Old School Review: Pleasantville

Hey Mechamaniacs!  Today has been a day of "new" here at the site.  Earlier I posted some new releases that came out today for you to rent or order and now I am writing my first article in the new series "Old School Review".  I really enjoy writing about new and upcoming flicks but what about all of the movies that are already out?  Maybe there is that gem that you haven't seen that I can review and open a whole new world for ya?  Perhaps there is something you have seen and never enjoyed but saw a new review and decided to watch it again and like it?  This is the place to find it!  My first review is of an older but really cool film called Pleasantville.  Enjoy!

Do you remember old school tv shows like The Andy Griffith Show?  A place where there is no crime.  A town where you can keep your doors unlocked at night.  Where everyone knows your name?  Wait, isn't that Cheers?  By now you get the picture.  This describes the place called Pleasantville.  Pleasantville is actually the name of the popular tv show set in the 1950's that nerdy teen David, played by famous Tobey Maguire, loves to watch and has memorized word for word.  In comes his social and popular sister Jennifer, played by Reese Witherspoon, who is the complete opposite.  Both teens live in a broken home without a father and a mother whom is more interested in her personal love life than being a good influence on the kids.  David finds solace in the tv show and Jennifer finds it in her many crushes and endless loves.

We arrive at one fateful night and a simple argument.  David is set on watching the Pleasantville 24 hour marathon and Jennifer is determined to watch a concert with her newest crush set to arrive any minute.  Mom has left for the weekend and it is up to the two of them to decide what is going to happen next.  A fight ensues and the remote control for the tv is broken.  In the midst of anger the teens hear a knock at the door.  I'll be damned if it isn't old Deputy Barney Fife, I mean Don Knotts, a local tv repairman.  With only their intentions in mind the teens decide to take a special remote from the repairman and are zapped into the world of Pleasantville.

Now what?  David and Jennifer are now the children of the family that star in Pleasantville.  They are part of the show!  They are not in color but black and white.  This is a perfect fit for David.  His dream!  He knows all of the story lines but is an utter nightmare of Jennifer.  Everything thing in this world is perfect.  That is how the show was created.  No violence, no sex and everyone is innocent and goes about their daily jobs day in and day out.  This point is what really makes Pleasantville a cool movie.

What happens when you throw a rock in a puddle of water.  The ripple effect and that is in a sense what is going on here.  David and Jennifer don't belong.  It is only a matter of time things start going awry and that is when things start to get very interesting.  The tv show is originally in black and white but as situations or episodes change from the original.  Spots of color begin to appear and the citizens of Pleasantville begin to notice the leaves change to color and eventually the houses, streets and themselves.  That is really the heart of this movie in my opinion.  It is about change and accepting the change.  People are afraid of change or an uncertain future.  I think this film portrays that beautifully.  You see the change in the people of Pleasantville all the way through to our main characters of David and Jennifer.  I'm not going to spoil the end but it really comes full circle and leaves you feeling warm inside and like you have spent the last two hours not watching a piece of trash.

Tobey and Reese are young actors when this film was made.  This is before Spiderman and before Reese became the famous actress that she is today.  Jeff Daniels also stars as Bill.  Bill runs the local cafe and is one of the main examples of someone who didn't know how to react to the changes going on around him but embraced it and used it to further himself through the film.  William H. Macy plays the father in Pleasantville along with Joan Allen as his wife and mother to the two kids.  She is also the other main example of wanting to break free of the daily mold and does a wonderful performance at it.  The late J.T. Walsh, Marley Shelton and a very young Paul Walker also star.

This is one of those films that is unique and will always stay with you.  We all go through changes in our lives and that is why this film is so relatable.  I highly recommend Pleasantville for teens through adults.  There are some sexual situations but almost comedic.  I don't recall much for foul language if any.  I just watched this with my two teenage daughters and they had no problem with it nor did I.  This is a purchase because you will find yourself taking it out once in a while wanting to relive the story of a little town called Pleasantville.  4 out of 4 pizzas baby!  You can watch the trailer below.