Entertaining all the time, despite the serious undertone and the sad underlying cause that makes everything happen and keeps the story rolling on. It is the unpopular decision to stop medical treatment and scans, to merely await a certain death without all the burdens of hospitals and other forms of medical interference with inevitable death caused by his progressing cancer. Of course, everyone tries to change his mind but they all are doomed to fail (is this a spoiler?). He, on the other hand, causes several surprises while dealing with family, friends and colleagues, in the sense that his attitude is refreshing, far from depressing as could be expected. The dog named Truman that gave the movie his name, is the subject of several attempts to find a suitable new household for him, involuntarily being another cause to keep the story rolling, if not working as a running gag.
Apart from dog Truman unknowingly playing a central role, the two main characters are Julian, who is terminally ill and refuses further treatment, and Thomas, who is sent by his wife to let Julian change his mind. The two were close friends many years ago but pick up their friendship easily as if there had been no interruption. While Julian does not stop surprising Thomas with unexpected moves, they both behave very rationally and succeed very well in coping with pitiful scenes and dealing with people avoiding contact because of not knowing how to behave or what to say.
All in all, a strong story line and a movie populated with strong actors. Luckily, there is no tear jerking and I could not spot any overly emotional scenes. There is ample humor interwoven in the script, and the surprises induced by Julian and his sometimes-unorthodox behavior, keep our attention from start to finish.
Apart from dog Truman unknowingly playing a central role, the two main characters are Julian, who is terminally ill and refuses further treatment, and Thomas, who is sent by his wife to let Julian change his mind. The two were close friends many years ago but pick up their friendship easily as if there had been no interruption. While Julian does not stop surprising Thomas with unexpected moves, they both behave very rationally and succeed very well in coping with pitiful scenes and dealing with people avoiding contact because of not knowing how to behave or what to say.
All in all, a strong story line and a movie populated with strong actors. Luckily, there is no tear jerking and I could not spot any overly emotional scenes. There is ample humor interwoven in the script, and the surprises induced by Julian and his sometimes-unorthodox behavior, keep our attention from start to finish.