Daily Dialogue — July 3, 2015

“In case I don’t see ya’… good afternoon, good evening, and good night.”

— The Truman Show (1998), written by Andrew Niccol

The Daily Dialogue theme for the week: Quitting.

Trivia: Part of the original screenwriting deal called for Andrew Niccol to have his directing debut, but Paramount executives later felt the estimated $80 million budget would be too high for him. In addition, Paramount wanted to go with an A-list director, paying Niccol extra money “to step aside.” Brian De Palma was under negotiations to direct before he left United Talent Agency in March 1994. Directors who were considered after de Palma’s departure included Tim Burton, Terry Gilliam, Barry Sonnenfeld and Steven Spielberg, before Peter Weir signed on in early 1995, following a recommendation from Niccol.

Dialogue On Dialogue: This line is a callback to Truman’s typical shout-out to neighbors and friends. Here it takes on a different meaning as it becomes his way of saying, “I quit.”