Review of Pleasantville (1998) by Charles T — 04 Apr 2009

At heart, Pleasantville is something a whole lot deeper than it first appears to be. Two teenagers are transported within the ideal suburban tranquility of a classic 1950's TV sitcom; a town where it has never rained, the local Fire Department exclusively rescue cats, and everything is in stark monochrome.

However, as Maguire and Witherspoon begin to introduce the various joys, sins and corruptions of real life to the townspeople, everything starts to turn various shades of glorious Technicolor. The entire cast put in some great work here (notably Maguire who actually isn't wooden at all), with the best performances mainly coming from the supporting cast trio of Macy, Allen and Daniels.

The cinematography is also breathtaking, with incredible use of colour playing a critical role. With overtones regarding issues such as racism, social conformity and free thought, Pleasantville shows us that even perfection is far from perfect.