777 reviews
I thoroughly enjoyed "Pleasantville" from the 'Once upon a time' through the film fading to black.
The acting was top notch all around, as was the use of special effects; in very few films has colour been used so effectively that it can convey a story seemingly without help from dialogue or music.
I can see how some people would perceive it as merely another mouthpiece of liberalism, but I watched it twice, and I only noticed it attacking bigotry and censorship. What was wrong wasn't that these people were living according conservative values, but that they didn't really choose those values in the first place!
I like the fact that the film was bold, and that it made its point as directly as it contrasted the black and white with the splotches of Technicolour. While "Pleasantville" had little subtlety in its allegory, it was, like any good fairytale, beautiful in its simplicity.
Nine out of ten =)
The acting was top notch all around, as was the use of special effects; in very few films has colour been used so effectively that it can convey a story seemingly without help from dialogue or music.
I can see how some people would perceive it as merely another mouthpiece of liberalism, but I watched it twice, and I only noticed it attacking bigotry and censorship. What was wrong wasn't that these people were living according conservative values, but that they didn't really choose those values in the first place!
I like the fact that the film was bold, and that it made its point as directly as it contrasted the black and white with the splotches of Technicolour. While "Pleasantville" had little subtlety in its allegory, it was, like any good fairytale, beautiful in its simplicity.
Nine out of ten =)
PLEASANTVILLE had to be one of the biggest surprises I've ever had at the movies. This superbly mounted and completely winning fantasy starred Toby Maguire and Reese Witherspoon as a contemporary teenage brother and sister who are magically transported into a black and white television show called "Pleasantville", a show similar to "Leave it to Beaver" or "I Love Lucy", where everyone in the town knows each other, where the fire department only saves cats from trees and never put out fires and where there are no pages in the books or toilets in the bathrooms. Maguire's character is a "Pleasantville" trivia expert so he knows everyone there and everything that's going to happen but sis Witherspoon is a stranger in a strange land whose introduction of 1990's sensibilities to the citizens of this town brings about extraordinary changes. The film is beautifully made with a very smart screenplay and superb performances, the best of which is by Joan Allen, who is luminous as Betty, the mother in the sitcom who is shocked at first but learns to accept the 1990's coming to Pleasantville. Yes, it may borrow from other movies, but there is a freshness and originality to this movie that is most engaging and anytime with Don Knotts is time well spent.
David (Tobey Maguire) is a geek in high school. Real life is diminishing expectations, family divorce and no female companionship. He's obsessed with an old TV show Pleasantville. While watching a Pleasantville marathon, he has a fight with his twin sister Jennifer (Reese Witherspoon) and they break the TV remote. TV repairman (Don Knotts) shows up and give them a special remote which sends them into the show. They become George (William H. Macy) and Betty Parker (Joan Allen)'s kids Bud and Mary Sue. She's not happy until she sees her new boyfriend Skip Martin (Paul Walker). Bud is working at Bill Johnson (Jeff Daniels)'s soda shop. He falls for Margaret Henderson (Marley Shelton). The kids' interactions start changing the strange purity of Pleasantville and colors seeps into the world.
At first, this is a gimmick that has some cute aspects. Don Knotts adds to that sense of a cheap laugh. It has some good fun with Maguire and Witherspoon budding head. Then the deeper profound message seeps into the movie. It is gentle and yet undeniable. A couple of times, I feared the movie would push too hard like calling the people "color". It manages to maintain some distance and follow through on the message without overpowering it. This is quite a film.
At first, this is a gimmick that has some cute aspects. Don Knotts adds to that sense of a cheap laugh. It has some good fun with Maguire and Witherspoon budding head. Then the deeper profound message seeps into the movie. It is gentle and yet undeniable. A couple of times, I feared the movie would push too hard like calling the people "color". It manages to maintain some distance and follow through on the message without overpowering it. This is quite a film.
- SnoopyStyle
- Aug 26, 2015
- Permalink
I knew what this film would be about before I rented it, but I'm stunned that it would be THIS good. Nothing against "Saving Private Ryan" or "Shakespeare in Love", but this film should have won Best Picture in 1998 and it was a shame that it wasn't nominated. It's an even bigger injustice that it did not get a nomination for best screenplay or cinematography.
In the hands of another writer, this movie could have been made as just a parody of 1950's sitcoms like "Leave It To Beaver" or "Ozzie and Harriet." But this film isn't about how clichéd those series look decades later. It's about the false nostalgia for a past that never existed. We survived the past and we know that everything turned out all right. Because of this, we selectively choose our memories and weed out the unpleasant ones. That's why the past is sometimes seen as "the good ol' days." Pleasantville does not represent how the 50's actually were but rather an idealization of what people THINK the 50's were---no one had sex, everyone got along swell, and life was fairly easy. Nothing could be further from the truth, and there are many film from that era which show how real people (even in suburbia) actually lived. This film argues that free will and choice is ESSENTIAL to life and that we should embrace freedom instead of fearing it. It isn't just about making out, but having the OPTION to make out.
Another reviewer claimed that this film was an attack on the 50's, but David and Jennifer could very easily have been dumped in the world of "The Brady Bunch", "Gilligan's Island" , or "Batman." But setting "Pleasantville" in a 1950's sitcom allows for the brilliant metaphor of black and white versus color. Black and white photography is a stylized depiction of the universe, but unless you're color blind it's not the way you actually see the universe. When we first see Pleasantville's citizens, all of them are cardboard cut-outs of stereotypes. As they begin to open up and become real people, color seeps into their world. The catalyst seems to be the willingness to experience new sensations and become vulnerable. Jennifer has slept with lot of guys when she was in the normal world, so sex does not change HER into a color character. On the other hand, when she actually finishes a book (without pictures) for the first time in her life, THEN she becomes colorized. Similarly, David does not bloom into color until he breaks out of his aloofness and defends his "mother." Compare the way he ignores his real mother at the beginning of the film to how he consoles and comforts her at the end to see how much David has changed.
I could go on and on, but I think you get the idea. There are a lot of films out there that are very entertaining and/or very moving--like "Raiders of the Lost Ark" or "Titanic." Movies like "Pleasantville" which challenge the audience and force them to think are very rare, and should be treasured by the discerning filmgoer.
In the hands of another writer, this movie could have been made as just a parody of 1950's sitcoms like "Leave It To Beaver" or "Ozzie and Harriet." But this film isn't about how clichéd those series look decades later. It's about the false nostalgia for a past that never existed. We survived the past and we know that everything turned out all right. Because of this, we selectively choose our memories and weed out the unpleasant ones. That's why the past is sometimes seen as "the good ol' days." Pleasantville does not represent how the 50's actually were but rather an idealization of what people THINK the 50's were---no one had sex, everyone got along swell, and life was fairly easy. Nothing could be further from the truth, and there are many film from that era which show how real people (even in suburbia) actually lived. This film argues that free will and choice is ESSENTIAL to life and that we should embrace freedom instead of fearing it. It isn't just about making out, but having the OPTION to make out.
Another reviewer claimed that this film was an attack on the 50's, but David and Jennifer could very easily have been dumped in the world of "The Brady Bunch", "Gilligan's Island" , or "Batman." But setting "Pleasantville" in a 1950's sitcom allows for the brilliant metaphor of black and white versus color. Black and white photography is a stylized depiction of the universe, but unless you're color blind it's not the way you actually see the universe. When we first see Pleasantville's citizens, all of them are cardboard cut-outs of stereotypes. As they begin to open up and become real people, color seeps into their world. The catalyst seems to be the willingness to experience new sensations and become vulnerable. Jennifer has slept with lot of guys when she was in the normal world, so sex does not change HER into a color character. On the other hand, when she actually finishes a book (without pictures) for the first time in her life, THEN she becomes colorized. Similarly, David does not bloom into color until he breaks out of his aloofness and defends his "mother." Compare the way he ignores his real mother at the beginning of the film to how he consoles and comforts her at the end to see how much David has changed.
I could go on and on, but I think you get the idea. There are a lot of films out there that are very entertaining and/or very moving--like "Raiders of the Lost Ark" or "Titanic." Movies like "Pleasantville" which challenge the audience and force them to think are very rare, and should be treasured by the discerning filmgoer.
Some critics here are saying the movie takes itself too seriously - but I believe some people are taking it too literally. ... Saying that the topics that are addressed have no impact on society anymore, clearly misses the point. ... The 50s -- or more specifically, 50s TV -- is used as a metaphor, because of the way 50s TV portrayed life in America. ... Thematically, this movie is about "Living Life" to the fullest, whatever that means. More specifically, to live life to the fullest -- to truly feel "alive" -- you need to take the good with the bad. Sweeping things under the rug and just acting "pleasant" all the time, is no way to live. That's what Tobey McGuire's speech at the end to his "real" mother is all about. Bad things happen, it's part of life. Having passion brings with it positives and negatives -- but suppressing true feelings for the sake of "pleasantness" is an empty life. THAT is the key ... and that "issue" is everlasting to the human condition.
Another point: People fear change. This is universal from the start of time until the end of time. The film suggests that changing and growing as a society and as people -- even if scary -- is good. Just because the 50s were used as a metaphor for that, don't believe for a minute this isn't a universal issue that exists today and forever.
Another issue common for people critical of this film is the sexual issue. They say that Gary Ross is promoting sexual promiscuity, sex out of wedlock, etc... Again, I believe it misses the point. Is Ross suggesting that premarital sex is OK? Yes, and I'd agree - and I'm sure there's plenty of people who don't agree with that, and that's OK too. But, again, the sex is just part of the theme - used as a high-profile example to making the overall point about "openness" - and not suppressing one's feelings. Note that the Reese Witherspoon character was already promiscuous, and her transformation was actually something completely different.
I can't make everyone like this film - I'll just say that, on a personal note, I was so floored by this film, I had to see it again the next day. That had never happened to me before, or since. Ross' commentary goes on to speak of everything I felt about the film when I first saw it. It was great to hear that his reasons for what he did, meshed exactly with how I took it. I had to write him a letter to tell him so - another thing I'd never done before or since.
This is not a perfect film. I liked its subtlety, but then the racism correlation, and the censorship stuff, got a bit more overt. The courtroom scene at the end is a bit cliche ... and I also agree with one poster who said that, to make the point about taking the good with the bad, we should've seen a bit more about the consequences of their actions.
Those are merely nitpicks in the grand scheme of things. This is a 10 out of 10.
Another point: People fear change. This is universal from the start of time until the end of time. The film suggests that changing and growing as a society and as people -- even if scary -- is good. Just because the 50s were used as a metaphor for that, don't believe for a minute this isn't a universal issue that exists today and forever.
Another issue common for people critical of this film is the sexual issue. They say that Gary Ross is promoting sexual promiscuity, sex out of wedlock, etc... Again, I believe it misses the point. Is Ross suggesting that premarital sex is OK? Yes, and I'd agree - and I'm sure there's plenty of people who don't agree with that, and that's OK too. But, again, the sex is just part of the theme - used as a high-profile example to making the overall point about "openness" - and not suppressing one's feelings. Note that the Reese Witherspoon character was already promiscuous, and her transformation was actually something completely different.
I can't make everyone like this film - I'll just say that, on a personal note, I was so floored by this film, I had to see it again the next day. That had never happened to me before, or since. Ross' commentary goes on to speak of everything I felt about the film when I first saw it. It was great to hear that his reasons for what he did, meshed exactly with how I took it. I had to write him a letter to tell him so - another thing I'd never done before or since.
This is not a perfect film. I liked its subtlety, but then the racism correlation, and the censorship stuff, got a bit more overt. The courtroom scene at the end is a bit cliche ... and I also agree with one poster who said that, to make the point about taking the good with the bad, we should've seen a bit more about the consequences of their actions.
Those are merely nitpicks in the grand scheme of things. This is a 10 out of 10.
- rmax304823
- Sep 23, 2002
- Permalink
Three movies of the late '90s -The Truman Show, EdTv and Pleasantville- specifically examined how television made an impact on our world, our culture and our values. They both showed larger than life happenings and captured our minds with their perspectives. In EdTv there was a humble video store clerk guy having his life filmed for a reality show, which was happening in present time. Though in Truman Show very futurist and fantastically, Truman Burbank was not even aware that his life is being filmed, offering the viewer the vision of life from God's perspective. Distinctively here in Pleasantville, there is a journey which starts with materializing a TV-series into life and ends up with materializing the life into this TV-series.
The cheerful 1950s' TV sit-com Pleasantville is revived in the '90s on cable. A homebody teen, David Wagner, escapes from the daily rush of the real unpleasant world by watching this show. He doesn't even miss the reruns, memorizes the scripts and speaks them out before the actors in the show say their part. One day after school, he and his sister Jennifer can't agree on the right TV channel to watch. Then they fight over the remote control and it breaks. The new remote, which will zap them inside Pleasantville, given them by a strange TV-repairman.
When they entered Pleasantville, they become the part of the show and turn to black-and-white as the TV show displays. David and Jennifer take up residence as the son and the daughter of the sit-com family. Soon, they realize that there the life is always pleasant; the temperature is always lukewarm and the seasons are always spring with no rain no snow no hot no cold weather, books have no words, roads end where they start, nothing burns and matches are useless, married couples sleep in twin beds, sex does not exist, nobody gets sick, nobody gets hurt and nobody ever questions this hassle-free life. David fits right in as he always dreamt to be, while her sister persists on him to try to figure out what should they do to escape from there. Though she changes her mind when he gets a boyfriend from school. Her attempts of putting her lifestyle on effect causes Pleasantville gets colors. Thus wonderful and frightening changes start to take place.
Pleasantville is a truly original film that soars with dynamism and aesthetic. From a social and deeply political perspective; it has deep meaning and relevance in today's society. Consequently, it should serve as a reminder for most that the world is made up of how its residents think and act. "You can't stop something that's inside you." says David, and that could be summation of all that Pleasantville stands for.
The cheerful 1950s' TV sit-com Pleasantville is revived in the '90s on cable. A homebody teen, David Wagner, escapes from the daily rush of the real unpleasant world by watching this show. He doesn't even miss the reruns, memorizes the scripts and speaks them out before the actors in the show say their part. One day after school, he and his sister Jennifer can't agree on the right TV channel to watch. Then they fight over the remote control and it breaks. The new remote, which will zap them inside Pleasantville, given them by a strange TV-repairman.
When they entered Pleasantville, they become the part of the show and turn to black-and-white as the TV show displays. David and Jennifer take up residence as the son and the daughter of the sit-com family. Soon, they realize that there the life is always pleasant; the temperature is always lukewarm and the seasons are always spring with no rain no snow no hot no cold weather, books have no words, roads end where they start, nothing burns and matches are useless, married couples sleep in twin beds, sex does not exist, nobody gets sick, nobody gets hurt and nobody ever questions this hassle-free life. David fits right in as he always dreamt to be, while her sister persists on him to try to figure out what should they do to escape from there. Though she changes her mind when he gets a boyfriend from school. Her attempts of putting her lifestyle on effect causes Pleasantville gets colors. Thus wonderful and frightening changes start to take place.
Pleasantville is a truly original film that soars with dynamism and aesthetic. From a social and deeply political perspective; it has deep meaning and relevance in today's society. Consequently, it should serve as a reminder for most that the world is made up of how its residents think and act. "You can't stop something that's inside you." says David, and that could be summation of all that Pleasantville stands for.
- CihanVercan
- Oct 10, 2009
- Permalink
Two 1990s teenagers find themselves in a 1950s sitcom where their influence begins to profoundly change that complacent world.
This is a surprisingly strong role for Reese Witherspoon, who tends to be an overrated actress. If anything, she is actually underrated here for how well she made Jenny her own character. The appearance of Don Knotts is a great touch, and William H. Macy is wonderful as always.
While a simple concept (kids getting sucked into the TV), the execution is a work of genius. Writer-director Gary Ross used this backdrop to explore race relations, the "good old days", changing cultures and mores... and exploring a range of "right and wrong". And underneath it all, it still remains a sense of humor and does not attempt to guilt trip the audience.
This is a surprisingly strong role for Reese Witherspoon, who tends to be an overrated actress. If anything, she is actually underrated here for how well she made Jenny her own character. The appearance of Don Knotts is a great touch, and William H. Macy is wonderful as always.
While a simple concept (kids getting sucked into the TV), the execution is a work of genius. Writer-director Gary Ross used this backdrop to explore race relations, the "good old days", changing cultures and mores... and exploring a range of "right and wrong". And underneath it all, it still remains a sense of humor and does not attempt to guilt trip the audience.
Pleasantville is a fabulous idea that tries to cram a heck of a lot of high concept into its running time.
Modern teenagers are transported by a convenient remote control into an apparent utopia within the small town setting of a 1950s television show.
Fairly innocent conflicts regarding 'geography' and sexual mores give way to a more serious agenda concerning small-minded prejudice, bigotry and the value of individualism. There is much use of symbolism, particularly the gradual depiction of characters and objects in colour rather than black and white.
The acting is of a high quality, with seasoned performers such as Joan Allen, Jeff Daniels and William Macy providing a solid background to (relative) newcomers Tobey Maguire and Reese Witherspoon.
However, some of the messages and symbolism is alternatively muddled (the timing of the transformations to colour) and heavy-handed (the signs that start to spring up saying 'no coloureds'.
Having said that, there is a lot to like about 'Pleasantville', even if the loftiness of its ambitions is only partially met by its success.
Worth a look.
Modern teenagers are transported by a convenient remote control into an apparent utopia within the small town setting of a 1950s television show.
Fairly innocent conflicts regarding 'geography' and sexual mores give way to a more serious agenda concerning small-minded prejudice, bigotry and the value of individualism. There is much use of symbolism, particularly the gradual depiction of characters and objects in colour rather than black and white.
The acting is of a high quality, with seasoned performers such as Joan Allen, Jeff Daniels and William Macy providing a solid background to (relative) newcomers Tobey Maguire and Reese Witherspoon.
However, some of the messages and symbolism is alternatively muddled (the timing of the transformations to colour) and heavy-handed (the signs that start to spring up saying 'no coloureds'.
Having said that, there is a lot to like about 'Pleasantville', even if the loftiness of its ambitions is only partially met by its success.
Worth a look.
- Aussiesmurf
- Oct 9, 2002
- Permalink
My review is also sort of a love letter to the film. With that being said:
Where to start? First off, this movie is stunning, from the makup to the costumes to the cinematography. A visual treat to savour and get lost in, with a perfect musical score to set the tone.
Secondly, the acting in it is committed and well rounded. It does this without feeling preachy. I especially love Jeff Daniels performance because it feels so genuine.
Third of all, I found this movie so enchanting as a child and it has held it's unique grip on me into my adult years. There has never been anything that feels like a carbon copy of this movie before or since. It radiates the same fairytale, golden age style as "it's a wonderful life" while also feeling relevant to its time like "Cruel intentions," and struck a personal chord with me like "the secret life of Walter Mitty"
It's a truly stunning and lasting commentary on a fairly modern life with the spell cast by old TV shows and movies that have an "everything is perfect" quality.
Where to start? First off, this movie is stunning, from the makup to the costumes to the cinematography. A visual treat to savour and get lost in, with a perfect musical score to set the tone.
Secondly, the acting in it is committed and well rounded. It does this without feeling preachy. I especially love Jeff Daniels performance because it feels so genuine.
Third of all, I found this movie so enchanting as a child and it has held it's unique grip on me into my adult years. There has never been anything that feels like a carbon copy of this movie before or since. It radiates the same fairytale, golden age style as "it's a wonderful life" while also feeling relevant to its time like "Cruel intentions," and struck a personal chord with me like "the secret life of Walter Mitty"
It's a truly stunning and lasting commentary on a fairly modern life with the spell cast by old TV shows and movies that have an "everything is perfect" quality.
- anieferreirawork
- Feb 18, 2020
- Permalink
"Pleasantville" as about a pair of modern teenagers who are transported into a black-and-white 50s TV show. That scenario has disaster potential of FEMA proportions, so when the filmmakers avoided making a post-modern film version of "Gilligan's Island" starring Will Ferrell is half the battle. And director Gary Ross got just about everything else about "Pleasantville" half-right, which makes for a halfway decent viewing experience, nowhere near as bad as it could be, but not as good either.
The look of the scenes in the sitcom small-town is half-right -- the costumes, hairstyles and set decorations are perfect, but the pretty black-and-white cinematography and odd camera angles are more reminiscent of an art movie by Scorcese or Woody Allen than grainy single-set 50s TV. The casting is half-right. Don Knotts as the mysterious TV repairman who transforms people into sitcom characters? Perfect. Tobey Maguire as the nerdy, unpopular teen obsessed with an old family sitcom? Way too easy. Looking at Tobey Maguire back in 1998, you assumed he was a geek, so he coasts on his charisma deficit and doesn't bother creating much of a character. Reese Witherspoon as the slutty girl who introduces sexual liberation into the staid 1950s? Brilliant. This was before anyone knew how good she was, and her depth and intelligence shine through this gimmicky role -- her sense of mischief in her early sitcom scene is hilarious, her transformation into a more thoughtful young woman is quite moving. Jeff Daniels as the soda jerk with artistic aspirations? Confused. Is his character stupid or repressed? Daniels never figures it out so he plays it both ways and winds up just kind of stiff and awkward. Finally, the politics of "Pleasantville" are halfway thought-provoking. A few scenes of book burning and threatened gang rape are enough to make you wonder if "Pleasantville" is about the sentimental impulse at the heart of fascism. But that's kind of intense for an American movie so it almost literally backs away from that idea in a bizarre edit and becomes a sentimental movie about self-acceptance and self-actualization. Which is fine, just not incredibly distinctive. Good but not great.
The look of the scenes in the sitcom small-town is half-right -- the costumes, hairstyles and set decorations are perfect, but the pretty black-and-white cinematography and odd camera angles are more reminiscent of an art movie by Scorcese or Woody Allen than grainy single-set 50s TV. The casting is half-right. Don Knotts as the mysterious TV repairman who transforms people into sitcom characters? Perfect. Tobey Maguire as the nerdy, unpopular teen obsessed with an old family sitcom? Way too easy. Looking at Tobey Maguire back in 1998, you assumed he was a geek, so he coasts on his charisma deficit and doesn't bother creating much of a character. Reese Witherspoon as the slutty girl who introduces sexual liberation into the staid 1950s? Brilliant. This was before anyone knew how good she was, and her depth and intelligence shine through this gimmicky role -- her sense of mischief in her early sitcom scene is hilarious, her transformation into a more thoughtful young woman is quite moving. Jeff Daniels as the soda jerk with artistic aspirations? Confused. Is his character stupid or repressed? Daniels never figures it out so he plays it both ways and winds up just kind of stiff and awkward. Finally, the politics of "Pleasantville" are halfway thought-provoking. A few scenes of book burning and threatened gang rape are enough to make you wonder if "Pleasantville" is about the sentimental impulse at the heart of fascism. But that's kind of intense for an American movie so it almost literally backs away from that idea in a bizarre edit and becomes a sentimental movie about self-acceptance and self-actualization. Which is fine, just not incredibly distinctive. Good but not great.
- Putzberger
- Aug 20, 2010
- Permalink
Pleasantville should be nominated for Best Director and Best Cinematography, and perhaps Best Supporting Actor for William H. Macy. Joan Allen, Jeff Daniels and Tobey Maguire are also excellent, and the idea is brilliant. In other words, this film is one of the best of the year. It is fun for the eyes and filled with wonderful allusions to great books and other films, not to mention some similar events in our country's past. If you will let yourself go from reality and put a little thought into it, you will realize the sheer genius behind this film. The messages were plenty and appropriate, and while it is extremely fun to watch, it still is able to evoke deeper emotions. Fantastic, and my vote for second best film of the year behind Saving Private Ryan.
...nor is it The Bicycle Thief, Casablanca, or Taxi Driver. But it's a damn nice modern take on Capra.
The reviewers here that're trashing this film are completely missing the point - they either know nothing about film, or way too much. It's a fable, folks, and if there's lapses in logic or some smarmy moments, well, deal with it. It's a marvelous, well constructed flick and an enjoyable way to spend a couple hours.
There's no blood, or explosions. A bit of sex, but nothing gratuitous and it's essential to the plot. Cue up a copy and prepare to smile.
It's keen...!
The reviewers here that're trashing this film are completely missing the point - they either know nothing about film, or way too much. It's a fable, folks, and if there's lapses in logic or some smarmy moments, well, deal with it. It's a marvelous, well constructed flick and an enjoyable way to spend a couple hours.
There's no blood, or explosions. A bit of sex, but nothing gratuitous and it's essential to the plot. Cue up a copy and prepare to smile.
It's keen...!
- robbscott-1
- Jan 24, 2019
- Permalink
- planktonrules
- Mar 22, 2010
- Permalink
So obviously reading just the synopsis you understand the sort of film this is going to be: metaphorical, proverbial, working on two levels, that sort of thing...
So the film does well jumping straight right into its plot, almost too quick perhaps but the whole first part and middle part are really well made. You're right in the thick of what the movie-makers set you up for, and you find yourself willing to play the little game to see just where exactly they're taking you. It's lots of fun, and the anticipation for answers is at a high level. The whole thing with the colors, the symbols, the 'changes'...
Eventually, the last act, about the whole last third, gets increasingly disappointing as it goes. Very broadly, instead of a deeper unraveling of the concept of truth or something along those lines of philosophical nobility and wisdom and touching, we're fed a totally biased ideological realization of the plot. All of a sudden, it feels a bit like a hoax to have been sitting for two hours plus of this. It ultimately promotes chaos and going wild and doing just what you want solely because you want it at that time. Basically the whimsy responsibility-free behaviors of adults of our day. Now that can't be a good message.
Some points for the intriguing, genuinely interestingly crafted first part, but it could and should've been plenty deeper in its conclusions, kept its level quality from the first to the last part, and most certainly should've had an ending at least the quality of the girth of it, rather than the girth being much better. It's wrapped up, manufactured and rushed into our faces like a mere consumable product when it's supposed to be deep and emotional and intellectual and all.
6/10.
So the film does well jumping straight right into its plot, almost too quick perhaps but the whole first part and middle part are really well made. You're right in the thick of what the movie-makers set you up for, and you find yourself willing to play the little game to see just where exactly they're taking you. It's lots of fun, and the anticipation for answers is at a high level. The whole thing with the colors, the symbols, the 'changes'...
Eventually, the last act, about the whole last third, gets increasingly disappointing as it goes. Very broadly, instead of a deeper unraveling of the concept of truth or something along those lines of philosophical nobility and wisdom and touching, we're fed a totally biased ideological realization of the plot. All of a sudden, it feels a bit like a hoax to have been sitting for two hours plus of this. It ultimately promotes chaos and going wild and doing just what you want solely because you want it at that time. Basically the whimsy responsibility-free behaviors of adults of our day. Now that can't be a good message.
Some points for the intriguing, genuinely interestingly crafted first part, but it could and should've been plenty deeper in its conclusions, kept its level quality from the first to the last part, and most certainly should've had an ending at least the quality of the girth of it, rather than the girth being much better. It's wrapped up, manufactured and rushed into our faces like a mere consumable product when it's supposed to be deep and emotional and intellectual and all.
6/10.
This is an old film from my childhood. It is about a boy who magically travels into the wonderful world of his favorite black and white TV show. There is plenty of fun to be had here and even a fun later performance from the late Don Knotts, co-star of one of MY favorite black and white TV show.
Overall it's a good classic from the nineties, although sadly it seems to be mostly forgotten by now. Recommend.
Overall it's a good classic from the nineties, although sadly it seems to be mostly forgotten by now. Recommend.
One of the most charming fantasies ever put on film was what Gary Ross did in the film Pleasantville. It's subtle message about tolerance for diversity ought to be required viewing for those of us who make public policy and influence public opinion.
Television of the Fifties seems to have fashioned an image of the American family that permeates our political views and social mores right down to today. Not that families were any better or worse during the Fifties, but the image that television created with families from Ozzie and Harriet, Leave It To Beaver, Father Knows Best, right through to the Brady Bunch seem to set impossible standards. Including a favorite of mine, the Donna Reed Show which I believe was the model for the Parker family in Pleasantville. Starting with your's truly, I don't know anyone who had an upbringing like in a TV family.
Tobey Maguire and Reese Witherspoon play a pair of current teens who don't have the greatest of home lives. Maguire is a nerdy kid and Witherspoon is a very serious version of Kelly Bundy who thinks if she sleeps around, she'll be popular and hasn't much interest in education.
One night while Witherspoon is running late for a date and Maguire is getting ready for a marathon showing of the popular Fifties family comedy Pleasantville the remote breaks down. As if by magic, a TV repairman played by Don Knotts shows up with a very special remote. As Witherspoon and Maguire fight over the remote by magic they are transported into the television set and become part of the self contained universe of Pleasantville. Oh, and they are in black and white as the show was taped back in the day.
So with their new identities from the teenage kids of the Parker family with ideal mom and dad Joan Allen and William H. Macy, Maguire and Witherspoon seek to adjust to a new life in television land. But just the introduction of these two into this well ordered universe changes things, first in the most subtle ways and then as both realize the problems with this world in more direct ways. As the change comes, color comes slowly creeping into the black and white images.
Pleasantville got Oscar nominations for Art&Set Design, Original Score, and Costume Design unfortunately not winning any. However it won Saturn Awards for Tobey Maguire and Joan Allen for Best Actor and Supporting Actress in a Science Fiction film. I prefer to think of it as a fantasy rather than a science fiction film, though I can see that science fiction certainly influenced the creation. It combines the best elements of a Star Trek TNG pair of episodes involving Data and LeForge with a holodeck character based on Professor Moriarty and how he's dealt with and an original episode involving Kirk and Spock and some of the rest of the crew landing on a planet where the philosophy of a former sage named Landru is enforced vigorously. There's a bit of the Stepford Wives here as well.
In fact in the role of the head of the Pleasantville Men's Association is J.T. Walsh in a farewell performance. Such things that don't fit his ideas and those of an influential few are just not permitted in their paradise. Pleasantville is also the last big screen appearance of Don Knotts, an interesting choice for the TV repairman as he was a regular on the most wholesome Andy Griffith Show.
Pleasantville is one of the best films of the last decade of the last century. It illustrates that humanity's real strength is in its diversity and how we respect that diversity. It's what brings out the best in the human character, in the human spirit.
Television of the Fifties seems to have fashioned an image of the American family that permeates our political views and social mores right down to today. Not that families were any better or worse during the Fifties, but the image that television created with families from Ozzie and Harriet, Leave It To Beaver, Father Knows Best, right through to the Brady Bunch seem to set impossible standards. Including a favorite of mine, the Donna Reed Show which I believe was the model for the Parker family in Pleasantville. Starting with your's truly, I don't know anyone who had an upbringing like in a TV family.
Tobey Maguire and Reese Witherspoon play a pair of current teens who don't have the greatest of home lives. Maguire is a nerdy kid and Witherspoon is a very serious version of Kelly Bundy who thinks if she sleeps around, she'll be popular and hasn't much interest in education.
One night while Witherspoon is running late for a date and Maguire is getting ready for a marathon showing of the popular Fifties family comedy Pleasantville the remote breaks down. As if by magic, a TV repairman played by Don Knotts shows up with a very special remote. As Witherspoon and Maguire fight over the remote by magic they are transported into the television set and become part of the self contained universe of Pleasantville. Oh, and they are in black and white as the show was taped back in the day.
So with their new identities from the teenage kids of the Parker family with ideal mom and dad Joan Allen and William H. Macy, Maguire and Witherspoon seek to adjust to a new life in television land. But just the introduction of these two into this well ordered universe changes things, first in the most subtle ways and then as both realize the problems with this world in more direct ways. As the change comes, color comes slowly creeping into the black and white images.
Pleasantville got Oscar nominations for Art&Set Design, Original Score, and Costume Design unfortunately not winning any. However it won Saturn Awards for Tobey Maguire and Joan Allen for Best Actor and Supporting Actress in a Science Fiction film. I prefer to think of it as a fantasy rather than a science fiction film, though I can see that science fiction certainly influenced the creation. It combines the best elements of a Star Trek TNG pair of episodes involving Data and LeForge with a holodeck character based on Professor Moriarty and how he's dealt with and an original episode involving Kirk and Spock and some of the rest of the crew landing on a planet where the philosophy of a former sage named Landru is enforced vigorously. There's a bit of the Stepford Wives here as well.
In fact in the role of the head of the Pleasantville Men's Association is J.T. Walsh in a farewell performance. Such things that don't fit his ideas and those of an influential few are just not permitted in their paradise. Pleasantville is also the last big screen appearance of Don Knotts, an interesting choice for the TV repairman as he was a regular on the most wholesome Andy Griffith Show.
Pleasantville is one of the best films of the last decade of the last century. It illustrates that humanity's real strength is in its diversity and how we respect that diversity. It's what brings out the best in the human character, in the human spirit.
- bkoganbing
- Mar 5, 2008
- Permalink
I like this film. It's different. It invites the viewer to think about, and ponder, concepts like morality and values, stereotypes, fear, and social change. Each person will come away with his or her own interpretation of the film's "meaning". And this "meaning" will be consistent, no doubt, with the viewer's own life experiences, values, and belief system.
I consider "Pleasantville" to be a quasi-sci-fi film, one that I think Aldous Huxley and Rod Serling would both approve of.
The film does seem to get bogged down in the middle. It overplays the sex angle. And I could wish for more 1950's rock and roll music. But the acting is fine, especially the performance of Joan Allen. And the lighting is very well done.
Overall, I was pleasantly surprised that a film made in the last ten years could be as original, as cerebral, and as under-stated as "Pleasantville".
I consider "Pleasantville" to be a quasi-sci-fi film, one that I think Aldous Huxley and Rod Serling would both approve of.
The film does seem to get bogged down in the middle. It overplays the sex angle. And I could wish for more 1950's rock and roll music. But the acting is fine, especially the performance of Joan Allen. And the lighting is very well done.
Overall, I was pleasantly surprised that a film made in the last ten years could be as original, as cerebral, and as under-stated as "Pleasantville".
- Lechuguilla
- Jul 9, 2003
- Permalink
- HollisWoods
- Feb 21, 2021
- Permalink
I think that this movie had a great premise - 90's kids get sucked into 50's TV universe, they disrupt the social order with individuality, imagination, and self-determination. However, this movie seemed like once the premise was created, played out excellently in the first half of the movie, it lost direction. There was a great setup, but the creators didn't know where to take it. They wanted to include a message, then let the message become so central, and so obvious and overdone, that it snuffed out the romp that the movie started with. I'm not against having a message in this movie - I think it was important and relevant; however the ending was so maudlin and hard to swallow that I left the theater feeling overworked.
Let's see. Start with an idylic vision of mom and apple pie. Add Hollywood/Clinton values. The end result is a pile of garbage that tries to sell the notion that casual sex, feminism, etc. are not only A-OK but actually make life a whole lot better! Pure crap. But, in today's society where nothing seems out of bounds any longer, I'm sure a lot of people will eat this Hollywood dreck up. Do yourself a favor. If you want uplifting entertainment or good family entertainment go see something else. If you are after sex - go see a porno. This was really stupid. I'd like to see someone make a movie about an immoral society and show how someone can come in with moral values and change black and white to color. We'll never see that from the drug and sex crazed dolts in Hollywood.