Edtv Movie
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Storyline
TAGLINES
Fame. Be careful. It's out there.
Good morning! You're live on EDtv
The story of a nobody everybody is watching
Cynthia, TV producer, has an idea about how to save the station: A normal person's life should be broadcasted 24 hours a day. "Ed TV" is born the second her eye falls on Ed Pekurny, a sympathetic Joe Sixpack. After the first week on air Eds fame grows and grows, but conflicts break open: His brother Ray publishes a very negative book about Ed, who now dates Ray's ex; Ed's parent's partnership problematics are broadcasted nationwide and a very attractive and seducing model uses innocent Ed to raise her own fame. Also, Ed's contract proves to be unquittable, so that Ed Pekurny suddenly can see the golden bars around his cage. But in a country that switches the TV set on for breakfast and off for bedtime, nearly everything can happen - and people can be counted on.
| Matthew McConaughey | Ed 'Eddie' Pekurny |
| Jenna Elfman | Shari |
| Woody Harrelson | Ray Pekurny |
| Sally Kirkland | Jeanette |
| Martin Landau | Al |
| Ellen DeGeneres | Cynthia Topping |
| Rob Reiner | Mr. Whitaker |
| Dennis Hopper | Henry 'Hank' Pekurny |
| Elizabeth Hurley | Jill |
| Adam Goldberg | John |
| Viveka Davis | Marcia |
| Clint Howard | Ken |
| Geoffrey Blake | Keith |
| Gail Boggs | Wife |
| Jenna Byrne | Felicia |
| Ron Howard |
6.10 out of 10 (14174 votes)
Visitor Reviews
What a mess!!
posted on 15 Jul 2009I watched this movie because it was directed by Ron Howard, and he has done some descent work. I was pretty dissapointed in this though. The plot really nothing special, it wasnt really funny, except for Ellen DeGenerous, who I think is hilarious.
I guess I didnt like it because nothing really came together quite right. The only really good part was
the ending. ** out of *****
Just a Pale Shadow of "The Truman Show." **1/2 out of ****
posted on 07 Jul 2009When I first saw the trailer to "ED TV" I instantly found plot points similar to those of "The Truman Show," last years best movie. And in reality, "ED TV" is all but a pale, more vulgar version of that very movie. But what great material to reuse. I mean, after all, if one likes a movie with the same concept as another, chances are they're going to like both.The movie is about a failing cable company who decides to put a live TV show on the air in which a selected person's life is on 24 hours a day. They pick a nobody named Ed, who has no life, or interesting things about him, that is why people find it interesting to watch him. The show gets wondrous ratings, and the production company decides to continue with that show for larger periods of time. Ed gets tired of this, but can't get out, due to previously signed contracts and blah blah blah.There are plenty of entertaining sub-plots to hold the attention span of the audience. There is the long lost father who suddenly turns up after his son is placed on TV (Dennis Hopper). There is a romance between Ed and his brother's girl friend. There is the sex story with who other than Elizabeth Hurly. And a closing that works well in the most hilarious of ways.The opening of the film is quite slow, detailing the selected person that will be placed on live national TV. But even though there is explanation and introduction of all the colorful characters, this film really lacks depth and meaning. It's another one of those movies where you may enjoy for the time while watching, but after you leave the theater, you'll never think about it again. Because if there is no true concept or message behind the movie, then there is no reason to remember it.There are some very funny moments in "ED TV," I just wish Ron Howard, who has done better ("Ransom") would have focused a bit more on laughs other than just plot. Yes, the plot is somewhat interesting, but it's all done in a midcourse comedic tone, unlike "The Truman Show," which was all height and glory. "ED TV" blends tragedy and comedy together, reimbursing the old saying that there is funny material in every sad situation.I loved the performances from everyone in the cast. Matthew McConaughey shows us what he can really do with a juicy role like Ed, and he takes advantage of it all the way though. Jenna Elfman only proves that there is more to her acting ability than comedy, and delivers a satisfactory performance as one of Ed's love interests. Woody Harrelson puts some spike into the role of Ed's big brother. Both Ellen DeGeneres and Rob Reiner play perfect television producers. I liked Dennis Hopper, finally not playing a villain. Elizabeth Hurly acts deliciously as yet another sexpot. Martin Landau is annoying and perverse, but in the end does succeed in bringing forth his character appropriately."ED TV" doesn't quite work. It's a great comparison tool, however.
Should *not* be compared with "The Truman Show"
posted on 05 Jul 2009This is one of those films that for some obscure reason is unfairly overlooked by the media and the movie audience. And, in the case of "EdTV", it also gets unfairly compared by other, more successful films. While "The Truman Show" and "EdTV" shares the basic theme, the films are *not* alike at all. Truman is not aware that he is being filmed and actors are surrounding him: his life is fake. In the case of Ed, it is his own choice to be in the docusoap, and while "The Truman Show" is a bit unbelievable, EdTV could be a fact almost any day now. The TV channels of today are unhealthily obsessed with people's private lives, and many people seem to be unhealthily obsessed by themselves. Docusoaps are taking over the TV world and I think EdTV is not very far away.I still think that "The Truman Show" is, by far, the better film, but "EdTV" is certainly a very entertaining film in its own right and I don't think it's fair to compare it to "The Truman Show". I've never liked Matthew McConaughey, but the part as Ed seems to be perfect for him. And Woody Harrelson is very entertaining in an supporting role as Ed's obnoxious brother. Very entertaining, but about half an hour too long. (6/10)
very engaging interesting movie
posted on 01 Jul 2009A movie seemingly lost in the shuffle after The Truman Show, I was blown away on how much better this movie was. Edtv itself was more interesting on the surface, and what the movie had to say on deeper levels was subtle, not slapped in your face like the other movie. Not to mention the far better quality of acting. A highly recommended choice!
not funny--this movie seems to be made by amateurs
posted on 20 Apr 2009this movie was quite disappointing. After seeing the great Truman Show, i had high hopes for this movie. Boy was i disappointed. The jokes in this movie are all very juvenile all the great actors in this movie are bad. Worst of all was Matthew McConaughey, who unfortunately had the most screen time. I usually like Ron Howard's movies (Ransom, Apollo 13, Splash), but this was pathetic, really. Don't waste your money on this.
Much funnier than real life version
posted on 23 Feb 2009Edtv rang particular bells for me as the BBC put this idea into practice with a real family around 1974, when compact lightweight video cameras first made this "fly on the wall" documentary approach possible. For weeks a small crew recorded the tedious everyday life of the working class Wilkins family in my home town of Reading, 40 miles west of London. The Wilkins' dirty laundry was aired for national consumption (e.g. Mrs Wilkins' youngest child was not her husband's). Despite the juicy details, the result was dreary beyond belief, despite editing hours of footage down to an hour's transmission a week. It graphically proved the point that most people's ordinary lives are horribly boring to watch. Both in the real life BBC version and the fictional Edtv, working class people were ensnared by money and the "glamour" of TV into providing cheap entertainment by affluent, articulate middle class professionals.Edtv's hero is as charismatic as Martin Luther King in comparison with the Wilkins, and several weeks of his life condensed into two hours make very enjoyable viewing. The film is hardly a profound examination of the relationship between media and audience, but it illustrates very directly the nonsense of "objective observation" as far as most modern journalism and news coverage are concerned. The media instantly affect whatever they are trying to record, making the TV chief's insistence that Ed carry on his "normal life" (to satisfy the terms of his contract) both hilarious and fatuous (Bravo Rob Reiner for another comedy cameo to match that in "Bullets Over Broadway"). Any pretence of normalcy vanished the second the cameras moved in. As Ed realises too late: "Without privacy there is no dignity". This truism was horribly illustrated in real life by the Wilkins in one unforgettable scene when they discussed their 9 year old's poor school report with the weeping child in front of 10 million viewers. Pity that no one showed Ed a sample of the real life version before he signed his life away to the TV sharks....
I Got What I Went For
posted on 13 Feb 2009I got what I went for - the laughs! So many laughs my face ached. I went knowing this was a "no-brainer", but got pleasantly surprised by the performances of Ellen DeGeneres and Sally Kirkland. Wonderful characters I wanted to see more of. Unfortunately, they were supporting cast. Not a heavy thinker's movie, but if you want to just laugh, to escape for a couple of hours, see EDtv. You'll get what you went for, lots of laughs. Thanks, Ellen !
A Great Reality-TV Show Type Film.
posted on 18 Jan 2009Edtv is a great film. How can you not love a film the brilliant Ron Howard directs. Matthew McConaughey is great as Ed the man who has to be followed and watched 24 Hours a day and Jenna Elfman is also really good as Shari, Ed's girlfriend and the ex off Ed's brother Ray. (Woody Harrelson.) Anyway, the film is lots of fun and great to see what Ed gets up to next. Edtv is also much better than The Truman Show, another Reality-TV Show Type Film. I give the Edtv a deserving 8/10
enjoyable "what if" movie
posted on 25 Dec 2008This was an entertaining film dealing with fame. Everyone seems to want it, but will they still after seeing this film? It shows the ups and downs of becoming an instant celebrity. Matthew McConaughey plays "Ed" a down-to-earth kind of guy thrust into stardom when he gets his own tv show. The tv show's premise? To follow Ed around twenty-four seven. This move affects everyone in his life. And Ed has to decide whether he wants to continue with his status or if he wants to be plain old Ed. Solid film with good performances, especially from Ellen DeGeneres. 7/10
I quite enjoyed it
posted on 19 Nov 2008I watched this on DVD and so reading the description I of course automatically compared it to "The Truman Show" - like everyone else here it seems. But EDtv is altogether different.Truman is about a man who's been put into a fake world without his consent and he gradually discovers that nothing what he considered as true is real. I think in this respect it's symbolical of how people live their lives in general.EDtv is different in that the main character agrees to go on show but he doesn't understand the wider implications of it. This film is much more realistic especially after shows like "Big Brother". Maybe it's too true to be appreciated by a wider audience.Of course, there are a lot of skeletons in the cupboard of this family - maybe more so than with other families. But I think that is part of what films and books are about. They're not real, they're just the essence of reality and thus more condensed.
Feared this would be a gritty, angry Truman Show, but was pleasantly surprised.
posted on 05 Nov 2008Even though I like most of the players, I really wasn't expecting much from this movie. I wound up surprised by its freshness, wit and thoughtfulness. I feared a poor person's Truman Show, but this film took a lot of the same themes and spun them in different directions. The film lacked Truman's sadness and humanity but made up the difference with more concise and challenging social commentary (not to mention a better supporting cast). Issues of celebrity, entertainment, the media, the information age were all handled in interesting ways. When it needed to be abrasive and shocking, Ed TV took its shots, but it usually remained in a very comfortable and entertaining middle ground. As a viewer, I felt like someone who had spent the previous 15 minutes surfing channels before finally finding a gem worth watching.
Funny, smart, charming
posted on 18 Sep 2008Ron Howard isn't going for the hole-in-one this time, like when he made "Apollo 13" and "Ransom". This time, it seems, he's just hoping to avoid water hazards and sand traps.Which he does."EDtv" contains a lot of terrific writing from the mostly-reliable team of Lowell Ganz and Babaloo Mandel (anyone remember "Splash"?), but it also features several good performances from its star players. In particular, the work done by Martin Landau and Dennis Hopper is simply miraculous. Landau has, well, never failed to come through, but Hopper is continually a surprise. He has only one major scene in the film, but it is something else. (BTW, the man's been in the biz since "Giant" in 1956--somebody just give him a darned Oscar!)In short, EDtv is funny, somewhat insightful, worth a look.
Truman trumps Ed
posted on 14 Sep 2008Ed wakes up with an erection. Ed scratches his crotch. Ed clips his toenails. Ed falls over. Welcome to Edtv.If you don't find these things intrinsically funny, that's too bad. The script contributes little humour or wit of its own. Either we guffaw at a buffoon being a buffoon, along with the all the cable television watchers of America - a pleasure that soon palls - or we try to get what entertainment we can out of the story. Thankfully, there is SOME story, and although the basic idea is old news (forget `The Truman Show', there are a hundred dumb `real-life' cable television shows out there), if you're in an indulgent mood you might get something out of it. I did, at any rate.But be warned. Ron Howard, a director whose complete lack of style is almost a style in its own right, has made a mechanical movie, one that shifts from levity to seriousness to pathos with gears going `clank' in the background. Unlike `The Truman Show' it lacks sentiment, humour, drama and - worst of all under the circumstances - intelligence. Howard's only good film (`Apollo 13') was also marred by mean-spirited anti-intellectualism.
It's much worse here. `Edtv' glorifies stupidity and positively wallows in its own brainlessness.In case I need to be point this out, that's not a good thing.
Ed and Truman: NOT the same
posted on 02 Sep 2008I was like every one else. I thought this was going to be a variation of The Truman Show. Personally I think Truman and Ed are like apples and oranges--can't be judged with one another.
Truman: Guy didn't know he was on TV.Ed: Guy WANTS to be on TV, and doesn't think about what it's going to do to himself, or more importantly, his family.I enjoyed this movie for what it was: A comedy. There were some serious moments, but over all it's a junk food movie. One you want to watch without getting some DEEP life meaning. It's a fun flick.I'd recomend it to any one. I'd have HATED to be Sherry though. There are a lot of women I know who's egos would be deflated if they saw the world was taking a poll on whether or not she was worthy of her boyfriend!! <-- on that note, when Ed stops to look at the list of "who people think he should be with"... you just wanna smack him. He's a loveable oaf, one you're rooting for, and then he stops to actually READ the list. Wonderful!!
Truman's little brother
posted on 30 Jul 2008Unfortunately, the shadow of the Truman Show looms large over Ron Howard's latest effort. The studios must have thought this film could stand on its own considering the marketing push it got. If only they figured out that a good director and a good cast don't ALWAYS make a good movie. First off I would have cast Woody Harrelson as Ed and Matthew as his brother.
surprisingly meaningful, hilarious comedy, touching love story
posted on 08 Jul 2008EDtv is one of the best movies I've seen in a while. It really did a good job of combining the absolutely hilarious with a touching love story and valid commentary on life and our current values as a society.Thank you, Ron Howard. Once again, you are a genius!
Original, unpredictable, and absolutely hilarious. Fantastic all around, with its many delightful surprises, it will keep your attention the whole way through!
posted on 14 Jun 2008When you first hear the premise of the movie, you think you know it. A man's life is broadcast on television. You think The Truman Show, MTV's The Real World, etc.... but the moment the house lights go down, and the picture comes up, you realize that Hollywood has never made a film like this before. Thank goodness someone finally has! From the very beginning it hooks you in with a little bit of comedic factor, a little bit of gross-out factor, a little bit of loser-boy factor and you're surprised at how funny it is to see a film actually doing things that really are ordinary, and moreover you're shocked at how funny those ordinary things are to watch. You fall in love with the characters because as outrageous as they are at times, they're quite believable. You know these people, they're your cousins, your neighbors, your co-workers, your friends, maybe even you. But most importantly, they're genuine, and you gain a new perspective on celebrity, the media and the common lives that we all have, as well as the dignity one likely risks for a taste of fame.The storyline develops well, and very quickly. Even though with hindsight every aspect shows a natural unfolding of events that are altogether too frighteningly real, at no point do you ever find yourself thinking it predictable. In fact it's the irony of the unpredictable yet true-to-life nature of the film that makes it so humorous. And you look at your own ever-changing fate in a new light under this screen setting that, as new as it is to movies, feels eerily familiar to you.This hilarious comedy is full of many, many surprising twists, amusing as well as heart-warming, and when you combine that good writing with good producing, directing and acting, you have one great movie. EDtv is a delight to watch, and the only thing you regret when you leave the theatre is that you don't know how Ed and all the others are doing now. Yep, folks, it's just a movie. But it's a darn funny one. So get away from your computer already and go see it!
Better than "The Truman Show"
posted on 04 Jun 2008I decided to write a comment because I am fed up of seeing this movie compared to "The Truman Show" and always coming off badly.While it is certainly true that there are many similaritires in the idea and plot this one wins every time for me. And here is why..."The Truman Show", while an excellent movie was set an some unknown time in the future, when it is possible for a corporation to adopt a baby towards the selfish ends of the corporation. Whilst adoption law may already be ropy in many places, I do not believe that "The Truman Show" could currently take place.EDTV, on the other hand, could happen now. Current viewer likes and dislikes would well mean that a show of this kind would have enormous audiences, and all in all EDTV is a very good and clear comment on our current society. Totally relevant to the world we live in. And therefore, much more interesting....
A Big Screen Sitcom
posted on 19 May 2008EDtv plays like a sitcom. An endless parade of setup-payoff for chuckle after chuckle, with perfunctory plot twists and sentiment. That is not to say that this is a bad film, or that I didn't laugh (I did), but it is certainly light weight and an underachievment for Ron Howard.I completely bought the national obsession that arrives over Ed. Watching the American response to the OJ trial and the like from North of the Border, it is quite probable that such frenzied discussion would arise over this phenomenon. To a large extent, I am surprised it hasn't been attempted yet.The performances are solid all the way around, but Woody Harrelson and Adam Goldberg steal the show.EDtv is a good rental and a pleasant, forgettable film that could have been much, much more.**1/2 out of ****.
Brilliantly satirical
posted on 19 Jul 2009EDtv is an excellent look about how far our national obsession with fame can go. The actors all seem to be having lots of fun with the script, probably because they have had an actual experience like Ed does at one point in their career.Of particular note is Jenna Elfman, who plays completely against type and shows excellent range as a dramatic actress. Also good are Matthew McCounaghey, who finally lives up to his hype, Elizabeth Hurley pokes fun at herself in a few spots, acting well also, Rob Reiner, very funny as a corporate bigwig, and Ellen DeGeneres is very good as a voice of reason throughout the picture.This movie can be considered as a well timed message from stars to fans on showing what their life can be like at times. It is also bitingly funny, and all together, another winner from Ron Howard.