Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #4272 in DVD
• Released on: 1999-10-11
• Rating: Suitable for 12 years and over
• Aspect ratio: 1.78:1
• Number of discs: 1
• Formats: PAL, Widescreen
• Original language: English
• Subtitled in: English
• Number of discs: 1
• Running time: 120 minutes

Amazon.co.uk Review
Fantastical writer Gary Ross (Big, Dave) makes an auspicious directorial debut with this inspired and oddly touching comedy about two 90s kids (Tobey Maguire and Reese Witherspoon) thrust into the black-and-white TV world of Pleasantville, a Leave It to Beaver-style sitcom complete with picket fences, corner malt shop and warm chocolate chip cookies. When a somewhat unusual remote control (provided by repairman Don Knotts) transports them from the jaded real world to G-rated TV land, Maguire and Witherspoon are forced to play along as Bud and Mary Sue, the obedient children of George and Betty Parker (William H Macy and Joan Allen). Maguire, an obsessive Pleasantville devotee, understands the need for not toppling the natural balance of things; Witherspoon, on the other hand, starts shaking the town up, most notably when she takes football stud Skip (Paul Walker) up to Lover's Lane for some modern-day fun and games. Soon enough, Pleasantville's teens are discovering sex along with--gasp!--rock & roll, free thinking and soul-changing Technicolour. Filled with delightful and shrewd details about sitcom life (no toilets, no double beds, only two streets in the town), Pleasantville is a joy to watch, not only for its comedy but for the groundbreaking visual effects and astonishing production design as the town gradually transforms from crisp black and white to glorious colour. Ross does tip his hand a bit about halfway through the film, obscuring the movie's basic message of the unpredictability of life with overloaded and obvious symbolism, as the black-and-white denizens of the town gang up on the "coloureds" and impose rules of conduct to keep their strait-laced town laced up. Still, the characterizations from the phenomenal cast--especially repressed housewife Allen and soda-shop owner Jeff Daniels, doing some of their best work ever--will keep you emotionally invested in the film's outcome and waiting to see Pleasantville in all its final Technicolor glory. --Mark Englehart

DVD Description
DVD Special Features:

Crew Info
Music Video
Deleted Scenes
US and International Trailers
Special Effects
Product Design Stills
Interactive Menu
Letterbox Ratio 16:9
Dolby Digital 5.1
Languages: English

Synopsis
Two modern American teenagers are sucked into their television set and end up living in a black-and-white fifties sitcom. Bewildered by their new world's naivete and innocence, they slowly start to add color and spice to the town's life. Eventually, however, they begin to question their influence, wondering if their advanced 90's attitudes are really that much better than those of the innocent past. Sterling effects and stand-out performances make this commentary on modern life a poignant, entertaining effort.

Customer Reviews

delightful but thought provoking
A modern day brother and sister, David and Jennifer argue over what to watch on T.V. He wants to watch his favourite show 'Pleasantville'(a black and white show set in the 1950's); she wants to watch a music show. Their argument leads to the remote control being broken at which point a mysterious repairman leaves them a new one which transports the pair to the idyllic Pleasantville. Finding themselves trapped in this monochrome world they try to fit in whilst finding a way back to reality.
The people of Pleasantville have never experienced art, rain, colour, or anything less than perfection and have no awareness of a world or life outside of their town. The arrival of the two teenagers sparks a change and gradually colour and reality start encroaching on this little town. At this point we can see the uglier side of reality developing as some of the townspeople turn against the 'coloureds' and fight against any change in their existence.
This is a wonderful film to watch. It has its magical, whimsical side whilst also managing to address the issue of prejudice. Tobey Maguire and Reese Witherspoon deliver great performances as the geeky brother and sparky sister and are a perfect foil for each other. Highly recommended

Superb!
I saw this last year and I have to say it is probably my favourite film ever. The actors are the ideal people for the film and all perform brilliantly. This movie is pure fantasy and is does what a good movie should do - take you away from real-life for 2 hours and make you forget everything. This is the first film I saw with Tobey Maguire in, and he shows how good an actor he is. Other actors include Reese Witherspoon, Jeff Daniels, and a couple of other famous faces you've seen in other things (such as Riley from Buffy). The effects are fantastic, especially when half the screen is colour and the other half is black & white.

This is a fairytale movie in which none of the things you see will happen for real, and that is how it should be. An excellent movie that should get a lot more recognition and is a class apart from a lot of recent films.

Deserves 5 stars, no hesitation.

Delightful film but also thought provoking.
A modern day brother and sister (Tobey Maguire and Reese Witherspoon) argue over what to watch on T.V. He wants to watch his favourite show 'Pleasantville'(a black and white show set in the 1950's); she wants to watch a music show. Their argument leads to the remote being broken at which point a mysterious repairman leaves them a new one which transports the pair to the idyllic Pleasantville. Finding themselves trapped in this monochrome world they try to fit in whilst finding a way back to reality.
The people of Pleasantville have never experienced art, rain, colour, or anything less than perfection and have no awareness of a world or life outside of their town. The arrival of the two teenagers sparks a change and gradually colour and reality start encroaching on this little town. At this point we can see the uglier side of reality developing as some of the townspeople turn against the 'coloureds' and fight against any change in their existence.
This is a wonderful film to watch. It has its magical, whimsical side whilst also managing to address the issue of prejudice. Tobey Maguire and Reese Witherspoon deliver great performances as the geeky brother and sparky sister and are a perfect foil for each other. Highly recommended