Pleasantville (1998)

User Rating:

7.5/10   

Director:

Gary Ross

Writer (WGA):

Gary Ross (written by)

Release Date:

23 October 1998 (USA)

Genre:

Fantasy | Comedy | Drama

Tagline:

Nothing Is As Simple As Black And White.

Plot:

Two 1990's teenagers find themselves in a 1950's sitcom where their influence begins to profoundly change that complacent world.

Plot Keywords:

1950s | Television | Innocence | Sitcom | Television Set

Awards:

Nominated for 3 Oscars. Another 15 wins & 23 nominations

US TV Schedule:

Mon. Nov. 9	10:00 AM	FX
Tue. Nov. 10	8:00 AM	FX

Cast

Tobey Maguire	...	David
Reese Witherspoon	...	Jennifer
William H. Macy	...	George Parker
Joan Allen	...	Betty Parker
Jeff Daniels	...	Bill Johnson
J.T. Walsh	...	Big Bob
Don Knotts	...	TV Repairman
Marley Shelton	...	Margaret Henderson
Jane Kaczmarek	...	David's Mom
Giuseppe Andrews	...	Howard
Jenny Lewis	...	Christin
Marissa Ribisi	...	Kimmy
Denise Dowse	...	Health Teacher
McNally Sagal	...	Science Teacher
Paul Morgan Stetler	...	College Counselor

MPAA:

Rated PG-13 for some thematic elements emphasizing sexuality, and for language.

Runtime:

124 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Black and White | Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

DTS | Dolby Digital | SDDS

Certification:

Iceland:L | Canada:PG (Ontario) | Netherlands:AL (DVD rating) | Argentina:13 | Australia:M | Chile:14 | Finland:S | France:U | Germany:6 (bw) | Hong Kong:IIA | Italy:T | Norway:7 | Portugal:M/12 | Singapore:PG | South Korea:12 | Spain:T | Sweden:7 | Switzerland:12 (canton of Geneva) | Switzerland:12 (canton of Vaud) | UK:12 | USA:PG-13

Filming Locations:

Los Angeles, California, USA

Company:

New Line Cinema

Trivia:

The back lot street set where Bud and Mary Sue's house stands is located at Warner Brothers "Ranch" studio complex in Burbank, California. The main house was a new facade built for the movie but directly across the street, clearly seen in a number of scenes, are houses once occupied by other famous T.V. characters like Gidget, Hazel and Samantha Stevens. Margaret"s house (where Whitey drives up in his car at night) was used as the residence of Mrs. Kravitz in "Bewitched" (1964) and "The Partridge Family" (1970).

Goofs:

Continuity: When David looks through the window down at his mother loading her car there is one shutter half down. Seen from outside all shutters are up.

Quotes:

[first lines]
[David is gazing admiringly at a pretty blonde girl]
David: *Hi*
[chuckles]
David: I mean, Hi. Uh, look, you probably don't think I should be asking you this. I mean, not knowing you well and all? I mean, you know, I, I, I know you, 'cause everybody knows you. I just don't know you technically. Uh, anyhow. Uh, I don't know what you're doing this weekend, but my mom's leaving town, and she's letting me borrow the car.
[the camera pulls back to show that the girl is standing several dozen feet away and, in fact, is smiling and looking at another boy]
[...]

Movie Connections:

Referenced in Weeds: Suburban Shakedown (2005) (TV)

Soundtrack:

The Gang That Sang Heart of My Heart

First of all...I really liked it.

First of all....I really liked it. Ignore any review (and reviewer) that says different. We live in a day and age that we seems like every movie has a touch of this old film and bit of that one...or is a remake or possibly a re-release. But Pleasantville is none of that...it is unique, fresh, reflective, pleasant (you knew I was going to use that word someplace), sad, but yet still had a touch of fun. The film begins by looking at the interaction between and the lives of a brother (Tobey Maguire) and sister (Reese Witherspoon). The brother is very content with his life and enjoys watching television, in particular, the show, Pleasantville. His sister, a bit more outgoing, enjoys meeting new people and seeing where this interaction will lead. A fight over which show to watch results in the intervention by Don Knotts (of Andy Griffith and Three's Company fame). Maguire and Witherspoon are wisked into the television set and take center stage as two of the Pleasantville cast. The only difference is while the world may be watching a tv show, to them, this is their reality. The film appears to be in black and white, but as each character opens their mind or changes from the perception of the Pleasantville tv show, then they begin to gain color. As those in color become more prevalent, the old black & whites become resistant to change. To ebb the flow of change, the black and whites react violently against the "new colors" and begin placing restrictions on them. Yes the similarities of the 60s civil rights movement are here as are the violent acts of the Nazis in pre-World War II. But while you see these, you are also brought to the realization that there still exists a great deal of prejudice, discrimination, and close-mindedness in this world. One of the most pleasing aspects of this film is the cinematography, the mixing of the colors with the black & white shots were great. The story keeps your interest and the characters impact upon each member of the audience in their own special way. This is one film to see for I think you will hear more about it around Oscar time. Bottom line...if we open our minds more towards others, letting them be who they are, rather than who we want them to be, then not only will we be richer in color, but also richer in character.