Pleasantville (1998)

Fantastical writer Gary Ross (Big, Dave) makes an auspicious directorial debut with this inspired and oddly touching comedy about two '90s kids (Tobey Maguire and Reese Witherspoon) thrust into the black-and-white TV world of Pleasantville, a Leave It to Beaver-style sitcom complete with picket fences, corner malt shop, and warm chocolate chip cookies. When a somewhat unusual remote control (provided by repairman Don Knotts) transports them from the jaded real world to G-rated TV land, Maguire and Witherspoon are forced to play along as Bud and Mary Sue, the obedient children of George and Betty Parker (William H. Macy and Joan Allen). Maguire, an obsessive Pleasantville devotee, understands the need for not toppling the natural balance of things; Witherspoon, on the other hand, starts shaking the town up, most notably when she takes basketball stud Skip (Paul Walker) up to Lover's Lane for some modern-day fun and games. Soon enough, Pleasantville's teens are discovering sex along with--gasp!--rock & roll, free thinking, and soul-changing Technicolor. Filled with delightful and shrewd details about sitcom life (no toilets, no double beds, only two streets in the town), Pleasantville is a joy to watch, not only for its comedy but for the groundbreaking visual effects and astonishing production design as the town gradually transforms from crisp black and white to glorious color. Ross does tip his hand a bit about halfway through the film, obscuring the movie's basic message of the unpredictability of life with overloaded and obvious symbolism, as the black-and-white denizens of the town gang up on the "coloreds" and impose rules of conduct to keep their strait-laced town laced up. Still, the characterizations from the phenomenal cast--especially repressed housewife Allen and soda-shop owner Jeff Daniels, doing some of their best work ever--will keep you emotionally invested in the film's outcome, and waiting to see Pleasantville in all its final Technicolor glory. --Mark Englehart Amazon.com

 Surprisingly Good
You look at the premise, about two 90s teen landing in a 50s sitcom, and you go WTF? Then you start watching it, expecting little, and find it hard to get into. But hey, stick with it. This turns into an excellent movie, quite original, and just a whole lot of fun. May 7, 2008

 Superb film
Words pretty much fail me in describing this exquisite film: its beauty and sensitivity; its superb cinematography and direction; its perfect cast and their virtually perfect performances; and its INTELLIGENCE. Keep your hankie nearby. February 23, 2008

 Wonderful movie
Pleasantville is simply an intriguing and innovative movie. It really is a rarity to showcase a movie such as this. And what a novel concept. At first glance, I wasn't sure if I would be interested in modern film purposely filmed in black and white. I thought it would feel odd. But it didn't. It worked so well that I loved it immedietely. The characters are all great and interesting. The plot is also great and intriguing. And its also sweet and tender as well as being serious and comedic, all in the span of 2 hours. I can't get enough of this film, its one of those that I can watch over and over again and it seems new at every viewing. February 14, 2008

 The Creator of Pleasantville is a GENIUS.
This is my favorite movie of all time. I have probably seen it about 15 times and every time, without fail, I discover new symbolism in the movie. So many themes overlap, as they do in life. This movie is absolutely amazing. If I could sum up my interpretation of this in only a few words I would say, the spiritual evolution of mankind.
December 2, 2007

 Pleasantville
The copy which I received of Pleasantville does not play properly, it won't work on my PS2 for some reason and it only works on my computer randomly and my computer is brand new. So I'd suggest buyers to be a little cautious when purchasing this movie. November 3, 2007

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