Synopsis: In the black-and-white ’50s sitcom realm of Pleasantville, mom always has a yummy meatloaf in the oven, the home team never loses and romance is a shy peck on the cheek. Until now as modern real-life teens David (Tobey Maguire) and Jennifer (Reese Witherspoon) are mysteriously zapped into that TV world. With them come ideas and passions that turn the town’s cozy perfection into something more challenging and colorful. From Gary Ross (Big, Seabiscuit) comes an imaginative fantasy that maintains its humor even as it reveals its own true colors about embracing life in all its messiness and unpredictability. Don’t touch that dial. Stay tuned to life in Pleasantville.
***********************************************************************

Pleasantville 8.25

“Well, it looks like we’re going to have another sunny day – high 72, low 72, and not a cloud in the sky.”

‘Pleasantville’ was one of the first DVDs I purchased. I hadn’t seen the movie on the big screen, but I had discovered it at my video store and wanted to include it in my burgeoning collection – it’s not only a pleasing tale, but it has a terrific audio-visual quality to it that deserves repeat spins. On this principle alone, and due to an extremely low price, I recently decided to get the Blu-ray disc.

It was well worth it.

BD reviews have been saying that the film could do with a remaster, and they may be right, but I can’t really tell. All I know is that I loved seeing vibrant snippets of colour blended with the rich black and white cinematography – all backed by Randy Newman’s breathtakingly delicate score. In my opinion, flawed presentation or not, it was definitely worth the upgrade.

Of course, without an inspiring story, one that teased the imagination, that collaborated with and complemented the ambitious visuals, ‘Pleasantvlle’ would have been a failure – or at the very least a flawed gem. There are countless such motion pictures that don’t quite live up to their original visions (for instance ‘What Dreams May Come’, which is a dazzling film with a plodding narrative), but this is certainly not one of them.

‘Pleasantville’s story of mismatched worlds merged together is original, refreshing, thought-provoking and uplifting. I loved all the social commentary (racism, bigotry in general, social conservatism vs. liberalism, status quo vs. change) that was thrown in and how the film wants us to question the confines of our own head-space on so many levels. As far as I’m concerned, a film that entertains, makes you feel and gives you something to reflect on is the best of them all.

It offers an excellent mix of drama and humour, a perfect bridge between the seriousness of our two leads’ situation and the playful quality inherent to it. By giving us a character who is fully cognizant of the world he’s thrown in and one that is absolutely oblivious to it we are offered a contrast that amplifies the complexity of the situations but also provides many lighter moments. Well done!

Their sudden, inexplicable, immersion in this new world has serious implications and repercussions on everyone involved – not just the two of them; their very existence changes everything. Admittedly, some of the changes that Pleasantville undergoes take place all too quickly (sometimes even overnight! ) but, seeing as it’s a fictional ‘reality’, we can accept these developments as is. In a real setting, however, it would obviously be nonsensical – but this is fantasy, after all, and anything goes.

There are some incredibly memorable moments throughout, things that are so stunning that one would be hard-pressed to remain unmoved. For instance, there’s a scene when a character discovers her sexuality, having been unaware of it for her whole existence. When she explores it (solo, I might add), a tree bursts into flames on her front lawn. In a black and white world, this explosion of colour leaves quite an impression. This is one of many jaw-droppingly gorgeous moments in ‘Pleasantville’.

The picture takes a dip towards the end due to a more dramatic tone – an essential component to tell the story, but a less pleasant one than one had been accustomed to in ‘Pleasantville’ thus far; until then, there was awe and wonderment, amusement and laughter. Towards the end, however, there is a growing hatred and mob mentality. Although it was a key contrast, it nonetheless bogged things down given the light moments and squeals of delight that it had served up until then.

As one might speculate, without the right actors, ‘Pleasantville’ would have been nothing more than a cardboard box, a lifeless space without character. But the cast that the filmmakers assembled did a terrific job of inhabiting the people and this world:

-Tobey MacGuire plays the nerdy kid who knows everything about ‘Pleasantville’ and has dreamt of this escape for so long that he welcomes it eagerly. MacGuire is perhaps a bit too dorky for me at times; for some reason, his goofy grin makes me want to smash his face. Otherwise, he is totally right for the part of David – one would have been hard-pressed to find someone as pitch-perfect.

-Reese Witherspoon is brilliant as David’s rebellious sister. Her interpretation of Jennifer reminds me of Linda Fiorentino in the way that she visibly intakes new information by focusing and because of her overall take-no-$#!t attitude. You could easily see the younger Jennifer becoming Bridget Gregory from ‘The Last Seduction’.

-Joan Allen is excellent here, imbuing her character with sensitivity, curiosity, intelligence and a romantic heart.

-William H Macy completely sells his part; you can’t help but believe the eager post-war family man that he’s portraying. He doesn’t have the physique you’d expect for the role, but his mad acting skills makes up for it.

-Jeff Daniels plays innocence very well (ex: ‘Dumb and Dumber’), but he also does dreamers quite well (ex: ‘The Purple Rose of Cairo’). To me, he’s the weakest of the bunch, but he does a credible job of his part.

-there’s also an exceptional cameo from Don Knotts, who brought to the part all of his characteristic enthusiasm and disappointment. I’ve actually never seen him better, purposefully keeping away from the camp that he is so known for and giving us a more grounded performance. What a brilliant casting choice this was.

‘Pleasantville’ has so much going for it that I can barely imagine it not having a broad audience, not being more popular than it currently is. It may not be perfect for all families given some of its subject matter (i.e. über-conservatives might not enjoy it), but it really does have a little for everyone, from the wide-eyed to the cynic, the serious to the light-hearted, the realist to the idealist.

As far as I’m concerned, ‘Pleasantville’ is worth re-visiting from time to time; it’s not just a fictional place, it’s a state of mind, and it’s one that we should take to heart. I’m happy to have found ‘Pleasantville’. I intend to spend more time there, and I plan on bringing friends and family along for the trip. It really is an adventure worth sharing.