Pleasantville (1998). Cert 12. Director - Gary Ross. Writer - Gary Ross. Starring - Tobey Maguire, Resse Witherspoon, William H Macy, Joan
Allen, Jeff Daniels & J T
Walsh.
Premise - Pleasantville is the story of twin teenagers (Resse
Witherspoon & Tobey Maguire) who are sucked into a wholesome 50's TV
show. Once inside the show, the teenagers 90's values start to rub off on
the 'characters' of the show. As the characters start to discover their
true natures they become coloured. What a pleasant surprise (no pun intended!). As characters in the show become coloured, they become rejected by the
B/W characters to the point of riots and book burning. Another thing in the films favour is the gorgeous look of the movie.
Something as simple as a pink rose on a black and white background can be
beautiful. It really is a sumptuous looking film.
I was expecting an
amiable comedy with little or no 'substance', something along the lines of
Stay Tuned. Instead I got a gorgeous looking movie with outstanding
performances and a real heart. The film also tackle hard-hitting issues,
such as racial tolerance and breaking out of conformity.
I finished
this film with a big smile on my face and a warm feeling inside, a real
feel-good movie. You can't help but feel for the characters as they go
through their self discovery be it sexual, artistic or simply
rage.
Maguire and Witherspoon are excellent, two of the most versatile
young actors doing the rounds at the moment. The rest of the cast performs
admirably as well. Jeff Daniels, William H Macy, Joan Allen and the late J
T Walsh all put in excellent turns.
An excellent movie all round
and more than deserving of the space on my
tape.
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7/10 for Pleasantville. Poster Quote - A pleasant surprise. |