← Back to Reviews
 

Pleasantville


Pleasantville

Directed and Written By: Gary Ross

Scored By: Randy Newman

Cinematography By: John Lindley

Starring: Tobey Maguire, Reese Witherspoon, William H. Macy, Joan Allen, Jeff Daniels, and Don Knotts



This Gary Ross entry revolves around nerdy David (Maguire) and his sister Jennifer (Witherspoon) as they are sucked into a 50's-esque, B/W T.V. show called Pleasantville. The residents of Pleasantville have never known violence or harsh conditions. They have lead an eerily perfect life with absolutely no conflicts. But all this changes when Jennifer shows her classmates what Lover's Lane is really for. Soon, the entire universe is thrown askew with sex, violence, prejudice, and technicolor.

Somehow, Ross managed to take a light-hearted comedy and created an in-depth social commentary. He made that transition seamlessly (although I enjoyed the parody parts at the beginning slightly more than the drama bits in the second half). As for the acting, all the perormances were superb, most notably Allen and Macy. And the late character actor J.T. Walsh does a great job as well. The color-B/W scenes were brilliantly shot, even Newman's score stuck with me for a while.

If you can't already tell, I really thought this was a great film. Ross' best effort foshur, I'd even go as far as to say this is the greatest directorial debuts of all time... okay maybe I'm exaggerating. But nevertheless, you really ought to check this often overlooked film out.

MY FINAL GRADE: A-