On the surface, Truman Burbank (Jim Carrey) has a nice, predictable life. His wife, Meryl, (Laura Linney) is cheerful and bright, his job is steady, and he sees the same friendly people every day. His best friend, Marlon (Noah Emmerich) is the perfect "guy's night out" pal, someone Truman feels he can really talk to. Truman's life, however, is a lie. Everything he knows has been created around him, all the way back to the time of his birth. Everyone in his life has been cast into their roles, including his mother and father. The show, created by a producer known only as Christof, (Ed Harris) is the most popular show on television. As Truman gets older, his burning desire to travel and see the world becomes harder and harder for Christof to divert, as it is the one gift he cannot give to Truman, who can never leave the manufactured world around him without ruining the much-beloved show. When the inevitable mistakes, such as lights dropping from the "sky", begin to cast doubt in Truman's mind, he begins the real journey of his life.