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EDtv |
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A cable TV network called True TV has a
problem. Ratings have slid into the dumps for
two years. Network brass needs a gimmick,
so Cynthia must come up with one. She
decides to find somebody in San Francisco,
put a camera in their face day in and day out,
then stick that person on the air and wait for
the ratings to soar. Meet Ed. An
uninspiring, unambitious, unpretentious
everyman. He's a 31-year-old East Texas
transplant who works as a clerk at a video
rental store. Watch Ed live. The audition
is complete, the contract is signed and Ed
lends his life to TV. His soul, however, is still
up for grabs. Truman, in The Truman
Show, didn't know he was on TV. Ed
knows all too well. Camera crews dog his
every step—at his job, in his bedroom, on his
dates. He doesn't mind at first. After all, he
really doesn't have much else to do in life.
Then his brother's girlfriend, Shari, catches
his eye and the cameras start to get a little
pesky. They follow him as he woos her away
and the two fall madly in love. Obviously, family
problems are unavoidable. And when his real
dad shows up after being AWOL for decades,
things really heat up. Shari ends up
leaving Ed. Fed up with never being allowed a
single moment of privacy while under the
watchful eye of Ed's millions of fans.
Positive Elements: Ultimately,
EDtv reveals America's out-of-control
lust for stardom. It shows exactly what would
happen if someone's life were
thrust—non-stop—into the public
consciousness. And it's disastrous. Fame
feeds upon itself and breeds fame. It's a sad
reality that the movie drives home. Fifty or 100
years ago, people became famous for doing
something special, or heroic or beautiful. Now
people become famous for being in the right
place at the right time. For having a certain
"look." For doing nothing. This may give
away part of the film's emotional hook, but Ed
ultimately makes the "right" choice. The choice
of real life and the love of his girl over the
glitter of fame and money.
Sexual Content: A sizzling scene
depicts Ed making out with Jill on a table in
her apartment. She is clad in a negligée and
the two have every intention of having sex.
They don't, but only because Ed falls off the
table and injures himself. Shari's breasts are
exposed for a split-second in a fuzzy shot
through a car window as she and Ed make
out. A woman is shown at some length from
the back clad only in a thong panty. Sexual
innuendo abounds and not once does anyone
question the appropriateness of casual sex.
Among other things, jokes fly about being a
good or bad "lay." A lengthy segment devoted
to talk of erections and penile implants closes
the film as Ed digs up dirt on the Network
execs.
Drug and Alcohol Content: Beer
and margaritas are consumed several times.
Shari gets very drunk on one occasion trying to
cover her emotional pain. Several instances of
cigarette smoking.
Crude or Profane Language:
About a dozen uses of the s-word taint the
dialogue, along with nearly 50 other
profanities. God and Jesus' names are also
abused. Cynthia gives the finger to her boss
with both hands as she calls him a
"s---head."
Other Negative Elements: "Cozy"
shots are shown several times of a gay
couple at home watching the EDtv telecast.
Summary: EDtv is an odd
combination of a cerebral response to
society's obsession with stardom and a
gutter-romp through voyeurism and sexual
fantasy. It will seem to many families that
director Ron Howard mixes in doses of
sensuality, crude dialogue and tantalizing
"near-sex" experiences to "keep 'em comin'
back for more." Ultimately, EDtv is a
reality check for those who adore anyone and
anything put before them on a TV screen.
Ironically, those very people are probably the
ones who will adore anything and everything
about this film.
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