EDtv
USA 1999
Reviewed by Leslie Felperin
Synopsis
Our synopses give away the plot in full, including surprise twists.
San Francisco, the present. Cable-station producer Cynthia Topping thinks up a new format to boost ratings: pick an ordinary person and broadcast his activities 24 hours a day. People all over the city send in audition tapes, including boorish Ray Pekurny. Cynthia and her colleagues choose Ray's brother Ed, spotted in Ray's tape. Transmission begins, and Ed's life - working in a video store, hanging out with his friends and working-class family - at first seems prosaic and uneventful. But when a romance unfolds on camera between Ed and Ray's girlfriend Shari (causing a rift between the brothers), ratings pick up and the show is networked across the country.
However, viewers don't warm to Shari and she soon splits up with Ed after humiliating media pressure. Ed starts dating an ambitious starlet Jill, who only wants the exposure. They eventually split up as Ed still hankers for Shari. His long-lost father Hank resurfaces after years of absence, much to the distress of Ed's mother Jeanette and his stepfather Al. Ed begins to tire of life in the limelight and tries to quit the show (with Cynthia's covert support) but television executive Whitaker holds Ed to his contract. Finally Ed appeals to viewers to send in embarrassing material about the station's executives. The blackmail works, and Ed is left alone to reunite with Shari.
Review
With its Joe Schmo-protagonist the star of a 24-hour cable show that trades for its appeal on the very banality of his life, Edtv inevitably suffered on its US release through comparisons with the similarly plotted and critically acclaimed The Truman Show. Despite being a self-contained feature in its own right, Edtv ended up looking like a pilot for a cheap, sunnily lit sitcom spun off from Peter Weir's film, an impression aggravated by the fact that both its screenwriters (Lowell Ganz and Babaloo Mandel) and director (Ron Howard) cut their teeth on such sitcoms as Happy Days (itself a sitcom cloned from the more bleak and brooding American Graffiti). In fact, Edtv is a remake of a little-known Canadian film, Louis XIX: roi des ondes, while The Truman Show itself garnered accusations of plagiarism.
In a way, these extra-textual debates about originality are superfluous since both Edtv and The Truman Show set up their stories' events as springing out of television's ever-increasing problem with format exhaustion. Both Ed and Truman are hailed by their producers as antidotes to the authenticity anaemia of regular programming. The major difference between the two characters is their degree of complicity with their stardom. Ed's willing collusion means Edtv is at leisure to make light entertainment from his predicament and turn out a more specifically focused if disposable satire on television.
What you get from Edtv, apart from its mild romance, some well-timed comic performances and the debatable charms of Matthew McConaughey on constant display, is more of an insiders' spoof on small-screen shenanigans and a fuller examination of what role television plays in viewers' lives - we see far more of the reactions and opinions of Ed's fans, ranging from Hispanic security guards to camp boys debating the merits of gold-digger Jill's Versace dress. And there's a nice acidity in the portrait of the cable executives' meetings as they worry about their ratings (beaten by a gardening channel, one despairs that, "people would rather watch soil") and ruthlessly dissect their stars' performances. Like the film-makers themselves, a goodly portion of the cast - from Woody Harrelson to Ellen DeGeneres - got their breaks on television, and there's a sense of scores being settled while they also affectionately salute the medium that made them stars.
Credits
- Producers
- Brian Grazer
- Ron Howard
- Screenplay
- Lowell Ganz
- Babaloo Mandel
- Based on the motion picture Louis XIX: Roi des Ondes written by
- Emile Gaudreault
- Sylvie Bouchard
- Director of Photography
- John Schwartzman
- Editors
- Mike Hill
- Dan Hanley
- Production Designer
- Michael Corenblith
- Music
- Randy Edelman
- ©Universal Studios
- Production Companies
- Universal Pictures and Imagine Entertainment present a Brian Grazer production
- Executive Producers
- Todd Hallowell
- Michel Roy
- Richard Sadler
- Associate Producers
- Aldric La'auli Porter
- Louisa Velis
- Production Co-ordinators
- Lisa J. Watters
- 2nd Unit:
- Nancy Honeycutt
- Unit Production Manager
- David Womark
- 2nd Unit Production Manager
- Michael Malone
- Location Managers
- Michael Malone
- Steve A. Dayan
- 2nd Unit Director
- Todd Hallowell
- Assistant Directors
- Aldric La'auli Porter
- William M. Connor
- David Hyman
- 2nd Unit:
- Doug Ornstein
- Andrew Bernstein
- John Morse
- Script Supervisors
- Leslie Park
- 2nd Unit:
- Melisa Sanchez
- Alice Tompkins
- Paula Frankel
- Casting
- Jane Jenkins
- Janet Hirshenson
- Associate:
- Ashley Stover
- Jennifer Fishman
- 2nd Unit Directors of Photography
- David Dunlap
- C. Mitchell Amundsen
- Camera Operators
- C. Mitchell Amundsen
- Robert Presley
- David Emmerichs
- Video:
- Parker Bartlett
- 2nd Unit:
- Tim Bellen
- Michael Santi
- Steadicam Operators
- 2nd Unit:
- Colin Anderson
- Phil Pastuhov
- 2nd Unit Wescam Operator
- David Arnold
- Video Effects
- Supervisor:
- Matthew Morrissey
- Manager:
- Celia Starr
- Engineers:
- Alan Porter
- Ted Schelling
- Special Visual Effects
- Digital Domain
- Visual Effects Supervisor:
- Erik Nash
- Visual Effects Producer:
- Eileen Moran
- Visual Effects Co-ordinator:
- Lauren A. Littleton
- Digital Composition:
- Tonia Young
- Mark O. Forker
- Rick Dunn
- Christine Lo
- Donovan A. Scott
- Visual Effects Editor:
- Debra Wolff
- Film Imaging Supervisor:
- Michael D. Kanfer
- Executive in Charge:
- Nancy Bernstein
- Special Effects
- Co-ordinator:
- Robbie Knott
- Supervisor:
- Tommy Knott
- Graphic Designer
- Martin Charles
- On-line Video Editor
- Jim Sevin
- Art Director
- Dan Webster
- Set Designers
- Kevin Cross
- Al Hobbs
- Lauren Polizzi
- Set Decorator
- Merideth Boswell
- Production Illustrator
- Peter Ramsey
- Costume Designer
- Rita Ryack
- Costume Supervisor
- Dan Bronson
- Make-up Supervisor
- Fred C. Blau
- Key Make-up Artist
- Ken Chase
- Hair Supervisor
- Charlene Johnson
- Key Hairstylist
- Frances Mathias
- Hairstylists
- Karen Asano-Myers
- 2nd Unit:
- Linda Arnold
- Main Title Design
- Richard Friedlander
- Jimmy Zelinger
- Titles/Opticals
- Pacific Title/Mirage
- Orchestra Conductor
- Randy Edelman
- Orchestrations
- Ralph Ferraro
- Music Supervisor
- Bonnie Greenberg
- Music Co-ordinator
- Lisa Brown
- Supervising Music Editor
- John Lasalandra
- Music Editor
- E. Gedney Webb
- Score Mixer
- Elton Ahi
- Soundtrack
- "Have You Ever" by Joe Tex, Buddy Killen, performed by Joe Tex; "Here I Am (Come and Take Me)" by Al Green, Mabon Hodge, performed by Al Green; "Drum Warrior" by/performed by Dave Anderson; "Car Scratch Fever" by/performed by Ted Nugent; "Mama Told Me Not to Come" by Randy Newman, performed by Three Dog Night; "Turnin' Pages" by Taylor Rhodes, Peter Wolf, performed by Peter Wolf; "Allegro Molto Moderato" by Edvard Grieg; "This World" by Herb Schapiro, Gary William Friedman, performed by The Staple Singers; "These Arms of Mine" by/performed by Otis Redding; "Dirty Water" by Ed Cobb, performed by The Inmates; "Let's Go Team #1" by/performed by Dan Stein; "A Lot of Livin' to Do" from the Broadway musical "Bye Bye Birdie" by Charles Strouse, Lee Adams, performed by Gavin Grazer; "Burning to Change" by Stroke 9, Luke Esterkyn, performed by Stroke 9; "Been Hurt" by Ryan Maxwell, performed by Muzzle; "Thank You (Falletin Me Be Mice Elf Again)" by Sylvester Stewart, performed by (1) Sly & the Family Stone, (2) Barry White; "Do Wah Diddy Diddy" by Jeff Barry, Ellie Greenwich, performed by Fun Factory; "Sleep on the Left Side" by Tejinder Singh, performed by Cornershop; "That's Life" by Dean Kay, Kelly Gordon, performed by James Brown; "Deep inside the Passion" by Ruben Ayala, Jeff Wade; "Call and Answer" by Steven Page, Stephen Duffy, performed by Barenaked Ladies; "Flagpole Sitta" by Sean Nelson, Evan Sult, Aaron Huffman, Jeff Lin, performed by Harvey Danger; "Holly Holy" by Neil Diamond, performed by UB40; "Como ves" by Jesús 'Chuy' Perez, performed by Ozomatli; "Careful What You Wish for" by Meredith Brooks, Shelly Peiken, Adam Gorgoni, performed by Meredith Brooks; "Let Me See" by Paul Godfrey, Ross Godfrey, Skye Edwards, performed by Morcheeba; "Afroman" by Alejandro Rosso Gonzales, Juan José Gonzales Reyes, performed by Plastilina Mosh; "Bareback Rider" by Dave Anderson; "Gimme Some Lovin'" by Steve Winwood, Muff Winwood, Spencer Davis, performed by The Spencer Davis Group; "Real Life" by Jon Bon Jovi, Desmond Childs, performed by Jon Bon Jovi; "True TV Promo" by/performed by Jim Lang; "Style Hut" by Jim Lang, performed by Bobbi Page, Jim Lang
- Sound Mixers
- David MacMillan
- 2nd Unit:
- Daniel Kent
- Patrick Moriarty
- Re-recording Mixers
- Chris Jenkins
- Scott Millan
- Franco Morrone
- Bob Chefalas
- Supervising Sound Editor
- Chic Ciccolini III
- Dialogue Editors
- Bitty O'Sullivan-Smith
- Marc Laub
- Louis Bertini
- Sound Effects Editor
- Daniel Pagan
- ADR
- Loop Group Co-ordinator:
- Lynne Redding
- Recordist:
- Doug Murray
- Mixers:
- Paul Zydel
- Dean Drabin
- Supervising Editor:
- Lisa J. Levine
- Editor:
- Jeff Stern
- Foley
- Artist:
- Nancy Cabrera
- Mixer:
- Paul Zydel
- Supervising Editor:
- Yvette Nabel
- Editor:
- Josh Landis
- Stunt Co-ordinator
- Rocky Capella
- Animal Handlers
- Studio Animal Services
- James Dew
- Megan Valinote
- Cast
- Matthew McConaughey
- Ed Pekurny
- Jenna Elfman
- Shari
- Woody Harrelson
- Ray Pekurny
- Sally Kirkland
- Jeanette
- Martin Landau
- Al
- Ellen DeGeneres
- Cynthia Topping
- Rob Reiner
- Whitaker
- Dennis Hopper
- Hank
- Elizabeth Hurley
- Jill
- Geoffrey Blake
- Keith
- Gail Boggs
- wife
- Jenna Byrne
- Felicia
- Merrin Dungey
- Ms Seaver
- Ian Gomez
- McIlvaine
- Gavin Grazer
- Cliff
- Chris Hogan
- Paul
- Arianna Huffington
- panel member
- Larry Jenkins
- husband
- Wendle Josepher
- Rita
- Scott LaRose
- Desipio
- John Livingston
- Terry
- Mitzi McCall
- fig lady
- Jim Meskimen
- Dr Geller
- Don Most
- Benson
- Rick Overton
- Barry
- James Ritz
- Tad
- RuPaul
- RuPaul
- Rusty Schwimmer
- Alice
- Steven Shenbaum
- Jack
- Gedde Watanabe
- Greg
- Viveka Davis
- Marcia
- Adam Goldberg
- John
- Steve Kehela
- Googy Gress
- reporters
- Jo McGinley
- Tracy
- John Pirruccello
- Kevin
- Charles Berg
- Anthony Jensen
- party goers
- Joe Bellan
- Lou
- Brian Michael Erlich
- Marcus J. Oliver
- video store clerks
- Sam Rubin
- entertainment reporter
- Mark Thompson
- anchor
- Barry Wiggins
- sports anchor
- Michael Parsons
- kid
- Zidu Chen
- dental patient
- Clint Howard
- Ken
- Eric Shinn
- camera truck tech driver
- Robert Pastoriza
- Carlos
- Jeffrey Schecter
- utility - 1st team
- Michael Esposito
- camera operator - 1st team
- Connie Campbell-Gott
- Louie Mejia
- camera operators - 2nd team
- Crystall Carmen
- utility - 2nd team
- Matt Morrissey
- director - 2nd team
- Marilyn Pittman
- woman in window
- Sommer Saqr
- Jennifer Elise Cox
- Alexandra Holden
- college girls
- Mark Wheeler
- bartender
- Kathleen Marshall
- hygienist
- Harry Shearer
- moderator
- Michael Moore
- Merrill Markoe
- George Plimpton
- panel members
- Geoff Bolt
- drunk guy
- Azalea Stanley
- Ezra Stanley
- teenagers
- Ann Karin
- snapple girl
- Todd Hallowell
- interviewer
- Cyndi Pass
- Cassie
- Jen Moe
- Velina Brown
- girls
- Rod Tate
- Moe
- Todd Krainin
- younger man
- Zeidy Martinez
- Azura Skye
- Daisy Clarke
- interview teenagers
- Lombardo Boyar
- Rainbow Borden
- David Quane
- New York guys
- Christian Kane
- P.A.
- Gina Hecht
- Cheryl Howard
- Louisa Marie
- party girls
- Mike Grief
- repairman
- Jason Kim
- Kim Alexander
- Dublin James
- T.J. Tyne
- frat guys
- Laurel Moglen
- underwear woman
- Wade J. Robson
- Sy Hearn
- Nathan Paul
- teenage boys
- Bill Maher
- host
- Anita Morales
- nurse
- Lowell Ganz
- lawyer
- Bob Sarlatte
- motorcycle cop
- Ashley Clark
- girl
- William M. Connor
- toilet man
- Roberta Callahan
- cat advocate
- William Bagnell
- presidential aide
- Jay Leno
- Jay Leno
- Julie Rose Stevens
- Brigitte Jacoby-Baker
- Ken groupies
- Joe Mazza
- vet
- Mel Berger
- confused man
- Diane Amos
- autograph mom
- James Brooks
- delivery man
- Luke Esterkyn
- band member
- Mark Marking
- Tom Turpel
- Ed's fans
- St. Pierre. Sun
- female well-wisher
- Roger L. Jackson
- mama's boy
- Julie Donatt
- reporter
- Thomas Barg
- boom box boy
- Glenn E. Schuldt
- paramedic
- Curtis Davis
- whoop boy
- William Dance
- beauty salon owner
- Sonia Bhalla
- ticket taker
- Todd P. McCormick
- P.I. guest
- Jordan Harrelson
- audition guy
- Tony Harras
- Vince Lozano
- Rolando Molina
- warehouse workers
- Alberto Vázquez
- grave digger
- Lydee Walsh
- college girl
- Veronica Moody
- college dorm girl
- Peter Starr
- motorcycle driver
- Alan D. Purwin
- helicopter pilot
- Certificate
- 12
- Distributor
- United International Pictures (UK) Ltd
- 11,095 feet
- 123 minutes 16 seconds
- Digital DTS sound/SDDS/Dolby digital
- Color by
- DeLuxe