Rating: 
Summary: Pleasantville
Review: I enjoyed this movie very much. It has an amazing cast, who all played out their roles to the fullest. Tobey Maguire did an outstanding job, both in color an not. Reese Witherspoon gave a 10/10 performance, and brought a fresh look to her character. I really couldn't have liked this film more than I did. The special effects, give a splash of lively color to the black and white sceen. All in all it's a fun film, that'll make you wanna stand up and cheer.
Rating: 
Summary: Becomes an unconscious parody of itself
Review: The premise of Pleasantville seemed irresistible (another "sure fire" Hollywood idea), but the execution turned out to be not so easy. The problem is, it is very, very difficult to sustain a satire over an entire movie (although Kubrick did it in Dr. Strangelove); things can get especially confused if you try to make the satire into a morality tale with a "pleasant" ending, as Director Gary Ross does here. He knows that life is too complex for easy answers, and that seemed to be one of the things he was trying to say, e.g., monogamy is not necessarily superior to, or inferior to, adultery. Ditto for chastity and fornication. Rain for a change is nice.But he got confused somewhere along the way and ended up with a smug, sappy movie with ideas as shallow and black and white as the 50s milieu he was trying to satirize. The "feel good" ending is beyond redemption, in its way even sappier than the mythical sit-com it tries to improve upon. Yes, it is kind of neat to see things turn from black and white to color accompanied by stirring orchestral strings, especially as a result of something-like socking a bad guy in the jaw-that pleases one's prejudices. But where are the shades of gray? Not all red is fire engine red nor all blue, baby blue. Reese Witherspoon plays a skanky teen (Jennifer) who teaches (as Mary Sue) the Pleasantvillians to fornicate (and her TV mom to masturbate) while she learns that reading is worthwhile. Tobey Maguire plays her brother David/Bud who begins as a nerd, but ends up heroic, attractive to the opposite sex, and wise beyond his years. (Yes, and we live in the best of all possible worlds.) Strange how this movie manages to satirize itself. Joan Allen is grim as the stay-at-home sit-com housewife, and William H. Macy is appropriately bland as her simpleminded husband. Jeff Daniels as the soda jerk/artiste-and her unlikely lover-is tolerable. Meandering through the film is a kind of confused extract of the Biblical story of the Garden of Eden. In the Bible, eating the fruit from the tree of knowledge of good and evil forever removed humans from paradise. In Pleasantville, knowledge of anything outside of town or of anything unpleasant has the same effect, while bestowing wondrous color. We even have a very red apple presented to Bud by his TV girl friend Margaret (played with wholesome sexiness by pretty Marley Shelton). What began to wear on me was the easy choice of target. Going after fifties-style prudery and conformity is like shooting fish in a barrel. I should add here that human desire is infinite: "too much is never enough." So perhaps it is better to start modestly with a soda at the soda fountain holding hands (the 50s style made fun of in the film) instead of immediately coupling below the dashboard with legs in the air (90s spin on same, lauded in the film). Gary Ross, for your next flick, how about taking aim at today's violent, mercenary, duplicitous society? Bring a cannon.
Rating:
Summary: AN UPSIDE DOWN "TRUMAN SHOW"!
Review: If you liked the old televised series "Twilight Zone" or "Outer Limits", you will enjoy this cleverly written movie. Two teens with the help of Don Knotts and a powerful remote enter Pleasantville, a town of simplicity and predictability where every thing is always the same. It never rains, the weather is always bright and sunny. It's the "Truman Show" in black and white until the teens unwittingly start to change things. People, roses, and landscapes become transformed in vivid "living color". There is an underlying message of the power of feelings, emotions, love and hate. The movie is entertaining, and once our time travelers have changed Pleasantville and learned some lessons themselves, they are faced with remaining forever in this enchanted town or returning to their own time. A fine cast makes it all believable.
Rating:
Summary: One of the greatest movies of our generation
Review: "Pleasantville" is the greatest movie of our generation, a movie that slaps the collectivistic liberal left in the face, and laughs at the attempts of the conservative right to dictate our actions. It is movie about individualism and the beauty of life for life's sake. Only after the characters truely understand what it means to be free were they able to turn color (notice how Reese Witherspoon's charcter, who takes her 1990's afforded freedoms for granted, takes the longest to turn color). The freedom the writers understand is not only political freedom (capitalism), but more importantly, it is a personal liberation from the perceptions of others. This is not another tired movie preaching the liberal mantra of "tolerance." Rather, this movie flies in the face of "tolerance" and begins to expose racism for what it is; another form of collectivism. Rather then preach tolerance of groups (another form of collectivism), Pleasantville tells us that real freedom is rooted in the individual. True freedom is the ability to act completely for one's own sake, and not to succumb to evil of selflessness (altrusim). Pleasantville is my favorite movie precisely because it does not apologize for individualism.
Rating: 
Summary: theres nothing pleasant about trash
Review: This movie shows exactly just how this country got so messed up to begin with. The plot (if you can call it that) is two kids who get sent to the perfect world, and in a matter of days manage to totaly destroy everything good about it. This movie was cleary nothing but Liberal Hollywood lies. This movie seems to be aimed at younger children yet it permotes sex before marriage and other imperfections making them look harmless. After seeing this movie I am lead to believe that there is no hope for Hollywood, their lack of realism manages to retard them yet again. Parents please this is not the trash we should stride for as humans, help your kids by keeping them away from films like this.
Rating:
Summary: Don't Miss It!
Review: I think this is one of those films that has to be seen twice to be liked, you know? The first time I saw this film, I wasn't very impressed. But after watching it again, I was not impressed, I was amazed! Pleasantville is a highly enjoyable, poignant, witty and unmissable drama that turned out to be one of the best films I saw in 1998! The screenplay is highly original and unfortunately turned down by the Academy, the whole cast give excellent performances, and Gary Ross's direction is noticeable and effective. I rate Pleasantville 9 out of 10. It is one of the best films of 1998, and very close to been a modern day-masterpeice!
Rating:
Summary: Pleasantly surprising, a light moral
Review: Pleasantville uses an interesting story line to project a social commentary on the narrowmindednsess of small towns and the lack of color of biggotry. Our heros deal with their own personal issues as well as educating the community in a flowing story-line which never loses sight of the fact that this story was meant to entertain. While the precept of the movie could have been handled simply, it progressed smoothly and with meaning and movement.
Rating:
Summary: don't watch this film if you don't want to think...
Review: This movie is filled with conflicting ideas...enough to make your head spin. Conservatism vs. liberalism, confusion vs. wisdom, chaos vs. order,...packed with allusions galore (like the tree that explodes into flames after Joan Allen...you know...I took it to mean that she had crossed a point where she couldn't go back, similar to Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden, how the angels stand guard in front of the entrance with flaming swords to prevent their re-entry...) But that's all I'm gonna say about the movie...you have to go find out the rest for yourself. I hope you enjoy it. :)
Rating:
Summary: A Great Film
Review: Writer of such big comedies Big and Dave. Gary Ross made is directorial debut with this funny and oddly touching film about a couple of beverly hills teenagers who one night fight about the TV. In a breakout role Toby McGuire of the touching Cider House Rules. Plays David who loves watching an old 50's tv show named Pleasantville where everything is perfect. The weather never changes and everybody is happy. So there is this marathon but Jen played by Reese Witherspoon has this hot date so she needs the tv when they fight over it they brake the remote. TV repair man shows up thanks to Don Knotts. And hands them a special remote control that transports david and jen into Pleasantville. Much like Jim carrys The Truman Show but this is different. because they are transported in to a different world. But while there Jen and david are Bud Mary Sue parker the children of George and Betty parker. They turn the whole town upsidedown as the teens are discovering sex and rock and roll. With Delightful and shrewd hints of sitcom life. Pleasantville was one of the best films of 1998. It is always great to look at the changes of the town from crisp black and white to glorious technicolor. The production design is impeccible and the visual effects are astonishing. In keeping with the film Randy Newmans sweeping score adds to the film alot. This film is very funny and oddly touching at the same time. It has great performances from William H. Macy, Reese Witherspoon, Joan Allen and a break out performance from Toby McGuire. Gary Ross made is first directorial debut with style and will always be admired by me.
Rating:
Summary: Oddly moving
Review: While this starts out as your typical comedy movie it rapidly changes to something really wonderful. I own the Region 2 version of this DVD and I'm not quite sure if there's differences with the Region 1 version but I must say this DVD has a lot of goodies. The usual 'Making Of', biographies, interviews etc. And the video for Across The Universe by Fiona Apple. Which I'm rather fond of. Okay the movie itself: As most of you know, 2 90's kids get zapped into a TV show. While this could have been a lame concept, I mean it's been done before, it turns out quite lovely. As the 2 main characters explore the fantasy world of a 50's comedy, one wants to keep things as they are, the other is bored and annoyed with the 'goody goody' world, and has an unusual effect on the makebelief world. She exposes the characters to new ideas and customs and ends up changing the whole fabric of their world. Here the FX come in. While initially the world is Black and White, since it's a 50's TV show, the people that change turn to color. What happens? You end up with mixed colored and black and white scenes. It's spectacular to see. I should stop here with the synopsis or else I'll spoil the movie for the ones that haven't seen it :-) So to end this: The comedy is not over the top and the storyline is never lost and there's a good message in the movie. Combine that with fantastic special FX and a great musical score and you have a great movie. Change is the basic theme of the movie. Change as in opening your mind and being an individual. And about the fact that a lot of people that reject individuality and other ideas. Go see it please. It's simply amazing
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