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EDtv (PG-13) 

Reviewed March 29, 1999 - Check out the EDtv Website.

What happens to a person whose life is on TV seven days a week and 24 hours a day?  Constantly.  No interruptions. 

To a large extent, this subject was recently explored in The Truman Show, which was both a critical and commercial success last summer.  It's no surprise then that we now get EDtv, a Ron Howard directed comedy which explores the same theme.  This time, the subject of the TV cameras is Ed Pekurny (Matthew McConaughey), a scruffy 31-year-old videostore clerk living in San Francisco.  There are, of course, some major differences between Ed and Truman, the most obvious being that Ed agrees to have his life videotaped by a small cable network, while Truman's life is shot without his consent.  In EDtv, everyone (including Ed) knows that the cameras are watching, and this awareness of the media and its consequences add an intriguing twist to the comedic setup.  At the direction of network programming director Cynthia Topping (Ellen DeGeneres), the cameras conspicuously follow Ed, his brother Ray (Woody Harrelson), Ray's girlfriend Shari (Jenna Elfman), and Ray's parents Jeannette and Al (Sally Kirkland and Martin Landau). 

"Ho hum," you say, but wait!  It isn't long before we all discover that Ed's family is really quite dysfunctional, and when the cameras catch Ray cheating on girlfriend Shari, and when Ed subsequently professes his love for Shari, the ratings explode!  Soon, Ed is a hit, a star, a celebrity for no other reason than his presence on TV.  Yes, in some sense EDtv is an indictment of the sensationalistic voyeurism that fuels media today.  And yes, in some sense EDtv is an indictment of who we are as an audience, and how we get sucked into otherwise ordinary and private lives.  At the hands of Ron Howard, however, EDtv is first and foremost an easygoing comedy, one that's less angry cynicism and more lighthearted humor.  With very relaxed and entertaining performances by McConaughey, Harrelson, Elfman and Degeneres, EDtv is, above all, one very funny film, and one that I would easily recommend.  Any surface similarities aside, EDtv is NOT The Truman Show, and though EDtv has its flaws (most notably an overly abrupt resolution to Ed's troubles with the network), it definitely stands on its own as an entertaining and enjoyable film, and one that will be enjoyed by those simply looking for a good laugh.

Responses from cyberspace--thanks for writing!

David Rogers gives this movie  stars: "Better than the dissapointing Truman Show." (5/6/00)