Pleasantville Movie Information

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Movie Information

Overall Rank: 2434

Average Rating: 2.8/4

# of Ratings: 307

Theatrical Release Date: 10/23/1998

Language: English

Genre: Drama, Fantasy

MPAA Rating: PG-13

Director: Gary Ross

Actors: Reese Witherspoon, William H. Macy, Tobey Maguire, Joan Allen, Jeff Daniels, J.T. Walsh

Plot: Two modern-day teens find themselves in a transported inside a 1950's sitcom where their actions disrupt the idealized lives of the characters and literally brings color and love, along with violence and racism, to the people inhabiting the show. -- Chris Kavan

Logan D. McCoy - wrote on 06/25/2019

"Pleasantville" finds its voice with its fantasy premise, low-key satire, and societal message about progressivism.

Indyfreak - wrote on 09/05/2018

Warm and genial fantasy comedy.

mitchellyoung - wrote on 02/19/2012

A fun drama that deals with interesting coming of age themes, set amid a "Leave it to Beaver" 50's town. The film's use of color, while obvious, works extremely well, as do two strong performances from Maguire and Witherspoon.

Yojimbo
Movie God

"Pleasantville" by Yojimbo

Yojimbo - wrote on 01/26/2012

A pair of teens are transported into the world of a black and white 50s sitcom where their presence has some profound effects. On the surface, Pleasantville is just another fluffy, wish fulfillment fantasy, but lurking beneath is some pretty smart and funny social commentary. Somewhat in the vein of Tim Burton's work, it examines the "suburban dream" of middle America, still clung to by many right-wing conservatives nicely represented by J. T. Walsh as "Big Bob" and his fascistic Chamber Of Commerce. He is the one to rally the middle class, white males of the community to try and preserve the status quo once the emancipated inhabitants of Pleasantville become the enemy, branded as "coloreds" in this 50s "utopia" that is completely devoid of black faces. The rest of the cast are equally …

jkownacki
Movie Star

Lost in the Garden of Eden?

jkownacki - wrote on 11/22/2007

Director Gary Ross really nails the complexities, hypocrisies and core values of American life in this underrated debut tale of life, love and the trouble with choice.

Tobey Maguire and Reese Witherspoon play teenage siblings who, through a glitch in the division between reality and TV, find themselves trapped in a fictional '50s suburban sitcom world. Instead of wasting this premise on cheap jokes about the difference between modern and recent society, Ross injects an incendiary concept into the mix: what happens when a town that's designed to operate under a complete absence of independent thought is exposed to the forbidden fruit of free will?

When Maguire (via logic) and Witherspoon (via lust) challenge the simplistic belief systems of the "one-dimensional" citizens of …