. Unless there is a bomb. Can you see a bomb?

GEORGE:

Even the bus driver is fake. He can't make it work. So much for the possibility of a flight from this world of his.

ARNOLD:

Why are we in the bar again now?

GEORGE:

Truman is sat in his car, now. His wife is concerned.

ARNOLD:

At last, a possible vehicle that could be in a chase sequence.

GEORGE:

Truman is learning the truth. But does he understand it?

ARNOLD:

At last with the driving. But where are the evil henchmen? We need more shooting.

GEORGE:

Truman makes it over the bridge. Turns out he could drive that car after all. He's not such a bad pilot himself. Now the road ahead has caught fire. A literal obstacle? Or a metaphorical one?

ARNOLD:

Flames, ja. This is highly realistic that the road would suddenly catch fire. I like it.

GEORGE:

And now the power plant is in danger. Perhaps this hotshot young pilot can do something.

ARNOLD:

The puny man escapes now. Look as he takes on the men in silver suits. He is learning to toughen up a little.

GEORGE:

He's surrounded by uniformed, faceless apparitions. You can hear their deep hissing breath. Perhaps one of these men is his father? We won't know for sure until he fights one of them. But he's running away still.

ARNOLD:

Now he is fighting them. Go puny man, go!

GEORGE:

He's found a weapon. It's only a stick, but maybe he can lodge it into someone's mouth. That's not a completely stupid idea, you know. It could work.

ARNOLD:

It is all over. He did not escape.

GEORGE:

He'll have more opportunity. Now we have a domestic scene with his wife. The dialogue's not very convincing here, and there's a really obvious advert for some cocoa inserted right in the middle. Shameful, really.

ARNOLD:

Ja. Why is he not happy with his wife? She is hot.

GEORGE:

Marlon returns. I feel he's becoming something of the Obi-wan Kenobi character by this point. And at last we see the shadowy overlord, Ed Harris. He's putting words into Obi-wan's mouth. That's quite disturbing. Mind control? Ed Harris is obviously very powerful and manipulative.

ARNOLD:

But they have beer.

GEORGE:

The dialogue's not great here either. "I'd gladly step in front of traffic for you." If characters want to express love for each other, they should just come out and say it. "I love you." See? Not hard. "Your love is all I live for." Man, I should write some of this down, it's great.

ARNOLD:

I want beer.

GEORGE:

And now, another shadowy figure. But who can it be? Yes, it's his father. All manipulated from the shadows. Very sinister.

ARNOLD:

Who are all these people? What is going on here?

GEORGE:

We are now treated to an explanation of the plot, in commercial form. I feel that a scrolling text would have worked much better here than a voiceover. But at least there are some references to space, and the moon.

ARNOLD:

Now we are in a tee vee show.

GEORGE:

We've seen the inside of Truman's world, now this is an explanation of everything outside. Ed Harris is interviewed on television.

ARNOLD:

The pretty girl is on the phone now.

GEORGE:

And now we're faced with the dilemma here. Is Truman held against his will? Who is the real villain here? Is it Ed Harris? Truly?

ARNOLD:

The pretty girl is obsessed with her television. Now here is a man in a bath. Who is the man in the bath? He is also very weedy.

GEORGE:

Soothing piano music accompanies a night scene. Truman's face is illuminated in the green glow of a special camera lens.

ARNOLD:

Night vision. Like the Predator. The hunt begins.

GEORGE:

I'm still waiting for the musical crescendo. But now it's morning, here's Truman in his bathroom again.

ARNOLD:

He is drawing on his mirror. He is a real loon, ja?

GEORGE:

Truman begins his day again. He seems to be filled with a new zeal, a new zest for life. Have the events of the past few days meant nothing to him?

ARNOLD:

No more action sequence? This is dull now.

GEORGE:

We're back with the sinister overlords. They're watching him in his basement. Is there nothing that this all seeing corporate entity will not stoop to?

ARNOLD:

Something is happening.

GEORGE:

They've lost him. Where can he be?

ARNOLD:

Look! Marlon is driving his car like a man. Action at last.

GEORGE:

He's gone to find Truman in the basement. But he's gone!

ARNOLD:

Marlon finds a tunnel. He is confused. I am confused. Why is there a hole in the lawn? Did something blow up? Did I miss that?

GEORGE:

They cut the transmission. Now the Truman show is off.

ARNOLD:

Ja. Now it turns into a manhunt. Perhaps Truman will emerge from the shadows, with a home made flamethrower. He will show them all.

GEORGE:

I don't think so. Everyone is panicked, confused. This has never happened before. The unthinkable. A whole empire comes crashing down. All because of one man. One, special man.

ARNOLD:

One puny man.

GEORGE:

And now they've found him. He's found a ship. It doesn't look much, but it's got it where it counts.

ARNOLD:

He is wearing a silly hat though.

GEORGE:

Now comes the storm. You can see the anticipation of regret in the eyes of the crew. They know what's coming.

ARNOLD:

Ed Harris is very angry.

GEORGE:

He's lost control of the situation. Even for all his technology and cameras, he can't maintain control. He's powerless, defenceless, against this single tiny ship, and its one determined occupant.

ARNOLD:

Ja, whatever.

GEORGE:

I've said it before: this movie could really use some droids. An astromech unit on that ship would have been able to sort out the sails while he stayed at the helm.

ARNOLD:

Enough with the robots, huh?

GEORGE:

Lightning flashes, more technology in action. They're obviously proud of all this technology they've created. But lightning isn't the ultimate power in the universe.

ARNOLD:

Is he going to drown now?

GEORGE:

Of course not. He's the hero. He'll live to fight another day, with his friends beside him.

ARNOLD:

Friends?

GEORGE:

Well, metaphorically.

ARNOLD:

The storm is over. They've given up.

GEORGE:

Yes, Truman has triumphed. He sails away into a wall.

ARNOLD:

Why is there a wall in the middle of the sea?

GEORGE:

Truman can't believe it. He wails against the wall. The passion is evident. But he must learn to control his feelings. They do him credit, but they could be used to serve Ed Harris.

ARNOLD:

Now he is walking on the water towards the exit.

GEORGE:

And now the final confrontation. Truman faces off against the unstoppable Ed Harris, who suddenly fills the position of father figure, that Truman's real father never could.

ARNOLD:

I am hoping for some more action now.

GEORGE:

This is interesting. Ed Harris demonstrates benevolence. Perhaps there is still good in him.

ARNOLD:

The pretty girl again. She is looking very worried. And so is the man in the bath. And the bar. I wish I was in the bar.

GEORGE:

It's a tense moment. How will Truman react? Will he give in to the dark side? Or turn towards the light? He chooses the light.

ARNOLD:

You mean the dark doorway?

GEORGE:

It's metaphorical.

ARNOLD:

Where did he go?

GEORGE:

It's all over. The empire is defeated. Truman is at last free. And now the end credits. So, what did you think?

ARNOLD:

I thought this was an action movie. I see no spent ammunition.

GEORGE:

It's more of a contemplative piece on the human condition. Although, looking back at it now, it was made in the late nineties, and it's beginning to show its age. There simply weren't enough computer graphics effects. And some of those backgrounds were kind of dull. You know, they should release a special edition of this, with all of these improvements in.

ARNOLD:

Wait. He was in a television show the whole time? Why did someone not tell me?

GEORGE:

Or even a prequel, explaining how his father grew up. I think there's scope for that.

ARNOLD:

Were those other people watching him the whole time? That's a little sick, ja?

GEORGE:

Well, thanks for listening. We hope you enjoyed this commentary.

ARNOLD:

I must now go and watch something more violent to cheer myself up.

GEORGE:

Well said. Goodnight, all.

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