I can't believe I missed this classic.

Turning the overused and predictable time-travel concept on its head, Pleasantville aims extremely high, posing the mother of all existential questions - would we do it the same way if given a chance to re-write our own history? With the exception of some very leaden sixties revisionism, the answer is ingenious and thought provoking.

Living in the highly sexualized, single-parented miasma of pre-Y2K suburbia, teenagers David and Jennifer Wagner (Tobey Maguire & Reese Witherspoon) find themselves transported into a 1950's sitcom called Pleasantville that quickly becomes their black and white purgatory of Eisenhower-era rectitude.

The re-creation of Pleasantville in its original, sinless state is pitch perfect. Breakfast consists of waffles, pancakes and ham steaks slathered in butter and piled sky high with trans-fat be damned glee. The High School experience is completely asexual with the most pressing academic and social concerns being term papers mining the origins of the local fire house and who is getting "pinned" at the big dance. To complete the post card, the local barber dispenses platitudes, the basketball team always wins and the aforementioned firefighters do nothing but rescue cats in trees - all locked in a serene, soulless contentment.

In the middle of this sit-com stereotype come David and Jennifer (now Bud and Mary Sue) who in addition to finding a way out, have to cope with their on-screen parents, George and Betty (great performances by William H. Macy and Joan Allen) and their own personal awakening as they live within the suffocating sterility of their all-to-real, scripted surroundings.

Fed up with the cynicism of his life in the 1990s, Bud's original thought is to completely embrace the simplicity of the town and adapt his behavior to the morality and expecations as they currently exist. As a counterpoint, Mary Sue's vision is to bring the "enlightenment" of modern vice to Pleasantville at every opportunity - both siblings causing objects and characters to spontaneously transition from black and white to color as the revelations about the nature of themselves and their fictional society "corrupts" their friends and neighbors.

Despite their best (or worst intentions) the entire moral and social fabric of the town very quickly unravels creating "white" versus "colored" anarchy that in very short order breeds a backlash of knee-jerk censorship, town-hall mobs, blacklisting, random book-burnings, adultery, attempted rape and just for good measure, the Suffragetting of "traditional" gender roles. The clear, underlying message being that whatever the fall-out or unintended consequences, Man's pursuit of knowledge should be secular, unerring and absolute - very directly taking to task what they perceive as the soft, conformist, underbelly of most organized religions.

For both good and bad, Pleasantville is the Book of Genesis as it might be told by Norman Lear or Bill Maher - Enlightement is both vaccine and contagion - all Nirvana is essentially a conservative falsehood with Original Sin denoting the rise of Man rather than his fall.

A very heady chaser to wash down your multiplex nachos - and the perfect date movie - if you happen to be dating Alanis Morissette.

That being said, my only substantial criticism of the film, as a film, is that the avalanche of dysfunction that dominates the second half seemed far too neat and contrived in the service of the film's glaring progressive themes - and came very close to overwhelming the best efforts of a stellar, ensemble cast. However, even against this backdrop (and a few gaping plot holes) Pleasantville remains a very powerful, poignent and beautiful film especially given the bold aspirations of the premise.

As for the technicals, Pleasantville showcases some extraordinary sfx and cinematography, a brilliant score by Randy Newman and the return of the late, great Don Knotts to theatrical filmaking in a surprisingly robust role - nothing wrong with that.

While I am not sure if I would enjoy living in any version of Pleasantville - the town certainly makes a "swell" day trip - take it!

Gary Ross's 1998 hit "Pleasantville" came as a, well, pleasant, surprise. This reviewer tends to shun works whose hallmarks are teen angst and cleverness for its own sake. Pleasantville, however, despite rolling in cleverness, manages to transcend its cleverness and its teen-angst focus, and exudes genuine charm and something of a soul. This is due partly to the excellent performances, partly to the sharp production that includes a wonderful original score by Randy Newman (yup, another one) incorporating iconic music of the 1950s, and partly to the fact that the film's clear point of view isn't heavy-handed.

David Wagner (Tobey Maguire) is a nerdy high-schooler in the 1990s whose cheerless home, divorced parents, depressed mother, and contemptuous, slutty sister, Jennifer (Reese Witherspoon), have left him susceptible to the wistful charms of a 1950s black and white TV sitcom about one of those always and effortlessly Happy Families. The show, Pleasantville, features two siblings named Bud and Mary Sue who are about David's and Jennifer's ages. David is so addicted to this sitcom that, as the film opens, he is preparing to watch a weekend marathon of the show, and to compete in a contest among devotees to see who can remember the most details from the entire history of the program.

Just as David sits down to the beginning of the marathon, Jennifer appears and claims TV rights: she had planned to watch a rock concert that evening in the company of the school's most notorious stud, who she plans to seduce. David and Jennifer begin to struggle over the TV remote and break it, apparently rendering the issue moot. However, David's acute longing for the tranquillity and happiness portrayed in Pleasantville attracts the notice of a mysterious TV "repairman" (Don Knotts) who suddenly appears on the doorstep with a new "remote". The struggle for control of the TV is reignited, but this time, as David and Jennifer tug at the remote, they push a button that draws them through the television set and into the world of Pleasantville, which was on as they fought.

In an eyeblink, David and Jennifer Wagner find themselves cast in the roles of Bud and Mary Sue Parker, complete with era-appropriate clothing ("five pounds of underwear" Jennifer hisses, tugging at the pointy, underwire bra, girdle, slip, and stockings under the poodle skirt, demure blouse, and sweater she finds herself wearing). The two have been transported from the splashy, morally freewheeling, noisy technicolor world of the 1990s into the black-and-white, serene, orderly world of Pleasantville. Mom and Dad (marvellously rendered without a trace of irony by Joan Allen and William H. Macy) never quarrel; meals are fulsome and on time; everyone eats together at the table; the basketball team always wins its games; the weather is always perfect.

Guided by David's knowledge of the show, he and Jennifer cautiously begin navigating their new world as they try to figure out how to get home. Inevitably, the mores of David and Jennifer begin to impact the world of Pleasantville - and vice versa. And that last factor is the one that saves the film from predictability. David, initially more comfortable with and accepting of the limitations of Pleasantville, wants to get home without disturbing this cultural environment, to which he at first applies a sort of hands-off Prime Directive. Jennifer, on the other hand, initially despises her role as Mary Sue, is bored witless, and sets out to make mischief as soon as she can, starting with a heavy makeout session in Lover's Lane with the captain of the basketball team. As Jennifer introduces the disturbance of sex into the equilibrium of Pleasantville, the effect ripples out, and the mature inhabitants of the town are startled to see their enviroment shifting into . . . color. Of course, with the splotches of color (a red rose, a green sportscar, a tight red sweater, pink and green bathroom tiles. . .) come shifts in behavior and outlook, mostly concentrated among the young high school crowd.

It looks as if David and Jennifer are the ones effecting change, but eventually it becomes clear that they are also being changed. David finds himself, surprisingly, rebelling against the limitations of Pleasantville, and uncovers a decidedly non-nerdy core. Jennifer, on the other hand, finds that the town slut role has become rather old, and in the persona of the studious Mary Sue, uncovers a surprising new direction. By the time David and Jennifer find the way home, they have more or less switched "sides" where Pleasantville is concerned - of course, it's the new, full-color Pleasantville, but. . .

The filmmakers are not shy about their central viewpoint that it really isn't possible to repress the essential self, and that the dangers of freedom and self-expression are worth its rewards. Nevertheless, film also points up aspects of modern culture that can make a place like Pleasantville look so attractive. Nicely written and produced, Pleasantville works very well as pure fantasy, as well as allegory. This reviewer has watched the film several times with great pleasure. Tobey Maguire's endearing performance as the quirky David is the core of the film, but he is ably supported by Reese Witherspoon's wicked Jennifer, who is not nearly as dumb as she pretends, and some surprisingly moving moments from Joan Allen and William H. Macy as Mom and Dad Parker.

You will find the film's double bulls-eye most apparent in the number of people who wish David and Jennifer had left well enough alone in Pleasantville.

1998's Pleasantville is a charmingly executed parable about introducing change to a closed society, and the ripple effect that even the smallest changes can produce. Siblings David (Tobey Maguire) and Jennifer (Reese Witherspoon) are polar opposites; nerdy David is obsessed with the ficticious 1950s sitcom Pleasantville (an homage to Leave It To Beaver and other picture-perfect small-screen families), while Jennifer hangs out with the fast crowd, smoking and snaring potential dates.

After a mysterious TV repairman (Don Knotts) gives the two a remote, they're transported into the black-and-white, picture-perfect town of Pleasantville, where the basketball team makes perfect baskets every shot and a nutritious dinner is always on the table (thanks, mom!). Horrified, the two at first try to desperately find a way back. David has the advantage of being intimately familiar with the Pleasantville universe, and tries to steer Jennifer away from any seismic outbursts that would be out of place in placid Pleasantville, such as swearing, smoking, and heaven forbid, s-e-x. Jennifer has her own agenda, though, and Lovers Lane soon becomes more than just a place to stargaze and hold hands. With each change comes the slow but sure colorization: first bubblegum turns pink, then the more "adventurous" teens end up in color.

David and Jennifer's "parents," George (William H. Macy) and Betty (Joan Allen) Parker, are stamped straight out of 1950s legend; George begins every evening by announcing "honey, I'm home!" and Betty's always on call to whip up massive breakfasts or hors d'oeuvres. David, now "Bud," works in the burger joint owned by Bill (Jeff Daniels), who's paralyzed by indecision and any break in routine. But a funny thing happens; the once-wild Jennifer slowly becomes more scholarly and more and more like her TV counterpart than her former "bad girl" self, while once-timid David learns to stand up for himself and to fight for what he believes in.

In Pleasantville, the old guard is threatened by all of the changes: the once-empty books in the library are filled, Bill realizes his life's dream of becoming a painter, using every shade under the sun, rockabilly and rock and roll are heard...resulting in violence and trials that parallel McCarthyism. Betty and other wives begin to yearn for a fulfilling life outside of the home, leaving their husbands hungry and confused.

Although the visual metaphors are heavy-handed at times, Pleasantville does an admirable job at capturing the balance between modern uncertainties (at school, the teens are given sobering statistics about AIDS, global warming, and underemployment) and our rose-tinted nostalgia for the past. The visual design deserves special mention, and the classic soundtrack is loaded with gems by Pat Boone, Miles Davis, Etta James, Elvis and Buddy Holly. Pleasantville was nominated for two dozen awards, and it's easy to see why. A delightful film for the entire family.

I'm not sure who wrote, directed, or produced "Pleasantville" but clearly there is a radical leftist agenda underlying this movie. Whoever is behind this film is using it to shatter the nostalgic view that most Americans have about the 1950's: traditional family, religion, celibacy, self-restraint, moral order, etc. while at the same time, promoting immorality as "cool" and "good".
At work in this film is something called "Cultural Marxism", the process of tearing down traditional moral Western society (towards preparing for an eventual Marxist state). One element of Cultural Marxism is to create disorder and even chaos by promoting liberal lifestyles which are known to be destructive (we see such promotion in this film). The idea is to "normalize" deviant behavior, yet knowing full well the eventual outcome will be misery for all. Marxists rationalize such destruction with, "the end will justify the means", ie. "first we have to destroy the 'oppressive' United States before we can build our dream utopia". Back when I was in college (early 60's) I knew several students and professors who preached this type of thinking. They were shockingly open about it, saying things like, "we'll make films and TV shows which will gradually condition Americans into accepting ever more deviant and destructive lifestyles, and in 50 years, this nation will rot from it's own decadence". In that time (early 1960's) things were still very innocent in America and I ignored what they said as words of crazy radicals. But one thing was clear, they hated this country with a passion, and they were determined to destroy it.
The message of the film is, "moral standards are bad" and "as long as it feels good, it is good". Very sick, twisted thinking. Quite evil actually. I will find out who made this film and investigate their other work and background.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

O.K. I'll to try to help people get the most out of this movie.

First, I recommend you wait to see this movie until you're atleast 18 years old. And, no, I'm not saying that this movie should be rated 'R'. I just think you have to have a certain amount of education under your belt, and be contemplating life in general, to fully embrace this film.

Now, regarding what the movie is about...
It's about two siblings who have different views of what the perfect world should be--neither of which is totally correct. Despite the title, I don't think the movie is about the town of Pleasantville. Sure, almost everything we see happens there, and there are plenty of scenes that don't show either David or Jennifer (the two kids); but, I think that the town is there more as a learning device for the kids, and as a reminder to us, the audience, of our real-world history. You have to keep in mind that this movie is partly a comedy. If you get bogged down trying to figure out what everything is a metaphor for, you may miss a laugh, because most of the time there are only partial metaphors. Pleasantville doesn't represent 1950's America. (They actually did have toilets and "real rain" back then.) It's a fake world that David thought would be a great place to live in. Unfortunately, a world where nothing bad ever happens just doesn't exist (when real people are involved). David, himself, helped mess up his perfect world just by being late for work once. Jennifer, on the other hand, is upset that she's been unwillingly thrown into this world that is far from her ideal one; so, she does her best to try to change Pleasantville into what she wants.

The following are my comments on what other reviewers have said:
--Unlike what some reviewers have said, it seems like both liberal and conservative views are expressed here; and in the end, neither one is found to be always better than the other. Sometimes, change is forced on us even when nobody wants it (e.g., natural disasters). Either you find a way to deal with the change, possibly learn from it, and move forward; or, you can spend the rest of your life wishing for the olden days, feeling miserable, because you know they will never return.

--Whoever brought up Nazis in relation to this movie must have been watching something quite different from what I was. Religious freedom and sexual orientation are two subjects that this movie never even tried to touch on. And, the most physical harm that I can remember seeing in this film, was one guy with a bloody lip. Or, if you're referring to the book burning, it's not like the Nazis are the only ones who have tried to remove certain literature from society.

--Anyone who said this movie promotes sexual promiscuity wasn't watching closely enough. In fact, they must have completely ignored everything that went on with Jennifer in the second half of the movie. David and Jennifer even talked about how becoming colored couldn't just be about sex. However, I do wish that sex hadn't been used as frequently as it was, and probably shouldn't have been, if they really wanted this to be a family-friendly film.

--This story was also NOT an allegory for the Garden of Eden. The garden was made reference to a couple of times, but it certainly is not what the movie is all about. Especially with the Don Knotts part, I can't understand why anyone would seriously think that the TV repairman was supposed to represent God in anything but the loosest sense. That character was there almost solely for humor. The citizens of Pleasantville never make any mention of any religion at all. So, how anyone can say that this movie is an attack on their religion is mind-boggling to me.

If Gary Ross is guilty of anything, it might be too much ambition. But this story worked for me on all levels. I enjoyed the serious parts and the silly parts. And I hope I can continue to live in color.
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This is a delightful movie that shows bigotry in a different light. During a movie marathon of Pleasantville, siblings are transported to this mythical town where everything is black and white, and a burning tree and the firemen have no clue as to how to put the fire out. But as the siblings eject a little bit of themselves into this pure storyline, color eases in to cause a panic and a division among the citizens of this small town. Very well down and enjoyable.

Watched this movie to supplement a literture read for high school kids they enjoyed watching it and the DVD was in great condition.

This is one of my favorite movies. I love the story and the way they have slowly turned each person from black and white to color. It says so many things in this movie that I just think it one of the best.

A town completely in black and white. Safe. Unexciting. Mundane. That's smallville. However, strange things begin to happen when feelings are introduced. Things that get the town up in arms and into a fight to maintain the status quo! For me this movie is a love story. Difficult to explain without giving it away. Lets call it a date movie. You will enjoy it.

The whole point of the movie was nothing is ever "black and white". We all know that people in the '50's weren't all happy, hunky dory, "pleasant" people. There was just as much crime, drugs, and sex then as now. It was just covered up more.
As the people in the film become less one dimensional they become more complex and thus less "black and white".
WARNING- SPOILERS:

Many reviewers have said that immoral behavior invoked the color. The character Jennifer/Mary Sue has slept with lot of guys when she was in the real world and still does so in this world, so sex does not change her into a color character. Only when she actually finishes a book for the first time in her life, then she becomes colorized. Also, 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. So I guess giving up sex for self-worth and honoring thy mother is immoral.
Life isn't like the shows we watch on tv, not even now. Too many people want life to be like "it was" or like they think it was in the '50's.It never was or is going to be like that. Life is complex and wonderful.

Reese Witherspoon, Tobey Maguire and cast are splendid in this finely crafted film. Tobey Maguire, screenwriter and director all deserve the highest praise for the most sympathetic character every invented.

This is, in a nutshell, a gorgeous film that offers a new way to look at life and the changes that occurred in the 1960s. The hope and dreams of a generation are embodied not only in the switch to color but the multiculturalist and democratic message that we are all individuals with our strengths and personalities and dreams that cry out to be recognized.

"Pleasantville" is a sparkling, witty, highly original film that examines the nasty underside of quaint family values as they are embodied in every age, especially as it critiques the social rigidity of black and white (i.e. prejudice) with its thinly veiled conceit of "color" (i.e. diversity, individuality). William H. Macy and Joan Allen are well cast as the teens' parents, playing nicely off Maguire's low-key, conformist David/ "Bud" and Witherspoon's wild girl. Enhanced by some charming special effects, "Pleasantville" is a blissful comic fantasy with a message of tolerance for us all.

Excellent depiction of the past, interesting use of color and black and white, humor and satire throughout. Very enjoyable.

i love this movie & enjoyed it immensely despite its many failings. yes, it is blatant leftist feminist propaganda & there is a nasty satanic undertone to it that comes out in the eve & the apple scene. sarcasm drips when they use the phrase "family values." they effectively ridicule the tightassed republican repressed redneck stereotype but the mirror leftist stereotype of the angry kinky brainwashed sleazeball is not there in the open. it's almost totally one-sided, although the modern people do benefit from going back to the 50's & there is some affection for the innocence of the beaver cleaver types as compared to the jaded neurotic moderns. that's what keeps this from being a five star movie for me, it's a little too caustic & superior. but having said all that, it's a very funny, beautiful film that does make a valid point--that it's better to express yourself than to be a repressed hypocrite. i think even tightassed republicans should watch this & have the good humor to laugh at themselves if they need to. it's a very imaginative, creative film with some hilarious performances, really delightful & full of the spirit of art.

All the positive comments from folks on this blatantly propagandistic film reflect their relief that those bad old 1950s (of which they know virtually nothing) are gone and targeted for terminal mockery, since things are so much better now, what with one out of five babies aborted, a majority of children born out of wedlock, and drug abuse and violence the major concerns of high-school-age kids, instead of all the poodle skirts and silliness of Pleasantville.

Wake up and smell the Prozac, lemmings: Technicolor-land is worse than Pleasantville, and no amount of clever revisionism is going to change it.

This film is a mendacious little piece of half-ignorant fantasy, and thus nearly perfect entertainment for most contemporary movie-goers, who can't even find Asia on a map, and had to have the SAT dumbed-down to jumpstart their self-esteem.

Teen twins David and Jennifer (Tobey Maguire, Reese Witherspoon) are very different: Jennifer is quite the wild child while David's passion is watching re-runs of the 50s TV sitcom "Pleasantville." One night, the kids are magically whisked right into Pleasantville - a swell little town where the fire department only rescues cats in trees, books are as blank as the foks' minds, and everything is in black and white. David loves it there, but Jennifer starts changing things when she takes her boyfriend up to Lover's Lane for a lot more than hand-holding. Gradually people start seeing things in color, then it rains real rain, and *gasp* dinner isn't on the table at six o'clock.

I'd seen bits and pieces of "Pleasantville" on TV and liked it, but after watching the entire movie, I have to say it left me confused, angry, and disappointed. The point of the movie - that sexual promiscuity is the key to enlightenment - is a sad comment on our times. Maguire and Witherspoon are perfectly cast and give excellent performances, but the script ridicules wholesomeness and condemns morality. I did enjoy the photography changing slowly from black and white to color, but I cannot recommend the movie.

Well I thought this might be good as I watch old black and white movies, tv shows ect....But it was not. The thought of going back in time to the fifties is OK. I realize that they needed to spice up the plot a little to appeal to a modern audience; but they chose to use casual sex, masturbation, and added a racist or racial overtone. These choices did not make it a good movie at all.

In addition to the crummy plot I was somewhat disturbed by the black and white town and people vs. the colored objects and people. It's hard to describe my feelings here I guess. But now whenever I see a commercial (or any video clip) that changes from black and white to color I am reminded of this horrible movie. I would not recommend this movie.

This was a long boring movie and casting Don Knots could not save this movie. This plot is best viewed in a shorter half hour show like The Twilight Zone.

This movie is great! I needed it for my classroom and it was available and mailed to me within a week.

I love this film. It has a sweetness, a wistfulness, about it that is so compelling, yet explores many complex human issues, including individual rights. The writing is fabulous - so when I read that the writer of "Pleasantville" is the same man who wrote "Big", it all made clicked. This movie received so little notice that when I loan it to friends their reply is always the same: why didn't I know about this great movie?

A wonderful movie. One of those rare comedies that manages to transition into a thought provoking gem. Some reviewers take it to task for having a "liberal" slant, but I think that misses the mark. The characters in this film don't become "colorized" because they throw off a conservative point of view. They become colorized because they blossom into fully realized human beings. Bud makes the transition when he comes to his mother's defense, Jennifer when she passes up a night on the town in favor of a good book, and George when he admits that he loves his wife. It's not about liberal and conservative values, it's about accepting change and personal growth. It's about facing your fears and being a better person for doing so.

When I first started watching this movie I thought it was going to be silly and fun, but it was much, much more than that. As the plot thickens and the storyline goes deeper we see a growing metaphor not just for racism, but for bigotry in general. The struggle for safety vs. freedom is a struggle we face in our world today, and perhaps always have. Freedom involves taking risks, and in the process we lose the security we thought we had - like when the men no longer can count on a hot meal on the table when they come home - but actually gain by seeing their wives in a new light.

The book burning scene was, of course, particularly moving to me. I cried. I would. As each character discovers their passion, they change from black and white to color - much to their chagrin, as "coloreds" are relegated to back rooms and alleyways. Once they find their passion, however, there is no going back.

As nostalgic as I can get at times, would I go back? Would you?Aimee and Jaguar

Most of thse reviews explain the plot pretty well...

My only problem with it that keeps it from being perfect for me, is the Actual "show" called Pleasantville within the movie. It just isnt credible as a show that wouldve merited a marathon or that wouldve had any kind of a believable following. If you actually are familiar with TV shows from that era you see right away that this is a way over the top camped up version of an actual show. with acting so bad that you know this show wouldnt have lasted more than a season... unless it was meant to be bad on purpose and a 50s audience "got it" as a satire.

It DOES have a" Father Knows Best " look to it. but the " Pleasantville" in the opening of this movie should have been taken more seriously in the acting. The 50s werent the beginning of "acting", these shows had professional actors and as simple and sappy as some of the plotlines might have been. the dialogue was never that bad. and if it were...like I said earlier....It wouldnt have merited a marathon or a following.

Having vented about that...I was VERY happy with the rest of the film!

If you've seen it, you know why you want to own your own copy. If you haven't seen it, you have one of the best films of the last 15 years awaiting you. It helps if you were a child of the '50s, but it's not essential.

What more can I say about this movie that hasn't already been said? It's truly a great movie. Great script, great direction, etc. Yeah, it's a little on the quirky side, but it's a clever and very entertaining kind of quirky.

Plus, the cast in this is also very good. I've liked Tobey Maguire and Reese Witherspoon ever since they were in the Mouseketeers together.

An amazing film! And the viewers say:

"I liked it! Creative!"

"I thought it was well done, and the transition from black and white, to color, was well done. Great symbolism!"

"Great acting! For the type of movie it was, it was quite believable."

"Book burning, 'colorism', gender issues, and change... this film touched on many subtle parts of American society."

The introvert and the extrovert, brother and sister, get "pulled" into a 1950s black and white TV sitcom, "Pleasantville." They also bring new ideas, and Pleasantville begins to change. Is it for the worse, or the better?

There you have it, folks. Pleasantville was a success!

Competent acting. Decent Storyline. It actually streches your mind a little to consider "What If?" Three stars...

Since sin is a narcotic best peddled to buyers already under its influence, Pleasantville might at first appear to us as an enlightened twist on the Eden myth - the twist being that the Fall is given dignity- where The Fruit of The Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil is exhalted to "The Fruit of Good."

What Pleasantville actually does is tell the story of "Invasion of the Body Snatchers" but from the perspective of the snatched. The story is familiar in Sci-fi: unwelcomed beings show up on the scene spreading a mind-altering condition which, once surrendered to, infects its carrier with the idea that the infected state is much better. Carriers begin to engage in behavior which seems appalling to the uninfected. Carriers begin to proselytize vehemently. Despite terrified efforts at resistance, one-by-one the yokels succumb and become little proselytizing machines themselves. Those unwilling to convert are fearful for their safety and the safety of civilization. Recalcitrant citizens resort to violence and other measures to resist assimilation. But eventually everyone comes under the influence of the New Mind.

Unlike "Invasion of the Body Snatchers" however, Pleasantville is written from a narrative perspective that privileges the state of conversion and de-priveleges efforts at resistance. The writers achieve this switcheroo by deploying ethical and cinematic tropes in a way which invert moviegoers' traditional sympathies while keeping their default values intact. Instead of rooting for the brave souls who resist assimilation, this time around we are encouraged to endorse assimilation because this time we get to see how wonderful assimilation looks like "from the inside." Instead of showing the assimilated state from the perspective of those not-yet-converted (to whom "colored" behavior seems dangerous, univocal, homogenized and zombie-like) we are shown assimilation from inside the heads of the proselytizers themselves, for whom conversion has increased the qualia of consciousness and delivered a heightened sense of personal autonomy -- you know, more like us ticketholders. Efforts at resistance are cinematically paired with allusions to Naziism and sexism while successful assimilation is paired with a celebratory soundtrack and Technicolor.

These inverted ethical tropes are what is fatal to Pleasantville. The film tries to tell a story of a "loss of innocence" but along the way is forced to characterize the "innocent" as racist Nazis who only become well-behaved after they eat the forbidden fruit. For while the writers try hard to get us to associate Pleasantville with the Eden myth (and to root for the corresponding "post-fallen" state), they can only do so at the expense of portraying racist behavior as a pre-fallen condition. Attentive audiences will be distracted from the story by this ham-fisted inversion.

This is an awesome film!!! The whole concept is totally ingenious. The effects of black and white and color together on one screen is absolutely remarkable. Qualtiy is top notch, as is sound and visual effects. Acting is superb and casting is perfect. Tobey Maguire is luscious in this film and gives a shining performance as a young man from a broken home, with an unhappy life, who escapes reality engrossed in the black and white fantasy world of classic television sitcoms. A time when life was much easier, and everything was perfect without modern hardship. One day he finds himself and his sister thrown into the sitcom world of the 1950's, where he knows every line by heart and can act the part with perfection. Don Knotts, Reese Witherspoon (whom I usually don't care for), and a great cast of dozens, give outstanding performances in their roles. Not your typical movie. You'll be amazed by the special effects that mix color with black and white. A terrific fantasy film that yes is a bit silly in places, and very serious in others, but all comes together to make a great film unlike any you have ever seen before. I highly recommend "Pleasantville" to anyone who hasn't seen it. Hilarious comedy, a great look back at yesteryear with a flair. Back to the Future meets Leave it to Beaver? Well, you decide. Three thumbs up!

i Love this movie, things seem so easy back then, i love tobey maguire and joan allen, i wish they would have made a second movie showing what happened after he went home and his sister stayed behind, it would have been nice to see what it was like when david went back to check on her.

from first hearing about the movie, pleasentville may sound a bit odd but if you take the time to watch, you will find it is a very good film. pleasentville tells of two 90's kids (tobey maguire in pre spiderman days and reese witherspoon before her breakout in legally blonde) who are given a remote by, don knots. they are then transported to the world of pleasentville which is like a replica of the 50's era were everything is black and white and things are 'pleasent'. now, they must deal with life in pleasentville before they can go home. the film is kind of a split movie, the first hour or so being a comedy and the second hour being a drama. this may rub people the wrong way when a film switches dynamics but in pleasentville, it works. the film also sports some great cinamatography as pleasentville slowly turns from black and white to full blown color. a really touching film that also scewers 50's cliche's be sure to check out the film that is, well, pleasent.