You’re reading Be Kind, Rewind where I review movies from the 70s to 90s weekly. If there is a movie you would like me to review, email me at [email protected] with the subject line: Be Kind, Rewind.
“Pleasantville,” released in 1998 and starring Toby Maguire, takes place in a television. Not only the television you watch it on, but also the television the characters watch it on. While this may seem confusing, it’s actually quite simple; the characters get trapped inside a TV, and the viewer watches as they disrupt the world they’re in.
David (Maguire), and his sister Jennifer (Reese Witherspoon) get trapped in their TV after a fight over the remote. This leads them to get stuck in David’s favorite show, “Pleasantville,” a 1950s sitcom where nothing ever changes. Luckily, David has studied the show vigorously and knows how to blend in, unluckily, Jennifer had never seen the film.
Over time, David and Jennifer alter the show around them, making people act out of character and the small town running less like a perfectly oiled machine. The way the film acknowledged these changes is astonishing. Not only do the characters start to act drastically different, but they also look different too.
Color is a huge part of “Pleasantville,” even though the majority of the film is in black and white, due to it being a 1950s-esc sitcom. When a character changes and gains their human nature, they become filled with color even though the world around them stays the same. This leaves characters with color in the same shots as characters without, making “Pleasantville” visually stunning.
Sadly, those without color are scared of the change happening around them. This leads to the suppression of “color” enforced by the Pleasantville government. Ultimately, those who have changed and gained color revolt and create art and murals to express themselves.
Unsurprisingly, teens are the first ones to change into color, expressing a theme seen in the real world as each generation changes culturally from those that came before. The prejudice in the film also resonates with our country’s history and includes book burning and segregation. This made Pleasantville much more impactful and dramatic.
Overall, “Pleasantville” brings out the best and worst in unlikely characters. The film tackles harsh realities in a meaningful and beautiful way. I would rate the film a 3.6📼 out of 5.0📼, and I suggest to anyone looking for a “pleasant” time to watch “Pleasantville.”
