EDtv

 EDtv 1999

• Director: Ron Howard
• Seen by the director: Frost/Nixon, The Da Vinci Code, A Beautiful Mind
• Based on book: no
• Cast: Matthew McConaughey, Jenna Elfman, Woody Harrelson, Martin Landau, Adam Goldberg, Ellen DeGeneres, Rob Reiner, Dennis Hopper
• Personal “oh yeah him/her” reaction, i.e. have seen this actor in:
• Matthew McConaughey – The Gentlemen, The Dark Tower, Interstellar, The Wolf of Wall Street, The Lincoln Lawyer, Amistad, Contact
• Jenna Elfman – Dharma and Greg, Gross Pointe Blank
• Woody Harrelson – Zombieland Double Tap, Three Billboards Outside Ebbing Missouri, The Glass Castle, The Hunger Games, 2012, Zombieland, Battle in Seattle, No Country for Old Men, A Scanner Darkly, North Country, A Prairie Home Companion, White Neb Can’t Jump
• Martin Landau – X File Fight the Future, Ed Wood, Mission Impossible
• Adam Goldberg – Zodiac, A Beautiful Mind, Saving Private Ryan, Friends
• Ellen DeGeneres – TV series
• Rob Reiner – The Wolf of Wall Street, First Wives Club, Sleepless in Seattle, Misery, Postcards from the Edge, Spinal Tap, All in the Family
• Dennis Hopper – Swing Vote, Waterworld, Speed, True Romance, Red Rock West, The Indian Runner, Rumble Fish, Easy Rider
• Why? Good film
• Seen: Once before. Now 28 April 2022      

       A TV company is having trouble with its ratings. Cynthia (DeGeneres) presents a new idea – to film an ordinary guy 24/7.

       Enter Ed (McConaughey). He’s a bit of a loser, 31 years old, working in a video shop. He’s cute but not real bright. He hams it up on camera and generally makes a fool of himself. His obnoxious brother Ray (Harrelson) hogs the camera and even cheats on his girlfriend Shari (Elfman) in direct sending. Ed and Shari fall in love on TV and the program becomes a huge hit. Ed becomes a superstar, but Shari is not happy conducting her love life on TV, especially when viewers hate her and protest that she’s not pretty and hot enough for Ed. Meanwhile, other family drama takes place on camera.

       It’s funny, but it’s sad too. And it shows the cruelty of fame and fans. And the absurdity.

       The cast is terrific. Did you ever notice that McConaughey and Harrelson actually look like brothers? At least in this film. That’s how good they are.      

4 * of 5