Ross' direction is decent, and he gets fine work from all the principal actors.
Comment
01/01/00
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Pleasantville (1998)
86
%
Tomatometer
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Reviews Counted:83
Fresh:71
Rotten:12
Average Rating:7.5/10
Consensus: High production values and an original story impressed critics.
Runtime: 2 hrs 16 mins
Genre: Comedies
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... [More]
Starring: Tobey Maguire, Reese Witherspoon, Jeff Daniels, Joan Allen
Director: Gary Ross
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Reviews for Pleasantville
The movie's simplistic storyline does not match its stunning visual accomplishments.
01/01/00
The most stunning thing about Pleasantville is the film's look, which rivals that of the year's other two most visually-impressive productions, Dark City and What Dreams May Come.
01/01/00
Top CriticThis is an exquisite, timely film. It's nice to know that occasionally, even Hollywood does something right.
12/08/02
An innovative and ethically provocative film about free spirits and those who would keep them down.
03/03/02
Wildly ambitious!
01/01/00
Top CriticOne of the year's delights!
01/01/00
Top CriticThis wonderful film speaks volumes about prejudice, the freedom of ideas, and the joys of diversity.
01/01/00
Top CriticA glossy, high-concept Hollywood entertainment that uses special effects to awaken the senses rather than numb them!
01/01/00
Though Ross works in some heavy-handed strokes, his portrait of stodgy Eisenhower America dazzles with some of the loveliest imagery of any 1990s film.
02/23/06
What makes the effects work all the more impressive is how they are used to support story ideas rather than to serve as gratuitous eye candy.
01/01/00
A thoughtful and technically ambitious cultural fable!
01/01/00
One of the year's best and most original films!
01/01/00
Top CriticA brilliant comedy!
01/01/00
Picks up where Truman Show left off!
01/01/00
Top CriticFascinating!
01/01/00
Astonishing, intriguing, irresistible!
01/01/00
For a movie that makes such a big deal about color, Pleasantville is awfully black and white.
05/08/02
Endearing it definitely is, so much so that it's easy to overlook the simplicity, and the sly confidence trick that gets played on us.
04/12/02
Top CriticThere's a terrific idea at the heart of Pleasantville, and it's a shame that its creator, Big screenwriter Gary Ross, can't figure where to take it.
06/18/02
Top CriticLatest News for Pleasantville
February 28, 2006:
Three Great Character Actors Gone in One Sad Weekend
The traditional logic that says "famous people always die in threes" was backed up with a vengeance this past weekend as we lost a trio of talented, prolific, and... More...
December 08, 2005:
Jeff Daniels Does "Lookout" Duty for Disney
Well-admired character actor Jeff Daniels will star in a thriller entitled "The Lookout" for Disney and Spyglass, a project that will mark the directorial debut of an... More...
October 20, 2005:
Breck Eisner Goes from "Sahara" to "Black Lagoon"
Breck Eisner made his debut with last April's "Sahara" for Paramount, and he'll soon be helming Universal's remake of "The Creature from the Black Lagoon."... More...
May 23, 2005:
Trailer Bulletin: Chicken Little
We've seen a handful of cute little teasers already, but ComingSoon.net brings us a first look at the all-new trailer for Disney's animated comedy "Chicken Little."... More...
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