Rating: 
Summary: LIFE ON FILM IN LIVING COLOR
Review: I wasn't exactly sure what to expect from PLEASANTVILLE the first time I saw it. Many like myself expected to see another blast back to the past in the style of Back to the Future and Peggy Sue Got Married. Because of these assumations, PLEASANTVILLE turned into an enlightening experience for me, a surprise that stretched my brain and warmed my heart. This is much more than your average time-travel spectacle, but rather a film that has a lot to say and a wonderful way of expressing it. Toby Maguire (seen most recently in "The Cider House Rules") and Reese Witherspoon star as two typical squabbling teenage siblings in the nineties, both wanting to have use of the television at the same time. In their quarrel for the remote, the clicker shatters against the wall and what do you know, Don Knotts comes to their rescue. He hands them a magic remote control that zaps them into the wonderful world of Pleasantville, a fifties-style family sitcom world that just happens to be Maguire's favorite show. They enter the picture (literally) as the two teenagers in the story, living in a perfect home and an ideal family. Of course, what ensues is an examination of how preposterous and unrealistic this television world was. Pleasantville is a little town where your breakfast resembles a die-hard cholesterol diet and every shot at the school basketball hoop automatically goes in. Anything beyond holding hands is considered sexually risque, and even parents look like they never even heard of 'doing the nasty,' even though they are always mighty chipper in the morning. This is a fun social commentary that is unafraid to poke at this culture with a heated cattle prod. Credit has to be given to the actors who play the real Pleasantville community; their naivety seems authentic and not overly forced. This cast of characters plays their parts so well and so effortlessly. Joan Allen is my favorite performance in the film, playing a mother who is always ready with the meals and there to greet her husband (William H. Macy) when he comes home from work, but deep down inside yearns for something different and outside of routine. The scene where she first shows her 'true colors' is nothing but priceless. I also liked Jeff Daniels as the soda fountain manager and J.T. Walsh (in one of his last performances) as the mayor of the town. What is truly fascinating about each of these characters is they all resemble typical fifties archetypes but at the same time create completely original people, influenced by a society that must remain "pleasant." While the audience is enjoying this mockery of small-town life, PLEASANTVILLE takes a sharp turn in its narrative by looking into how societies such as these were destroyed by controversy. New ideas and new expressions of emotion through art or physical contact bring destruction to the serenity of this universe. We see haunting revelations of how the Nazi party perhaps became fueled with rage over any kind of written prose, or how segregation can bring hatred and prejudice to a society that once thought itself as equal. The story brings to light the frivolous nature of many of these disputes, not to mention how contrived our legal system is and how our opinions are shaped. I am a past student of American history (from a Canadian university), and after watching these sequences from the film, my understanding of these issues took on a whole new meaning. It is indeed admirable that PLEASANTVILLE does not flinch from the messages it tries to convey, no matter how radical they may be perceived. I won't reveal the ending of PLEASANTVILLE in case anyone has not yet seen this wonder of a movie. All I will say is it is not a one-sided one. The film does reach into the political grab-bag and presents its own theories, but also does not go beyond the human nature of its story. The reality of this world may be hidden by a comforting and deceptive facade, but underneath it, human feeling is reaching out and longing to express itself in a unique way. PLEASANTVILLE does not dare to presume that any of these two societies (the 50's or the 90's) were better and happier eras in history, but allows us to realize these experiences for ourselves without being too skeptical. Only once we look at society with an open mind and an open heart can we live in harmony and difference without turmoil. We are all special and original, but that's okay. A simple message, but evidently not that easy since our society has not yet grasped it.
Rating:
Summary: "Nothing is as simple as Black and White"
Review: "Pleasantville" is by far one of the most inventive, original, funny, and thought-provoking films to come along in the past decade. Written and directed by Gary Ross (Seabiscuit, Big) and boasting an all-star cast including Tobey Maguire, Reese Witherspoon, William H. Macy, Joan Allen, Jeff Daniels, Paul Walker, and Jane Kaczmarek "Pleasantville" hits all the right notes. Never too preachy, but effectively conveying its timeless message of acceptance and the importance of those who refuse to conform to the society norm.David (Maguire) a dorky, lonely teenager finds safe haven in watching "Pleasantville", a 1950's black and white soap opera, "where everything is just...pleasant". His sister Jennifer (Witherspoon) is far more social, and, err, promiscuous than her brother. One night, the two get into a fight over the remote and end up breaking it (David wants to watch the "Pleasantville" marathon and Jennifer has a hot date). Just seconds later, a very odd looking repairman shows up and replaces their remote with a very odd-looking one. The two resume their fighting over the new remote and soon find themselves in Pleasantville, as the teenage stars of the show, Bud and Mary-Sue Parker. They're black and white, living with the show's parents, and are decked out in the traditional 50's garb. They have actually become characters Pleasantville! David wants to get out of the situation as well as his sister, but whereas he tries to blend in (effortlessly, with his knowledge), she does what she likes (which involves some unspeakable acts at Lover's Lane. One event leads to the other, and suddenly there is a red rose growing in Pleasantville. The more the rules are "broken" and the more the realization of an outside world grows, the more color begins to seep into Pleasantville. Books, music, freedom, love, rain... all of these are soon being experienced by the reluctant citizens. Soon, even people are changing colors! At first, it is all quite comical when you see how Bud and Mary Sue interact with (and disrupt) the people of Pleasantville. Soon, the close-minded citizens of Pleasantville become uncomfortable with the spreading colors and begin to fear and ostracize those who are in color (a restaurant sign reads "No Coloreds"). This is where "Pleasantville" succeeds. Scenes reminiscent of "Fahrenheit 451", "To Kill a Mockingbird", and maybe even "The Pianist" soon follow. I do not want to reveal any more than I already have in this review, but let me just say that this is a fascinating and meaningful film not to be missed!
Rating:
Summary: Is order an illusion? Is chaos the norm?
Review: This is a question that ran through my mind while watching Pleasantville starring Reese Witherspoon as Jennifer/Mary Sue Parker, and Tobey Maguire as David/Bud Parker. Pleasantville follows two teenage siblings as they are transported to a world that is "pleasant" every moment of every day. Being thrust into another reality wherein which the norm is "perfection," Jennifer and David must pose as Bud and Mary Sue, children in a black and white television series set in a small town, until David can contact the television repair man, played by Don Knotts, who is responsible for their nether world experience. As they realize they are captive until contact can be reestablished, they begin interacting with members of the town in an effort to not throw off their "entire existence," in effect acting out the episodes David has memorized. However, given that Jennifer is not pleased by having to be held hostage by such a boring place, she chooses to engage in a little paradigm shifting/deviant behavior. Interactions by David and Jennifer with the citizens cause them to begin seeing the world in very different terms; namely that of color. The result being a blossoming red rose, the first color in Pleasantville, symbolizing the awakening/unfolding consciousness of the community; and a pink bubblegum bubble, which symbolizes an expanding of consciousness. As this awakening occurs, the yearning for knowledge produces an infectious need to consume mass amounts of information among the newly colored. For instance, in one scene, upon discovering the joy of reading, the children and young-adults begin visiting the local library to absorb information on a consistent basis. As the town's "colored" residents move beyond the bonds of social control, their appetite for information re: what else is "out there" becomes the most important endeavor. When this newfound information and freedom are incorporated into their daily lives, there begins the need to find balance in this "brave new world." Yet, before this level can be attained in Pleasantville, the residents must undergo many tense moments in an effort to understand what is happening in their little town. In a meeting being held in the Town Hall, the Mayor says, "we have to separate out the things that are pleasant from the things that are unpleasant." With that, he and his staff institute a Code of conduct. According to these "codes" which simultaneously focus on social control and "reintegrative shaming," a concept by Braithwaite, we see how the town's leaders seek to regain control over and in their Pleasantville. Of their codes, three stand out for me: 1.) The area commonly known as Lovers Lane as well as the Pleasantville Public Library shall be closed until further notice. 2.) The only permissible paint colors shall be black, white, or gray, despite the recent availability of certain alternatives. 3.) All elementary and high school curriculums shall teach the non-changes view of history emphasizing continuity over alteration. The above samples of the "Codes of Conduct" are an instance of direct social control by the town's leaders. As one would expect, they also hold the potential of creating a sub-culture, which only serves to compound "deviant behavior." In other subtle, but equally poignant, moments/scenes the element of shame/deviance is also revealed. For instance, when Bud and Mary Sue's mother discovers the joy of phalangeal and labial interaction, she becomes "colored," which suggests she has done something impure to become so. Due to the stigma attached to her "deviant behavior" which produced the coloring, she sought to hide her shame from not only her husband, but the larger community as well. It is not until she encounters Bill Johnson, artist and soda fountain owner, played by Jeff Daniels, that she reveals her color without shame. In an effort to illustrate that being different is not inherently a bad thing, Bud/David engages in a little demonstration to prove to the Mayor that all have the potential to be different or "deviant" and hence also possess the ability to move beyond their accepted reality in constructing a new reality that incorporates and legitimates newfound experiences. Once made valid in the new social structure, the potential to evolve beyond recent revelations once thought to be a hindrance are not only probable, but are duly beneficial. His point crystallized, the town emerges into a new world with possibilities unbounded. Concluding Thoughts Everyone is on a journey to find enlightenment and balance in their reality, social control notwithstanding; a reality that encompasses and celebrates diversity as an asset as opposed to being a liability. Given that the potential to realize immeasurable possibilities lie within the core of our being, it is imperative that we begin embracing new thoughts of not only ourselves, but others as well. Upon comprehending the methods involved in the creation of a new and different reality, based on an awareness of a collective sub-conscious resting just below the level of conscious activity, a new reality will emerge; one rooted in the incontrovertible fact that the only constant is consistent change. Given so, I must say Pleasantville is a wonderful movie that provokes thought beyond being mere entertainment, for it reaches into the ever-illusive realm of edutainment, but with lots of laughs. Great movie! Note: the above is part of a work presented in a course on Deviant Behavior and Social Control.
Rating:
Summary: Dull Retro-Suburbanites Explode -- Yadda-Yadda-Dada-BOO!
Review: In "Pleasantville," Tobey Maguire and Reese Witherspoon are suddenly, unpreparedly, magically transported, by an unusual TV remote, from their 90's frazzled-single-parent home, to the mythic, happy wonderland of 50's era sitcoms. Once there, they are faced with the question of "to be or not to be," and if it's "to be," well, what does that mean?? My title is intended to suggest the surreal, spooky, psychological bouleversement that the reality-challenged black and white TV characters experience, when faced with the sexually take-charge attitude of Reese W., and with the sudden, inexplicable introduction of color into their previously humdrum, lackluster lives. Jeff Daniels and Joan Allen almost steal the show, in a beautiful love story that probably started out as sort of a subplot. They're both fantastic. I felt really sorry for William Macy's character, whose wife (Joan A.) is suddenly evolving beyond his comprehension, but basically, the intended mood of this movie is just too liberating and exhilarating to be particularly easy on stolid, father figure characters. He wasn't "the bad guy," (the late, great J.T. Walsh got that part, to the extent that there can be said to BE a bad guy in this complex film), but he was certainly a "fall guy" from a plotting perspective. It might have been nice if he somehow acquired the magical TV remote, and made his way into some traditional sitcom or movie where he might have been happier, like "The Waltons" or "The Bob Newhart Show." The fun of this movie is in watching the high school kids go happily berserk, as they learn about sex, airballs in basketball, and other unsettling topics. The basic theme is about figuring out who you truly are, in a world that expects you to play a part, and finding a way to live your own life. Tobey M. and Reese W.'s characters both have unexpected lessons to learn, which I won't reveal here, and it's a lot of fun seeing them find their ways... As the movie goes along, the symbolism is too blatant in places, but I don't care. It's always fun and interesting. This is a great movie. Definitely two thumbs up.
Rating: 
Summary: Visually remarkable movie
Review: Pleasantville is not a town. It's a fictional TV show from the 1950s, along the lines of Leave it to Beaver and Father Knows Best. Back then, popular situation comedies, filmed in black and white, were wholesome, but they also presented an America which existed only on the small screen. So powerful was the then new medium that we came to believe that these shows really did represent us as we were. Pleasantville the movie is a visually stunning treat. Its story line does not always work as well as its technical effects. Perhaps this is because The Truman Show, which came out several months earlier and is a superior effort, covers some of the same ideas. Tobey McQuire and Reese Witherspoon play David and Jennifer, two modern day siblings, who mysteriously get [pulled] into their TV and into Pleasantville. This is fine with David, who loves the TV show and knows every episode, but Jennifer is more than a bit upset, not least of all because she is suddenly black and white and gray. The strange TV repairman who got them into this situation promises to get them safely home as soon as possible. There are many amusing elements in this TV town. The residents don't realizes that there is anywhere else but Pleasantville, The high school's text books have blank pages. Since they are TV characters, they only know how to do the things they have been scripted to do, which causes chaos when two people come in who are not characters. As the two real teen-agers weave their sort of magic spell, remarkable things begin to happen. Colors start to appear. At first these are simple items, like a single flower. Later, entire people appear in color. This is where the technical brilliance comes in. Two people in color will be standing among a group who are black and white, but it is impossible tell how such an unnatural event can be done so seamlessly. At times the movie gets rather heavy philosophically. While mesmerized by the beauty of the colors appearing around them, many of the townsfolk are very disturbed. One of the signatures of those old TV comedies was the idea that everyone should look and behave essentially alike. In fact, conformity was one of the most basic aspects of these shows. Since Pleasantville is almost entirely a visual experience, I find it difficult to write about it in way that does it justice. It is not one of the all time great movies, because it tries to examine too many subjects. Still, it's easy to follow and has many parts which are immensely enjoyable.
Rating:
Summary: A Deep DVD For A Deep Movie
Review: Pleasantville is a fantastic film experience, and don't let anyone tell you otherwise. A true, striking, and original masterpiece; Pleasantville is a must for any movie fan. What makes the film such a joy is how it exists on so many levels; almost anyone can find something to like here. It's at times a simple fantasy, others a biting satire, and even others an account of our history and change as people. Pleasantville is purely original and very well-structured. It deals with mature themes and if you're someone who likes to analyze films, then this is a great choice. The DVD warrants a purchase, even if you already own the VHS version (as I do), one of the few DVD's that does. Do yourself a favor and listen to writer-director Gary Ross's commentary-it's dynamite, even if you generally do not like commentaries. It's incredibly enlightening and adds much to the film's depth. Ross cleary illustates all of the overlapping themes and symbolism, and adds a personal touch to the movie's meaning. (The unintended rip-offs of The Shawshank Redemption and Citizen Kane are particularly interesting). The film has a bright, crisp transfer and excellent sound. The only way to enjoy Pleasantville (other than the theater) is on DVD. Newman's music is magical, also. There's a neat (oh, I'm talking like a 50's person now) behind the scenes documentary on the film's jaw-dropping special effects. The included Fiona Apple music video is pretty neat and directed by P.T. Anderson. (Anderson fans take note: watch for Anderson regular John C. Reilly at the video's end.) Overall, a DVD to buy: one of '98's best films with tons of extras to boot. Swell.
Rating:
Summary: A Moral and Religious Masterpiece
Review: A beautiful film, make no mistake. But what is "Pleasantville" really about? The "moral/repressed" 1950's against the "decadent/free-spirited" 1990's? I would venture not -- rather, the town of Pleasantville represents a fantasy of what the 1950's were like, a peek at what many imagine was a golden age of "family values" and sexual innocence. The fact that the 1950's were not actually like this is passed over by many of the film's critics, who see the sexual elements in the film as an attack on morality typical of an equally imaginary "immoral" modern world. But "Pleasantville" is about fantasy and reality, not the 1950's and the 1990's. The characters take on color not because they are discovering sexuality but because they are becoming whole human beings rather than imaginary characters in an unchanging idyllic world. This is no less true of David/Bud and Jennifer/Mary Sue than it is of the citizens of the town. The symbolism of the fruit, paralleling the Biblical story of emerging human awareness and its divinity, is powerful. Contrary to those who see the knowledge of good and evil as an affront to God, "Pleasantville" reminds us that it is this knowledge that makes us like God, possessing of a divine nature that other animals lack. As to the charges that the film glorifies irresponsible sexuality, I point out that Jennifer/Mary Sue only achieves color when she stops having sex and discovers that there is more to life than the shallow pleasure-only morality she had previously embraced. One must be sexual to be whole, but one cannot be whole if one is only sexual. So see "Pleasantville", but be warned: it will challenge you in ways that few stories do.
Rating:
Summary: GEE WHIZ!
Review: Pleasantville is a 1950's tv show that paints the lives of people living in a "perfect" world, full of good family values where colors don't exist, where firemen never have to deal with fire but just rescuing cats, where couples sleep in separate beds, where the most physical contact couples have is holding hands or a kiss on the cheek, where people don't swear, where the basketball team never ever loses, where people are just happy living routine lives where everyone loves each other and ...nothing ever happens. When 2 teenagers from the 90s find themselves trapped into pleasantville by some kind of "luck", the whole world that pleasantville is based on collapses. The two teenagers now in the skin of the two kids of the show, start changing the way people think. Or rather just let people think for themselves. The crowd of pleasantville discovers than there is more than holding hands in relationships, that you can't always win a basketball game and that if you prepare the salad before you make the burger, life will keep going. This movie is to me a satire on how people have become free and how the impredictibility of life is what living really is. In some ways, the movie makes allusions to the book burnings and the rewriting of history by the nazis, the segregation of blacks from whites, and how people fought to overcome it all to become free. Free to think for yourself, free to be who you want to be regardless of what the society expects of you. The Genius of pleasantville is how all those underlying very serious subjects are all wrapped into sugar, and turned into a very enjoyable, innocent-like, cute little story. This is a great movie, very smartly done and very original.
Rating: 
Summary: Creative Energy Gone Awry
Review: On the surface, Pleasantville seems to be a creative movie. The story is about a boy who is so dissatisfied with his life that he longs for a simpler time. His parents are not only divorced, they seem intent on ignoring their children. So he loses himself in a '50s TV show called Pleasantville, until one day when he actually finds he is really lost there, along with his sister. From this beginning, a viewer might expect the movie to go somewhere. But instead of weaving a quality story, the movie abandons any attempt at subtelty and goes straight for overt socio-cultural statements. The main message seems to be that anything deemed pleasant is bland and predictable, and that anything that is unpredictable is the real staff of life. This message takes over the movie and actually becomes the movie. Pleasantville touts individualism while cramming its own view of what that means down a viewer's throat. The movie is every bit as dictorial in its approach as its overblown characters. If you enjoy being preached at, by all means, watch this movie. But if you want to watch a creative, fulfilling movie, look somewhere else.
Rating:
Summary: Clever satirical take on the naiveties of b&w television
Review: This film tells the story of two siblings who find themselves trapped in a 1950's black and white TV show. The pair adds colour to the town as it helps citizens of Pleasantville shed their naivety. This is a very complicated film. I have read quite a few angry reviewers call this movie a "leftist" attempt to glorify the ideals of the 1960's. However, it seems to me that many have ignored the simple details of the plot and taken offense to some ambiguous hidden meaning. This film does not appear to be a glorification of the liberal 90's, but rather a poke at American television in the 1950's, censorship, and Hollywood's attempt to shelter the public from the complications of everyday life. Ironically, one disgruntled reviewer said it best: "Pleasantville is only a satire on the sort of TV that the public was willing to accept in the 1950s."
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