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Pleasantville
1998 124 min United States of America PG-13 12+
★8.0
Fantasy, Comedy, Drama
Director: Gary Ross
Trailers
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EN
Description
Geeky teenager David and his popular twin sister, Jennifer, get sucked into the black-and-white world of a 1950s TV sitcom called "Pleasantville," and find a world where everything is peachy keen all the time. But when Jennifer's modern attitude disrupts Pleasantville's peaceful but boring routine, she literally brings color into its life.
Budget:
$60M
US Gross:
$40.58M
Worldwide:
$49.8M
Starring
Tobey Maguire
Actor
Jeff Daniels
Actor
Joan Allen
Actor
Awards
Saturn Awards 1999
— Best Young Performer
Saturn Awards 1999
— Best Supporting Actress
Academy Awards 1999
— Best Costume Design
Saturn Awards 1999
— Best Costume Design
Saturn Awards 1999
— Best Screenplay
Academy Awards 1999
— Best Production Design
Academy Awards 1999
— Best Score for a Drama
Saturn Awards 1999
— Best Fantasy Film
Key opinion
Pleasantville is widely celebrated for its inventive visual storytelling and poignant exploration of conformity versus individual expression. While most viewers praise its thematic depth and performances, a minority finds its social commentary overly simplistic or the narrative structure inconsistent.
| Acting | Tobey Maguire and Reese Witherspoon anchor the film with authentic, emotionally resonant performances. | |
| Cinematography | The innovative transition from monochrome to color serves as a powerful and effective visual metaphor for the characters' awakening. | |
| Theme | The film masterfully uses the veneer of 1950s nostalgia to critique historical conformity, segregation, and the dangers of authoritarianism. | |
| Production | The production design delivers a flawless and immersive recreation of the 1950s American dream aesthetic. | |
| Ending | Critics are split on the narrative's conclusion: some see the shift toward an imperfect, colorful reality as a fittingly profound resolution, while others dismiss the 'happy ending' as superficial and lacking in depth. | |
| Screenplay | While many find the script smart and witty, some critics argue the screenplay fails to adequately address the deeper complexities of social issues like inequality and political turmoil. |