Pleasantville (1998)

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

Director:

Gary Ross

Writer:

Gary Ross

Stars:

Tobey Maguire, Jeff Daniels, Joan Allen

Nominated for 3 Oscars. Another 18 wins & 42 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
William H. Macy	...	George
Joan Allen	...	Betty
Natalie Ramsey	...	Mary Sue
Kevin Connors	...	Bud
Jeff Daniels	...	Mr. Johnson
Tobey Maguire	...	David
Heather McGill	...	Girl in School Yard
Paul Morgan Stetler	...	College Counselor
Denise Dowse	...	Health Teacher
McNally Sagal	...	Science Teacher
Jane Kaczmarek	...	David's Mom
Giuseppe Andrews	...	Howard
Reese Witherspoon	...	Jennifer
Marissa Ribisi	...	Kimmy
Jenny Lewis	...	Christin

Storyline

David Wagner is a kid whose mind is stuck in the 1950s. He's addicted to a classic 50's sitcom television show called "Pleasantville". Pleasantville is a simple place, a place where all of its citizens are swell and simple-minded folks, a place where the word "violence", and life outside of Pleasantville, is unbeknownst to its inhabitants; things are perfect down in Pleasantville. One evening, the life of David and his obnoxious sister Jennifer take a bizarre turn when an eccentric repairman hand them a supposed magical remote. After a quarrel between the siblings, they inexplicably zap themselves into the world of "Pleasantville". Now, David and Jennifer must adjust to a 50s lifestyle of repressed desires and considerably different societal values while trying to find their way home.

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Plot Keywords:

1950s | trapped in tv | censorship | symbolism | rebellion | 

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Taglines:

Nothing Is As Simple As Black And White.

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Genres:

Comedy | Drama | Fantasy

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Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

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

Did You Know?

Trivia

Writer and director Gary Ross acknowledges these cinematographic homages: The scene of J.T. Walsh in front of the bowling alley scorecard recalls Patton's speech in front of the American flag in Patton (1970); The courtroom segregated into black-and-white characters downstairs and "colored" characters upstairs recalls To Kill a Mockingbird (1962);

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Goofs

The scoreboard in the gym is a modern day Nevco basketball scoreboard. Most high school gyms in the '50s had analog clocks and did not show team fouls.

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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.
[...]

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Crazy Credits

The New Line logo plays in complete silence.

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Connections

Referenced in The Christmas Parade (2014)

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Soundtracks

Lawdy Miss Clawdy
Written by Lloyd Price
Performed by Larry E Wiliams

User Reviews

It ain't Citizen Kane...

...nor is it The Bicycle Thief, Casablanca, or Taxi Driver. But it's a damn nice modern take on Capra.

The reviewers here that're trashing this film are completely missing the point - they either know nothing about film, or way too much. It's a fable, folks, and if there's lapses in logic or some smarmy moments, well, deal with it. It's a marvelous, well constructed flick and an enjoyable way to spend a couple hours.

There's no blood, or explosions. A bit of sex, but nothing gratuitous and it's essential to the plot. Cue up a copy and prepare to smile.

It's keen...!

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

23 October 1998 (USA)

Also Known As:

Pleasantville

Filming Locations:

Petaluma, California, USA

Box Office

Budget:

$60,000,000 (estimated)

Opening Weekend USA:

$8,855,063, 25 October 1998

Gross USA:

$40,584,421

Cumulative Worldwide Gross:

$49,805,462

Company Credits

Production Co:

New Line Cinema, Larger Than Life Productions

Technical Specs

Runtime:

124 min

Sound Mix:

DTS Dolby Digital SDDS

Color:

Black and White Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1