Pleasantville
1998 · Movie · PG-13 · 124 min · ★ 7.3 · 78% critics
Geeky teen siblings get sucked into a black-and-white 1950s TV sitcom called Pleasantville, where everything seems “peachy keen” all the time. As one sibling’s modern attitude disrupts the town’s peaceful routine, color begins to spread and the residents start changing in unexpected ways.
Also known as Bienvenue à Pleasantville
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Details
- Years
- 1998
- Release date
- 1998-09-17
- Language
- English
- Rated
- PG-13
- Runtime
- 124 min
- Critic score
- 78/100
- TMDB rating
- 7.3/10 (1,878 votes)
About
You’ll like Pleasantville if you enjoy a feel-good fantasy that blends comedy with big social ideas and a gradually changing world; Not for you if you want a purely straightforward, fast-paced story like Continuum or X-Men: Days of Future Past.
Pros: clever fantasy setup; fun and thoughtful; color-changing spectacle | Cons: drags near end; allegory can feel vague; payoff may disappoint
Themes
- sibling relationship
- dystopia
- diner
- satire
- book burning
- coming of age
- racism
- bathtub
- tv show in film
- masturbation
- magic realism
- alternative reality
- +3 more
Awards & recognition
- Academy Award — Best Costume Design · 1999 · nominated
- Academy Award — Best Original Dramatic Score · 1999 · nominated
- Academy Award — Best Production Design · 1999 · nominated
Cast & crew
Tobey Maguire
as David
Reese Witherspoon
as Jennifer
William H. Macy
as George Parker
Joan Allen
as Betty Parker
Jeff Daniels
as Mr. Johnson
J.T. Walsh
as Big Bob
Paul Walker
as Skip
Don Knotts
as TV Repairman
Marley Shelton
as Margaret Henderson
Jane Kaczmarek
as David's Mom
Directed by Gary Ross