Pleasantville

Pleasantville 1998

• Director: Gary Ross
• Based on the novel: no
• Cast: Tobey Maguire, Reese Witherspoon, Jeff Daniels, Joan Allen, William H Macy, J T Walsh, Don Knotts, Marc Blucas, Danny Strong,
• Personal “oh yeah him/her” reaction, i.e. have seen this actor in:
• Tobey Maguire – The Great Gatsby, Spiderman, The Cider House Rules, Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas, The Ice Storm,
• Reese Witherspoon – Wild, Walk the Line, Legally Blonde, Friends
• Jeff Daniels – Looper, Good Night and Good Luck, The Squid and the Whale, The Hours, Speed, Terms of Endearment, Ragtime
• Joan Allen – Face/Off, The Ice Storm, In Country, Peggy Sue Got Married
• William H Macy – Room, Cake, The Lincoln Lawyer, Happy Texas, Fargo, Benny and Joon
• J T Walsh – The X Files, The Client, Red Rock West, Misery, The Grifters, Good Morning Vietnam
• Don Knotts – The Andy Griffith Show and other series
• Mark Blucas – The Jane Austen Book Club, Buffy the Vampire Slayer
• Danny Strong – Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Third Rock from the Sun
• Why? I like the film
• Seen: Twice before. Now 1 September 2019      

       The 50’s were – despite all the nostalgia amongst some people my age – terrible.

       David (Maguire) thinks the decade looks great because his decade, the 1990’s, isn’t so cool either. He’s a fanatic follower of the sit com Pleasantville and suddenly he and his sister Jen (Witherspoon) are transported back to the 50’s, transformed into Bud and Mary Sue with the perfect Pleasantville parents (Macy and Allen). They’re horrified but David knows his Pleasantville and goes with the flow. He knows the people after all, and they know him and Mary Sue. Jen is appalled that there is no world outside Pleasantville, the pages in all the books are blank, there are no actual toilets in the soda shop’s ladies’ room, and there is no sex. She starts provoking everyone, trying to poke holes in this very fake, smiley, oh so pleasant black and white world.

       This unchangeable little world starts changing. Drastically.

       All kinds of complications arise. It’s funny and clever and sweet and it even has a message. Humans aren’t meant to be isolated. Change is necessary and good. Racism and the patriarchy are bad. Small towns are terrible. Well, maybe that last one isn’t the real message but I grew up in one, so believe me, they are. (Now all friends of small towns will hate me).

       There are moments of triteness and at times the film swerves annoyingly close to sexism but mostly it stays on track. I didn’t enjoy the 50’s but I certainly enjoy this film, especially Witherspoon. They’re all good.

4* of 5 (Hal gives it 5).