Fresh
Ingeniously conceived and impressively executed, "Pleasantville" is a provocative, complex and surprisingly anti-nostalgic parable wrapped in the beguiling guise of a commercial high-concept comedy.
Joe Leydon, Variety
Pleasantville
Nothing is as simple as black and white.
1998 · 2h 4m · PG-13
Comedy, Drama, Fantasy
Directed by
Gary Ross
Overview
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.
Director and cast
Critics on Rotten Tomatoes
Top critics, in their words
85%
Tomatometer
Fresh
An ingenious fable, screenwriter Ross's directorial debut playfully spoofs the small-minded lifestyle idealised by 'family values' advocates, and the intolerance and insecurity underlying that ideal.
Derek Adams, Time Out
Fresh
The lighthearted fable Pleasantville takes some pointed swipes at the make-believe world of 1950s TV -- and none too soon.
Jeff Strickler, Minneapolis Star Tribune
Rotten
There's a terrific idea at the heart of Pleasantville, and it's a shame that its creator, Big screenwriter Gary Ross, can't figure where to take it.
Edward Guthmann, San Francisco Chronicle
Fresh
Endearing it definitely is, so much so that it's easy to overlook the simplicity, and the sly confidence trick that gets played on us.
Rick Groen, Globe and Mail
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