There are some films which seem to come and go and no one ever really seems to notice. With all the big-budget movies out there which are predicable, laden with annoying CGI effects and follow a formula where you know exactly what will happen at all times, 'Pleasantville' is a real breath of fresh air. Yet, for some reason, no one really talks about it even though it's held in high regard seemingly with everyone who's seen it.It's rare that a film's tagline sums it up so well, but you may see on any marketing 'The Truman Show meets Back to the Future.' And it's hard to put it any better (although I saw a hint of 'The Last Action Hero' in the plot, but it's barely noticeable!). Two of today's American teens are - for reasons you'll soon find out - 'beamed' into an old black and white TV show from yesteryear. It's safe to say that things worked differently in the days before cell phones and Instagram. Back then firemen constantly rescued stranded cats from trees, teens holding hands was still a taboo and the most exciting thing the youth of the time could do was hand out the local milkshake bar. Therefore, our two young protagonists (played by Tobey Maguire and Reece Witherspoon) find it a challenge to blend in with the locals.However, things really start to go wrong when their influence - literally - bring new life to the fictional telly town. Their modern influence slowly starts seeping into the people and environment and the black and white world they've found themselves in starts to become colour. Now, that wouldn't be so bad, but the locals start engaging in - what they consider - to be 'immoral' behaviour (which you'd probably find on kids' TV in today's times). What follows is a tale about whether our two teens can actually escape their TV-prison and, what will happen to the residents they leave behind.It's truly one of the most clever - vaguely mainstream - films to come out of Hollywood in recent times and, if you're in the mood for something that doesn't involve superheroes flying around a destroyed U.S. city, then you should definitely watch this one.

The first film directed by Gary Ross, this is an absolutely wonderful and thought-provoking parable on society. It concerns a pair of teenage twins who are transported into the universe of a 1950s sitcom "Pleasantville", a seemingly idyllic place where firemen only save cats from trees because there are no fires, everyone is terribly wholesome and sweet and the closest thing to dramatic conflict is a date being cancelled because of an unfortunate case of the measles. However, it soon becomes clear that there is a dark underbelly to this world as conformity is stressed above all else and people, women in particular, are expected to know their place.The first rate script by Ross, whose previous credits include classic films such as "Big" and "Dave", is a powerful statement on the problems which existed in 1950s America but are certainly not exclusive to that time or place. It nicely deconstructs the dippy world inhabited by characters of that era's sitcoms such as "Leave It to Beaver" or "Father Knows Best", which (almost) completely ignored the social issues of the time as well as the existence of people who weren't white and middle class. In 234 episodes of the former, only one black character appeared and she was a maid. The special effects were innovative for their time and never look less than brilliant. It was shot entirely in colour and decolourised where appropriate, in stark contrast to the events of the film itself. The black and white scenes look beautiful and really help to sell the idea that this is an initially black and white world as opposed to merely a partially black and white film.Tobey Maguire gives a great performance as David, a pretty nerdy high school boy who has encyclopedic knowledge of "Pleasantville". Prior to entering it, he loves the world of "Pleasantville" as nothing bad ever happens there and wishes that real life was like that. After he is transported there and assumes the identity of Bud Parker, he discovers that it is essentially a gilded cage where any form of individuality or artistic expression is discouraged. He becomes the champion of colour over black and white in Pleasantville and, in the process, learns to appreciate the real world. This is best illustrated when he returns to it at the end of the film and comforts his distraught mother, played very well in a great cameo by Jane Kaczmarek, instead of simply ignoring her as he did earlier.Reese Witherspoon is excellent as his twin sister Jennifer, a liberated girl of the 1990s who finds the sweaters and poodle skirts - and what they represent - to be more than a little oppressive. Rather than merely holding hands with Skip Martin, she introduces him and Pleasantville to sex, something which starts the ball rolling on the colour conversion. Over the course of the film, Jennifer grows significantly as a character and abandons her wild lifestyle in favour of her education. She takes the decision to remain in Pleasantville's universe to go to college but, considering that time seemingly moves at a different rate, she presumably won't be gone too long, comparatively speaking.The best performance in the film comes from Joan Allen as Betty Parker. She is introduced as the perfect 1950s sitcom wife and mother who is always impeccably dressed and has dinner on the table every night at six without fail. As the changes caused by David and Jennifer begin to ripple through Pleasantville, however, she realises that there is nothing more to her life than that. Like many real women in the 1950s, she wants something more. As such, she develops a sweet relationship with the soda shop owner Bill Johnson, who is played very effectively by Jeff Daniels. Bill is likewise faced with an existential crisis when it occurs to him that his sole function in life is to make hamburgers and serve sodas. Encouraged by David, he pursues his interest in art and paints a surrealist mural in full colour in defiance of the oppressive Chamber of Commerce. When Betty becomes "coloured," this is a great scene in which David helps her to use her make-up to "pass" as black and white, a wonderful allegory for the practice of light skinned African-Americans attempting to pass for white. The scene in which she is harassed by several black and white boys for being "coloured" is an even more effective allegory.J.T. Walsh, who sadly died before the film was released, was very well cast as the McCarthy-esque Pleasantville mayor Big Bob, who wants everything to remain the same. He claims that it is a "question of values," the excuse typically used by "traditionalists" who find themselves on the wrong side of progress and, eventually, history. In a very strong performance by William H. Macy, George Parker represents the more benign face of conformity who realises the error of his ways in the end. It also features great supporting performances by Marley Shelton as Margaret Henderson, Don Knotts as the mysterious TV repairman and Paul Walker as Skip Martin, who is not as nice as he first appears.Overall, this is an absolutely brilliant film which has some very interesting things to say about the danger of idealising the past. If the entire film had been a parody of the unreality of saccharine sweet sitcom conventions in the style of the "Brady Bunch" films, it would have still been a great film as the comic writing in these scenes is very sharp but, to his credit, Ross took it to the next level. This is one of my favourite films of the 1990s. Just sublime.

Let's see. How do I explain this? Hmmmm. This film is not one of the truly great films (like "Gone With The Wind" or "Doctor Zhivago" or "Lawrence Of Arabia"). But, nevertheless, it is -- quite simply -- a brilliant film.Oddly enough, I avoided watching this film for the last 17 years. And even after I started watching it this time, during the first 20 minutes I repeatedly had the urge to turn it off. It just seemed uninteresting. Then, when the two teens are magically transported to Pleasantville, a rather complex and intriguing story begins to unfold. I can't help but think that the story is loosely based on sort of the mirror image of "Father Knows Best", which was one of the most enchanting of all the early family story television shows from the 1950s. "Father Knows Best" was, of course, often the 1950s-idealized life, which wasn't very much like real life in the 1950s (although, I see "Father Knows Best" more as a drama and one in which each of the characters had their challenges, though those challenges were muted to fit into television mores of the era.One of the most intriguing things about this film is that the viewer doesn't really have much of any idea where the story is leading...to what conclusion it is racing toward.The acting here is top notch, even though no one in the cast is one of my favorite actors by any means. Tobey Maguire, never a favorite of mine (although I always saw him as a competent actor) is perfect here. I have enjoyed Jeff Daniels pretty much only in "The Newsroom" before this, but he brings a real sensitivity to his role here' I'm quite impressed. William H. Macy, another non-favorite of mine, is perfect as the "Honey I'm home" father. And the very talented (though I usually can't remember her name) Joan Allen as the mother is brilliant, as well.A word should be said about the wonderful special effects here -- dabs of color in a black and white world. Just about the most magical use of the concept since Dorothy landed in Oz.At first I thought that the director left out Black people, yet there is an interesting reference to them ("coloreds"). I wonder how the story would have changed if they had actually included African-Americans. The story doesn't end with a bang...the bang is earlier on.Excellent film, and while not one of the "great" film masterpieces...definitely brilliant.

Gary Ross's Pleasantville is one of the most heartfelt, creative, thought provoking dramedies I've seen in a while. I was floored by its benign, lighthearted first third, which gives way to some unexpectedly deep social commentary, brought to life bu truly remarkable performances, and stunning, storybook cinematography that looks like Sin City had a baby with Rumble Fish. Tobey Maguire, an actor I usually can't stand, is nicely low key, while his sister Reese Witherspoon gets the peppy, in your face persona. Following a terse bit of sibling rivalry, a strange TV repairman shows up, bestowing on them an ancient looking replacement remote. Before they can ask where he even came from, they are magically whisked from their 1990's living room right into TV land, specifically a cheery black and white 1950's sitcom called Pleasentville. They find themselves in a gosh golly, apple pie, white picket fence realm of perky, smiling housewives, rampant celibacy (the characters in this town are essentially shells of humans, and have no idea what sex is...yet;). The naive, mentally stunted townsfolk function at the truncated level that the show's writing is allowed, resulting in strangely robotic, stepford wives like versions of people. That all changes however, when Witherspoon introduces a highschool hunk (Paul Walker, hilarious) to the ol' hanky panky. From there on in the townspeople gradually discover books, music, art, and as such start to see the world in vibrant colors, and become colored themselves. It's a genius idea for a film that's executed perfectly, with some scenarios that really pay off, making you feel and think. J.T. Walsh, always fantastic, plays the town's fearful skeptic of a mayor. William H. Macy nails the father role perfectly (Where's my dinner?!), Joan Allen gives the best work I've ever seen her do, giving force and gentle feeling to the wife who starts exploring herself, and the world around her. The crown jewel acting wise though is Jeff Daniels, as an aloof diner owner who discovers an affinity for the arts. He brings such a warmth and budding humanity to the role. There's subtext relating to Mccarthy-ism, and not letting the powers that be tell how you what to like, how to feel or what to do. There's a lot to enjoy in this package, and indeed all aspects are done so well its a wonder this one hasn't retained acclaim over the years.