The Truman Show(1998) directed by Peter Weir He's not a performer, he's a prisoner. Look at him, look at what you've done to him! ----Sylvia

Contents Basic information Plot summary Key vocabulary Visual-audio exercises  Exercise A  Exercise B

Basic Information Truman Burbank Jim Carrey Chosen out of five unwanted pregnancies and the first child to be legally adopted by a corporation, he is unaware that his daily life is broadcast continuously around the world. He has a job in the insurance business and a lovely wife, but he eventually notices that his environment is not what it seems to be.

Basic Information Meryl Burbank Laura Linney ChristofEd Harris Truman's wife, who holds a profession as a nurse at the local hospital. Every time she sleeps with Truman she gets an extra $10,000." The creator of The Truman Show. Christof remains dedicated to the program at all costs, often overseeing and directing its course in person.

Basic Information MarlonNoah Emmerich SylviaNatascha McElhone Truman's best friend since early childhood. Marlon is a vending machine operator for the company Goodies, who promises Truman he would never lie to him, despite the latest events in Truman's life. She became romantically involved with Truman and tried to reveal to him the truth about his life, but was thrown out of the show before she could do so. She is also a protester against The Truman Show, urging Christof to release its lead.

Plot Summary This is the story of Truman Burbank, a 29 year old insurance salesman who lives in a comfortable town called Seahaven, which is located on an island, probably off the coast of Florida. Truman is a sincere and very nice person who begins to suspect that there is something very strange going on his life, and little by little, he learns the truth: Ever since he was born, Truman has been filmed for a live television show that is broadcast 24 hours a day to the rest of the world, and thus everything and everyone that he thinks he knows is in fact part of a giant television studio designed to record his life.

Plot Summary Truman begins to discover the reality of his world when the television producers of "The Truman Show" begin to make silly mistakes that give Truman an idea of what is really happening. After listening to a radio broadcast that seems to be broadcasting everything he is doing, and then seeing workers who look like they're fixing his own office building as if it were part of a movie set (which it is!), Truman decides he needs to get away from Seahaven. He tells his wife and best friend that he wants to go to the island of Fiji, where the family of a girl he once liked very much had apparently moved. Thus, the producers of the show must think of every possible way to convince Truman that it would really be much better if he stayed home in Seahaven, without of course, admitting to him that his whole world is actually a giant, fake TV studio.

Plot Summary Eventually though, Truman becomes determined to leave this island that he has never left before, despite his horrible fear of water (which began as a child when he thought he saw his father drown in a storm). As each way off the island is mysteriously blocked---from car to bus to boat---Truman grows increasingly closer to finding out the true nature of the world around him.

Key vocabulary Vocabulary Handout

Visual-audio exercises A. Watch the segment on the conversation between Truman and Marlon. Fill in the missing words of the dialogue. Then dub their voice while the video is played again without the sound.

A (1) losing my mind (2) revolves around (3) wishful thinking (4) made more out of yourself (5) wanted to be somebody (6) cheating off (7) identical (8) stayed up (9) out of school (10) worked out

Visual-audio exercises B. Watch the segment on the interview with Christof, and answer the questions.

B. 1. because of (his father) Kirk’s drowning 2. amnesia 3. about premature by 2 weeks 5. 5 other competitors 6. the first child that has been legally adopted by the corporation 7. all revenues are generated by product placement; everything on show is for sale 8. we accept the reality of the world with which we are presented