EDtv

Summary

“Don’t blame your mother. I was irresistible.”

In 1998, Ron Howard and his crew endeavored to make a film that was equal parts romantic comedy and reality television satire with EDtv. The crew was aware that a drama starring Jim Carrey was also being made that shared a core premise of the central character being filmed 24/7. The Truman Show went on to become a critical and financial success that showcased Jim Carrey’s range as an actor, whereas EDtv financially and critically underperformed. I remember seeing EDtv in the theaters and thinking it was a decent, but completely forgettable movie. Universal Pictures has decided to give the picture a Blu-ray re-release, which should make fans of the film excited because the out of print disc was fetching high prices. Because I am always seeking movies to watch with my teenage son that are in the PG-13 range, I decided to check out EDtv this weekend to see how it had aged.

In San Francisco, struggling network Truth Tv is launching a new promo that states: “You’ve laughed. You’ve cried. You’ve almost died. No scripts. No actors. No editing. All day. All night. All true. This spring….” At the press conference, executive Cynthia (Ellen DeGeneres) explains that they will pick one normal person to focus their cameras on. They will broadcast their life live and unedited. This is a big risk for Cynthia’s career but she has the support of her boss Whitaker (rob Reiner,) because the current ratings for the network are in the toilet. Cynthia hopes she can find someone that will draw viewers: whether they are a good person or simply something that people can’t look away from. At a bar in San Francisco, single thirty-something video clerk and community college dropout Ed (Matthew McConaughey) meets up with his brother Ray (Woody Harrelson.) Ray has brought his girlfriend Shari (Jenna Elfman) along. Ray is having difficulty committing, and they have come there from meeting her parents. Across the bar, audition tapes are being filmed for Truth TV. Ray decides to audition and drags his brother Ed onto camera. The production team gets the tape and is fascinated with Ed. After interviewing him, they choose to make him the 24/7 star of their show. Ed is reticent to sign the waivers, but Ray convinces him that it will be the best thing for their family. Ray wants to promote his gym on the show. Ed’s stepdad Al (Martin Landau) and Ed’s mom Jeanette (Sally Kirkland) are worried about how the show will handle the sex. EDtv starts off somewhat roughly, but in short order becomes a sensation as Ed’s friends and family are dragged into a maelstrom of fame and self-absorption. The show becomes more successful when Ray is caught cheating on camera, and Ed, while trying to console Shari, kisses her on camera. Ed and his family soon find that the invasive nature of being on camera all the time can be constricting.

EDtv was based on a French film by Emile Gaudreault and Sylvie Bouchard called Louis 19, le roi des ondes. I have not seen that film, but I did notice that it ran roughly ninety minutes, whereas Edtv runs 122 minutes. Screenwriters Lowell Ganz and Babaloo Mandel, well known screenwriters for hits like Splash, City Slickers, and Night Shift, worked to adapt the material. The script has a solid concept and some very good material at parts – such as when Ray writes a tell-all book (that I won’t spoil here) – but the movie feels like it drags on too long. It feels both overstuffed and undercooked. The satire works for the most part, but it had already been done just as well in Albert Brooks’s excellent comedy Real Life. To add insult to injury, this film can’t help but be compared to the fantastic The Truman Show which had come out just months before EDtv. It is possible that this picture would have worked much better for audiences if that film had failed to exist, but comparisons are inevitable. I will note that there are plenty of differences between the pictures. EDtv leans into a skewering of the media landscape and the public’s fascination on those who are simply famous for being famous, whereas Truman Show focused on voyeurism, paranoia, and manipulation. Edtv was prescient in predicting a world of Kardashians and Real Housewives, it is just a shame that its ideas had not been explored more effectively.

Ron Howard is a capable director and has no trouble drawing good performances out of his cast. Nobody is at fault for the filmmaking quality itself, the script just needed a little trimming to have worked better. Matthew McConaughey was a very bankable star in 1999 whom was often not given roles that showed his true capabilities as an actor. Aside from his turn in Frailty, it would take McConaughey until his roles in True Detective and Killer Joe to finally gain the critical success that eluded him. The truth of the matter is that there is nothing wrong with his performance in the picture. The issue critically was simply a matter of jealousy. It didn’t seem like hard work for Matthew to act like a handsome guy who liked to have fun who women found attractive. He is well cast in the role. I also liked Jenna Elfman as Shari. She is likable as the forlorn and publicly ridiculed love interest. This film marked the first pairing of Woody Harrelson and Matthew, and they have great chemistry onscreen, even though Ray’s role in particular suffers from lazy writing. When Elizabeth Hurley enters the film, the picture reaches a comedic high as people root for Ed to hook up with her. Every red blooded male in the country was infatuated with Elizabeth Hurley and she was extremely popular after her success in Austin Powers, just a couple years prior. Sally Kirkland is enjoyable as Ed’s mom, and Martin Landau is great in his few scenes. The film features cameos of numerous talking heads including Rupaul, Jay Leno, Michael Moore, George Plimpton, and more. Harry Shearer and Clint Howard both show up in small roles, and Dennis Hopper appears briefly in the film as Ed’s estranged father. Ellen DeGeneres failed to draw any laughs from me in her role, but that is probably consistent with how I felt in 1999. Rob Reiner steals every scene in which he appears.

Overall – EDtv is a fairly forgettable effort that had a strong concept, great cast, and capable director. If a little more time had been placed on tightening the script, it could have been really special. It is still a lighthearted way to spend a couple hours, but it could have been a great way to spend an hour and a half.

Video

EDtv is presented in 1.85:1 aspect ratio in 1080p with an MPEG-4 AVC encode. Universal has simply repurposed their Blu-ray from 2017. The picture does not look fantastic on the format, but it does offer improvement over the DVD. The master seems somewhat dated and is not outright ugly, but is not anything to write home about. Fans might be somewhat dismayed that this release is not an improvement over the original release.

Audio

While the video transfer was underwhelming, I was pleasantly surprised by the immersion on the lossless DTS-HD MA 5.1 track. Speakers are steadily engaged and the track is surprisingly boisterous. Clarity is excellent and dialogue is clear. The soundtrack which ranges from Al Green, to Stroke 9, to Barenaked Ladies, to Ted Nugent. The soundtrack is a relic of its era and all of it comes through well. 

Supplements:

Caught in the Camera’s Eye: The Making of EDtv

Deleted Scenes: with an introduction by Director Ron Howard. 

Outtakes

Theatrical Trailer

Audio Commentary: With Director Ron Howard.

Audio Commentary: With Writers Lowell Ganz and Babaloo Mandel.

Overall Scores:

Video: 3/5

Audio: 4.5/5

Supplements: 4/5

Overall: 3.25/5

EDtv boasts a good concept with a strong cast and a talented director, but unfortunately the script does not reach its full potential. The film drags on longer than you would hope and ends up being fairly forgettable, especially given the inevitable comparisons audiences make between EDtv and the superior The Truman Show. I think the movie is completely fine, and likewise think this Blu-ray is fine. Fans might be disappointed that this is simply a reprint of the 2017 Blu-ray. The video transfer is not new, but the audio and extras are both solid. Fans of the film will be excited to have an opportunity to pick it up, because the OOP 2017 Blu-ray was selling for very high prices. For those who have not seen the movie, adjust your expectations and consider a rental first.

The film can be purchased at www.moviezyng.com.