EDtv (1999)

EDtv: Directed by Ron Howard. With Geoffrey Blake, Gail Boggs, Jenna Byrne, Merrin Dungey. A video store clerk agrees to have his life filmed by a camera crew for a television show.

“EDTV is more concerned with u0026quot;Edu0026quot; than u0026quot;TVu0026quot;.u003cbr/u003eu003cbr/u003eIn fact, throughout this dull and relentless tale of ordinary Joe Ed turned real-life 24-hour television star, Director Ron Howard consistently resists the obvious satire on the fallout of fame and focuses on the cloyingly saccharine romance that lies at EDTVu0026#39;s mushy core.u003cbr/u003eu003cbr/u003eIf you doubt this (and considering Howardu0026#39;s track record, you may), visit EDTV on DVD and youu0026#39;ll be treated to numerous deleted scenes that satirically drive home the point that fame is indeed a bitch. Unfortunately, these scenes are also some of the darkest, funniest and most telling in the script. (An entire subplot about an EdTV imitator that ends with tragedy was completely eliminated from the final cut.) Why then did they end up on the cutting room floor? Howard canu0026#39;t seem to get away from Mayberry sentimentality enough to make EDTV the film it needs to be by itu0026#39;s very nature. In fact, the stars of the film (Hurley, DeGeneres, Harrelson) could have made a more interesting documentary on the price of fame than EDTV does at itu0026#39;s cautious best.u003cbr/u003eu003cbr/u003eAll hail, however, the filmu0026#39;s bright spot, Ellen DeGeneres. Yes, Ellen. With her balance of quirky humor and self-doubting charm, she manages to infuse the film with some sense of purpose and it is she (not wrongly cast lead Matthew McConaughey) that we care about.u003cbr/u003eu003cbr/u003eSee it for Ellen. Or, better yet, rent THE TRUMAN SHOW and cap it off with a re-run of TVu0026#39;s ELLEN. I guarantee more laughs and heaps more satire than the botched EDTV can ever provide.”