Pleasantville

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Pleasantville

PG-13

1998

2h 3m

Comedy

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Tomatometer

Popcornmeter

85%

Tomatometer

96 Reviews

79%

Popcornmeter

100,000+ Ratings

Impressed by high school student David's (Tobey Maguire) devotion to a 1950s family TV show, a mysterious television repairman (Don Knotts) provides him with a means to escape into the black-and-white program with his sister, Jennifer (Reese Witherspoon). While David initially takes to the simplistic, corny world of the show, Jennifer sets about jolting the characters with doses of reality that unexpectedly bring a little color into their drab existence.

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Critics Consensus

Filled with lighthearted humor, timely social commentary, and dazzling visuals, Pleasantville is an artful blend of subversive satire and well-executed Hollywood formula.

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Nell Minow

Common Sense Media

12/27/2010

4/5

Great movie for high schoolers and their parents.

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Joe Leydon

Variety

10/18/2008

Ingeniously conceived and impressively executed, "Pleasantville" is a provocative, complex and surprisingly anti-nostalgic parable wrapped in the beguiling guise of a commercial high-concept comedy.

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Derek Adams

Time Out

06/24/2006

An ingenious fable, screenwriter Ross's directorial debut playfully spoofs the small-minded lifestyle idealised by 'family values' advocates, and the intolerance and insecurity underlying that ideal.

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Wesley Lovell

Cinema Sight

10/04/2023

3.5/4

If the ending had been more ironic than predictable, the film might have been able to beat the similarly themed “The Truman Show” in this year’s “best of” race.

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Cory Woodroof

615 Film

09/20/2022

Tobey Maguire, Joan Allen and especially Jeff Daniels are all tremendous here, and Gary Ross gives it just enough of a personality to give it an edge. Don Knotts is also doing his thing here, which I appreciate.

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Grant Watson

Fiction Machine

04/07/2021

4/10

When characters begin to refer to "coloured people" in a film with exactly zero actual people of colour in the entire work, Ross' allegory shifts from weak to active inappropriate.

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Trevor S

@PopcornPopper 2d

A must watch movie with a great storyline.

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Keith B

Jan 24

This is a modern version of Plato's allegory of the cave... Can we have compassion while at the same time understanding the inappropriateness of the husband's bewilderment when he returns home to find the house empty, and his words echoing? "Honey, I'm home..." and then, confusedly, "Where's my dinner?" I've toggled back and forth this afternoon between this and the news that an ICU nurse has just been shot by ICE agents in Minneapolis today. As a 72-year-old ex Air Force physician who is having trouble being proud of our country at the moment, now an old country doctor, this movie makes me very sad... because little has changed in human nature. It's evident from the news, it's an old story told in this movie. Highly recommended. (PS: To the reviewer who said this movie isn't about racism... well, yes it really is. It's about fear and discomfort with anyone perceived as a threat because they're different. I'll not say more bc I don't want this review to be a spoiler. Watch the movie.)

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jason l

@Jasonismynameandilluseit Dec 19

For those that think this is somehow about racism they are wrong. It's about being able to accept something that is different. It's about not being afraid and rejecting things that are not what you are used to. It's about being open to new ideas maybe even new feelings. It's also about how people can be United even when they have different beliefs. Film that was ahead of its time. Plus the contrasting of vivid color against black and white is quite beautiful. I suppose that's part of the message too that everything and everyone can be beautiful in their own way. In a world where we already passed too much judgment on things that we find strange or different this particular film can be like a breath of fresh air.

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thiago s

@Thiagostone Aug 2

Filme fraco, o roteiro é fraco, as cenas são fracas, a história é fraca, o elenco é fraco, e ninguém ajuda a melhorar o filme, os personagens são fracos, e o filme deveria ter cenas bem melhores e relevantes, para fazer o filme ser bom

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GotRizz237

Jul 17

I thought Pleasantville would be a good movie, but after finishing the movie, it wasn't as good as I'd thought it would be. Just not that huge of a fan of movies in black and white. Still very creative though.

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Mitch B

Jul 1

The best thing about this is the deconstruction of romanticizing the past and the acting and the black and white element.

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Gary Ross

Director

Tobey Maguire

David Wagner

Jeff Daniels

Mr. Bill Johnson

Joan Allen

Betty Parker

William H. Macy

George Parker

J.T. Walsh

Big Bob

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16%

67%

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Synopsis

Impressed by high school student David's (Tobey Maguire) devotion to a 1950s family TV show, a mysterious television repairman (Don Knotts) provides him with a means to escape into the black-and-white program with his sister, Jennifer (Reese Witherspoon). While David initially takes to the simplistic, corny world of the show, Jennifer sets about jolting the characters with doses of reality that unexpectedly bring a little color into their drab existence.

Director: Gary Ross
Producer: Gary Ross, Steven Soderbergh, Jon Kilik, Robert Degus
Screenwriter: Gary Ross
Distributor: New Line Cinema
Production Co: New Line Cinema
Rating: PG-13
Genre: Comedy
Original Language: English
Release Date (Theaters): Sep 17, 1998, Original
Release Date (Streaming): Jul 1, 2008
Box Office (Gross USA): $40.6M
Runtime: 2h 3m
Sound Mix: Surround, Dolby Digital, DTS, SDDS
Aspect Ratio: Flat (1.85:1)

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