Edtv

Comment:
As usual, within a few months we have two (or more) movies based on a similar idea or that shows different approaches to the same subject (the most obvious example being Deep Impact and Armageddon). In this case I am obviously referring to the idea of showing the life of a person on a dedicated TV channel, 24 hours a day, an idea recently seen in The Truman Show and now in Edtv.

In fact the plot regards the launch of a new reality-based TV channel and its main real-life character, Ed Pekurny, who chooses to give up his own private life and be followed by cameras all the day (and all the night). It won't take long for him to become a sort of celebrity and to start feeling all the positive and the negative points that comes with it. For example, it is impossible for him to keep secret his new relationship with his brother's ex-girlfriend and also maintaining a normal life with her even though the media, the EDtv executive directors and even the polls are against them! So, while these events make the show more popular, Ed finds himself in a difficult situation from which he cannot easily escape.

I enjoyed how the movie shows the increasing popularity of the EDtv channel, such as the always increasing people following Ed in the streets and especially the advertisements changing from local restaurants to well-known multinationals. The changes of attitude of Ed, of his relatives and friends and of the other people connected to the show are even more evident but they are not analyzed too deeply. This helps keeping the movie light and entertaining, but also prevents it from pushing the audience to think too seriously about the delicate subject it handles.

Although the choice of making a light comedy from such a thoughtful story may be debatable, every aspect of the movie is perfectly driven by this decision and so the dialogues, the actors and the direction are all focused on the audience entertainment. Although romantic comedies with happy endings are not my preferred kind of movies, Ron Howard manages to maintain a good rhythm, rarely bores us with dull moments and provides some funny scenes and witty dialogues.

After all, comparing Edtv to The Truman Show is a bit unfair. While the latter can be seen as a great metaphor of the human life, the former is just a comedy that shows a possible future scenario in which television is more and more present in the life of the average people to the extent that even an average Joe may become famous thanks to his own mediocrity. Hence, unlike The Truman Show, this movie doesn't force you to think to the meaning of life but it can still be good starting point for a debate about the actual meaning of mediocrity, fame, fortune, privacy and about the 'power' of the television industry in our society.