THE TRUMAN SHOW (1998): 25 Years Later, Screenwriter Suggests That the Jim Carrey Film Was Once Going to Be Much Darker in Nature

Screenwriter’s Original Version of The Truman Show Was Much Darker

Before Jim Carrey came on board The Truman Show, the script of the 1998 masterpiece was a lot different in scope.

Screenwriter Andrew Niccol has talked recently about his 25-year old film, The Truman Show which is now on 4K. Niccol has revealed that the original version of his story was certainly darker and perhaps more in spirit to a science fiction film which came before it: 1997’s Gattaca which starred Ethan Hawke and was also written by Niccol. Originally set in a much different type of New York City, The Truman Show eventually became a beloved classic with some light touches to the very dark themes it presents. Perhaps, the lighter touches were associated with the film because of the casting of funnyman Jim Carrey in the lead role.

In the darker version of The Truman Show, there was a passenger on a train who was regularly attacked which was meant to test the character of Truman (Carrey)’s bravery. There was also a character who was a prostitute which Truman got to dress up as the one love who got away from him (this “one who got away” was played in the film by Natascha McElhone). None of that material seems to exist in the world of 1998’s finished Peter Weir film, The Truman Show, in which Carrey’s character was trapped in an unhappy marriage with Laura Linney’s character.

The much more grim Gattaca was written after The Truman Show but the Ethan Hawke film was released before The Truman Show in order for Jim Carrey to have been able to star as Truman in the latter film. Director Peter Weir managed to get the best out of Carrey in a dramatic role which still had signature Carrey “light” moments as well. Weir had previously worked with funnyman Robin Williams on the heavy drama Dead Poets Society.

Before The Truman Show, reality television shows were not commonplace but became more and more accessible to the public as the years progressed. The Truman Show had a line at the end in its original stages that was in the finished film but not at the very end: “You never had a camera in my head.” That was the line that concluded Niccol’s script in its initial stages and, coincidentally enough, Niccol is now working on a project where “they do have a camera in your head.” The 1998 film is one of the best pictures of the 1990’s despite being snubbed at the Oscars for a Best Picture nod back when they only had five Best Picture nominees. Sadly, Jim Carrey was also snubbed for a Best Actor Academy Award nomination despite a Golden Globe win for the part.

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