Before reality TV was a pop culture mainstay, there was The Truman Show. It's considered one of Jim Carrey’s best films, as well as arguably delivered his most serious performance. In the 25 years since the satirical dramedy arrived in theaters, secrets about the acclaimed film have come to light. In celebrating the milestone, the comedy’s writer revealed an alternate final line Jim Carrey almost said, as well as one of the scrapped potlines from the darker, original script.
The Truman Show writer Andrew Niccol spilled secrets from the cult classic’s set to THR. The Oscar-nominated screenwriter revealed that the movie was written before his other sci-fi cult classic Gattaca. Speaking about Truman’s catchphrase “Good morning! And in case I don’t see you, good afternoon, good evening, and good night,” Niccol admitted to the famous line was an ad-lib by Jim Carrey himself. Bringing up the signature phrase allowed the acclaimed film writer to reveal another potential phrase Truman could’ve uttered.
For a while, I think the last line was, 'You never had a camera in my head.' Curiously, I have a film in the works where they do have a camera in your head. Kind of.
At least those words may get used in another project. The coy line could’ve played well, especially after the title character came to terms with the world watching his every move. However, Carrey’s ad-lib won out. Everything worked out in the end as it’s one of the most memorable lines from the movie.
Niccol referred to the comedy classic as the “spiritual predecessor” to Gattaca. The In Time scribe mentioned the original script fell more in line with the sci-fi thriller’s dystopian worldview. Of course, once Peter Weir jumped on board, he was steered toward a tonal change. More than two decades after The Truman Show’s release, Andrew Niccol opened up to the publication about one of the original plotlines.
I did envisage something darker. In the original script, there was an innocent passenger attacked on the subway as a way to test Truman’s courage, and Truman had a platonic relationship with a prostitute who he dressed as Sylvia [Natascha McElhone].
It appeared the original script might’ve painted the producers as more sadistic and conniving than even the final film did. The relationship between Truman and Sylvia would’ve been remarkably different from the sweet one portrayed in the Oscar-nominated dramedy. The darker plot would’ve made the film more depressing compared to the final film’s bittersweet take on the concept.
Andre Niccol went into more detail about the original Truman Show script in the interview. He revealed the film was set in an alternate New York City before switching to the bright and idyllic Seahaven. The Hollywood screenwriter also admitted it took 16 rewrites to master the lighter tone Weir wanted.
Thankfully, everything worked out for Niccol, Weir and the film. The Truman Show became a critical and commercial hit in 1997, grossing over $264 million worldwide, while scoring acclaim for Niccol’s writing, Weir’s direction, and Jim Carrey’s dramatic turn. The critical acclaim translated to multiple awards and nominations, including three Oscar nominations for Best Picture, Director and Original Screenplay.
If you want to revisit Andrew Niccol’s satirical send-up of reality TV, go stream The Truman Show with an Amazon Prime Video subscription. After watching the dramedy classic, look over our 2023 movie schedule to see what new comedies and dramas are hitting theaters.
