Comedy

Edtv (1999): Cast, Ratings, Box Office & Plot

Name: Edtv
Genre: Comedy
Released: 1999-03-26
Duration: 2 h 2 min
Cast: Matthew McConaughey, Jenna Elfman

Edtv is a 1999 comedy directed by Ron Howard, starring Matthew McConaughey and Jenna Elfman. It runs 2 hours 2 minutes and earned $35.2 million worldwide on a $80 million budget. Critics gave it 63% on Rotten Tomatoes and 49 on Metacritic, and IMDb users rate it 6.1/10.

IMDb rating: 6.1/10
Rotten Tomatoes: 63%
worldwide gross: $35.2M
Metascore: 49

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Watch the trailer Read the plot summary

Released: March 26, 1999
Runtime: 2h 2m (122 min)
Director: Ron Howard
Genre: Comedy
Original language: English
Studio: MCA/Universal Pictures
Budget: $80M
After the credits: No No extra scene

The story

What Is Edtv About?

The premise of Edtv without spoilers. The whole story is in the plot summary further down.

A cable network desperate for higher ratings selects Ed Pekurny, an ordinary man, as the unwitting star of a new reality show documenting his daily life. As cameras follow Ed, he unexpectedly becomes a celebrity, but the constant surveillance takes a toll on his personal life and relationships. He must navigate the challenges of sudden fame and grapple with the implications of living under continuous observation, ultimately questioning the cost of his newfound notoriety.

Edtv Themes & Keywords

· 48 tags

television
fictional reality show
media circus
commercialism
satire
invasion of privacy
media hype
character name as title
nickname as title
1990s
video store clerk
clerk

+36 more

millennium
satire comedy
gay character
video store
producer
one word title
female removes her clothes
kissing while having sex
family relationships
male female relationship
brother brother relationship
voyeur
price of fame
mass media
fish out of water
dysfunctional family
broadcast
no opening credits
gay couple
soda machine
pepsi
betrayal
stepfather
mother son relationship
simple man
audition
remake
jealousy
morality
product placement
incarceration
escape
san francisco california
texan
father son relationship
romantic rivalry

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Cast & crew

Edtv Cast

Matthew McConaughey leads the cast, with Jenna Elfman. Directed by Ron Howard.

Director Ron Howard

From the director

More from Ron Howard

More films directed by Ron Howard, best-rated first: Parenthood, Rush, Frost/Nixon and Rebuilding Paradise.

Full filmography

Ratings

Edtv Reviews & Ratings

Critics gave Edtv 63% on Rotten Tomatoes and 49 on Metacritic, and IMDb users rate it 6.1/10.

IMDb

6.1 /10
See on IMDb
Rotten Tomatoes

63% Tomatometer

Popcornmeter 30%
See on Rotten Tomatoes
Metacritic

49 Metascore

User score 6.6
See on Metacritic
TMDB

60% User score
See on TMDB

Plot

Edtv Plot Summary

What happens in Edtv from start to finish, spoilers included, with a timeline of 14 key events. The opening is below; the full summary is a 2-minute read.

Spoilers ahead

This film serves as a sharp satire on the themes of voyeurism and the celebrity culture in America. The story follows an unremarkable video store employee named Ed, portrayed by Matthew McConaughey, who suddenly finds himself thrust into the spotlight when he consents to have his mundane life broadcasted on television. Almost immediately, Ed realizes that his privacy has evaporated entirely. The cameras roll from the moment he wakes, humorously capturing him in an awkward moment involving his most intimate area.

Full summary

The whole story of Edtv, scene by scene

Read the full summary

Timeline of events

Box office

Edtv Box Office & Budget

Edtv grossed $35.2 million worldwide on a $80 million budget, 44% of what it cost. $22.4 million came from the US and Canada and $12.8 million (36%) from the rest of the world.

1999 box office

Worldwide gross

$35.2M

44% of its budget back