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Year One
Stars indicate the most critically-acclaimed movies.
Pleasantville

Generally favorable reviews
Based on 32 critic reviews
How did we calculate this?
Based on 10 votes
Read user comments
Rate this movie >
Movie Info
Genre(s): Fantasy
Written by: Gary Ross
Directed by: Gary Ross
Release Date:
Theatrical: October 23, 1998
DVD: March 23, 1999
Running Time: 125 minutes, BW / Color
Origin: USA
Summary
RATING: PG-13 for some thematic elements emphasizing sexuality, and for language
Starring Tobey Maguire, Reese Witherspoon, Jeff Daniels, Joan Allen, William H. Macy, and Don Knotts
In Gary Ross' daring modern fairy tale Pleasantville, an entire fictional town is granted a chance to experience the comedies, and dangers of real life. In this fantastical adventure, two late 20th Century teenagers (Maguire, Witherspoon) accidentally bring living color to a mysterious suburb trapped in a black-and-white 50's utopia -- and set off a revolution. (New Line Cinema)
Also On The Web: Internet Movie Database
What The Critics Said
All critic scores are converted to a 100-point scale. If a critic does not indicate a score, we assign a score based on the general impression given by the text of the review. Learn more...
Chicago Sun-Times Roger Ebert
The kind of parable that encourages us to re-evaluate the good old days and take a fresh look at the new world we so easily dismiss as decadent.
Read Full Review >Dallas Observer Bill Gallo
This uncommonly clever, surprisingly poignant fairy tale packs a social wallop that we're not quite prepared for.
Read Full Review >Variety Joe Leydon
Ingeniously conceived and impressively executed, Pleasantville is a provocative, complex and surprisingly anti-nostalgic parable.
Read Full Review >Chicago Reader Jonathan Rosenbaum
Magical, visually exciting, affecting even in its sincere hokeyness, and extremely provocative.
Read Full Review >ReelViews James Berardinelli
Not only is Pleasantville a satire, a fantasy, and a visual marvel, but it's the best kind of feel-good movie.
Read Full Review >Mr. Showbiz Kevin Maynard
Offers effortless charm, wit, and originality in spades.
The Onion (A.V. Club) Keith Phipps
To concentrate on the minor faults of a fable as beautiful and unusual as Pleasantville would be missing the point.
Read Full Review >Washington Post Michael O'Sullivan
I can't get over the nagging feeling that Pleasantville's beguiling spell was cast by a real magician, only to be carelessly broken by the same clumsy charlatan.
Read Full Review >TNT RoughCut Jennifer Nowitzky
What makes up for the, at times, slow-moving theatrics is the physical beauty of Pleasantville.
Film.com John Hartl
Charming and imaginative.
Christian Science Monitor David Sterritt
Ross's comedy isn't as inventive as "The Truman Show," which it resembles in some ways, but it explores interesting ideas with nimble humor.
Read Full Review >San Francisco Examiner Walter Addiego
While amusing and sometimes touching, Pleasantville is far from challenging.
Read Full Review >The Globe and Mail (Toronto) Rick Groen
Delightful as it often is, the picture suffers fom the same structural and thematic tidiness, even smugness, that it nominally opposes.
Read Full Review >Film.com Robert Horton
Terrific idea, brilliantly worked out on a technical level.
Newsweek Jack Kroll
A complex, entertaining film that may have more ideas than it can handle, but certainly has real ideas.
Read Full Review >Time Richard Corliss
An epic-size, largely entertaining parable of repression and awakening.
Read Full Review >LA Weekly Manohla Dargis
The results are charming if rarely thrilling, with outstanding performances from Joan Allen and William H. Macy.
Read Full Review >Salon.com Charles Taylor
It's tough not to respond to the visual cleverness of Pleasantville.
Read Full Review >Film.com Sean Means
Eventually falls into the same candy-coated trap it's trying to expose. But the fact that a movie can acknowledge the trap exists is a step in the right direction.
Portland Oregonian Shawn Levy
May not be as successful as it is ambitious, but you could do worse than to spend a few hours there.
Read Full Review >TV Guide Sandra Contreras
His (Ross) sophisticated handling -- and the efforts of his able cast, notably the stellar Joan Allen -- produces a surprisingly accomplished cumulative effect.
Read Full Review >Village Voice J. Hoberman
Funny for about half an hour, Pleasantville thereafter becomes an increasingly lugubrious, ultimately exasperating mix of technological wonder and ideological idiocy.
Read Full Review >Entertainment Weekly Lisa Schwarzbaum
Technical elegance and fine performances mask the shallowness of a story as simpleminded as the '50s TV to which it condescends; certainly it's got none of the depth, poignance, and brilliance of "The Truman Show," the recent TV-is-stifling drama that immediately comes to mind.
Read Full Review >San Francisco Chronicle Edward Guthmann
When Ross gets serious and grasps for allegorical import, Pleasantville bogs down in mixed ambitions.
Read Full Review >Austin Chronicle Marjorie Baumgarten
The movie's simplistic storyline does not match its stunning visual accomplishments: Pleasantville's story is drawn from a palette that's strictly limited to black-and-white.
Read Full Review >Los Angeles Times Kenneth Turan
Ross' missive is earnest and well-intentioned, but it's difficult not to feel that his film both runs on too long and overreaches its dramatic resources in its attempt to deliver it.
Read Full Review >Film.com Tom Keogh
Ross might have been better served by dismissing verisimilitude altogether and going for a real fable-fable to make what is essentially a very simple point about the dangers and rewards of accepting life's beautiful risks.
What Our Users Said
The average user rating for this movie is 8.6 (out of 10) based on 10 User Votes
Note: User votes are NOT included in the Metascore calculation.
Jack L. gave it a9:
This movie is great!!! I love it. It contains many themes and messages that allow you watch the film many times because most likely you will not understand everything at the first time. The concept is profound and poignant. This movie should have received a 80/100 by the critics at least.
Justin M. gave it a9:
This film contains so many themes relevent to human nature: culture clash, art and censorship, intolerance and acceptance, reactionism, the list goes on. The performances are extremely believeable and genuine in the face of such a fantastical story. The visual achievements alone make this film worth a watch. The cinematography is a great mix between modern techniques and 1950s TV and film noir style. This film is a rare thing: a visually breathtaking story with real substance.
From Holland ;) gave it a9:
I really enjoyed watching this movie.
Pat C. gave it a 7:
Interesting time-line conversion from old to new ethics. Might have been more interesting if it had started out in color and slowly given way to B&W.
Ben W. gave it a 10:
It's brilliant. It works so well not just as a fairy tale about 90's teenagers sucked into a 1950's sitcom, but also as a parable about the difficult changes that the people in that era had to endure as they entered the 60's. The special effects are gorgeous, and are actually especially powerful as well. After viewing the film in black & white for some time, I really had a appreciation for color. Segments that were in black & white and color are fantastic too. It's one of my favorite movies EVER.
Scott m gave it a 10:
I try to critique movies the best i can but i honestly have to say that this film was as close to perfect as a movie can get. Witherspoon and the town sex liberation isnt trying to be shallow it just shows that kids are making mistakes like normal teens. Great movie.
Michelle P. gave it a 5:
No offense to those of you who loved this movie, but I really hated it. I mean, Reese Witherspoon's character was a true bratt! She goes around convining people that sex is what makes the world happy place. She changes color because she reads a book. Called, "Lover". Oooh...good idea. Psyche.
