Pleasantville

Play trailer

Pleasantville

PG-13

1998

2h 3m

Comedy

Play Trailer

Watchlist

Watchlist

Tomatometer

Popcornmeter

85%

Tomatometer

97 Reviews

79%

Popcornmeter

100,000+ Ratings

Impressed by high school student David's (Tobey Maguire) devotion to a 1950s family TV show, a mysterious television repairman (Don Knotts) provides him with a means to escape into the black-and-white program with his sister, Jennifer (Reese Witherspoon). While David initially takes to the simplistic, corny world of the show, Jennifer sets about jolting the characters with doses of reality that unexpectedly bring a little color into their drab existence.

Watch on Fandango

Stream Now

Critics Consensus

Filled with lighthearted humor, timely social commentary, and dazzling visuals, Pleasantville is an artful blend of subversive satire and well-executed Hollywood formula.

Read Critics Reviews

Nell Minow

Common Sense Media

12/27/2010

4/5

Great movie for high schoolers and their parents.

Go to Full Review

Joe Leydon

Variety

10/18/2008

Ingeniously conceived and impressively executed, "Pleasantville" is a provocative, complex and surprisingly anti-nostalgic parable wrapped in the beguiling guise of a commercial high-concept comedy.

Go to Full Review

Derek Adams

Time Out

06/24/2006

An ingenious fable, screenwriter Ross's directorial debut playfully spoofs the small-minded lifestyle idealised by 'family values' advocates, and the intolerance and insecurity underlying that ideal.

Go to Full Review

Joshua Tyler

Giant Freakin Robot

Jun 23

Stop trying, stop striving, seek pleasure. Whatever happens happens. Roll over and take it. Expect nothing and seek only pleasure.

Go to Full Review

Wesley Lovell

Cinema Sight

10/04/2023

3.5/4

If the ending had been more ironic than predictable, the film might have been able to beat the similarly themed “The Truman Show” in this year’s “best of” race.

Go to Full Review

Cory Woodroof

615 Film

09/20/2022

Tobey Maguire, Joan Allen and especially Jeff Daniels are all tremendous here, and Gary Ross gives it just enough of a personality to give it an edge. Don Knotts is also doing his thing here, which I appreciate.

Go to Full Review

Read all reviews

Donn A

@RT58687407 Jun 18

just saw this again and it still feels the same. just pleasant indeed

See more

Matilda L

@Varga Jun 12

Great film, on many levels.

See more

emanuele A

@Mr.Kiav Jun 5

Film delizioso. L'atmosfera anni '50 è bellissima, trama fresca e riflessiva con attori di livello che fanno bene il loro lavoro. Un film che nel 1998 anticipava i tempi di vent'anni e questo lo ha penalizzato perché poco capito.

See more

Paul E.

@PassoutTomatoes Mar 13

Unwatchable, boring, nonsense. And Tobey McGuire seems to kill any joy it could have delivered.

See more

Harvey B

@HarveyBall67 Feb 20

Yeah it was a skibidi sigma rizz movie that had bully maguire mogging everyone and made the colourless ones look as if they were jestermaxxing. Very Ohio Gyatt movie would reccomend.

See more

Trevor S

@PopcornPopper Feb 5

A must watch movie with a great storyline.

See more

Read all reviews

Read More

Read Less

WRITE A REVIEW

EDIT REVIEW

POST RATING

Gary Ross

Director

Tobey Maguire

David Wagner

Jeff Daniels

Mr. Bill Johnson

Joan Allen

Betty Parker

William H. Macy

George Parker

J.T. Walsh

Big Bob

B.A.P.S

16%

67%

B.A.P.S

Watchlist

Trial and Error

50%

30%

Trial and Error

Watchlist

Drop Dead Gorgeous

47%

75%

Drop Dead Gorgeous

Watchlist

TRAILER

for Drop Dead Gorgeous

Austin Powers: International Man of Mystery

72%

77%

Austin Powers: International Man of Mystery

Watchlist

Dumb and Dumberer: When Harry Met Lloyd

10%

23%

Dumb and Dumberer: When Harry Met Lloyd

Watchlist

Discover more movies and TV shows.

View More

Certified Fresh Films on Netflix: There Will Be Blood, Braveheart, Almost Famous, and More

Reese Witherspoon’s 10 Best Movies

Best and Worst Movies of the Furious 7 Stars

View more photos

Synopsis

Impressed by high school student David's (Tobey Maguire) devotion to a 1950s family TV show, a mysterious television repairman (Don Knotts) provides him with a means to escape into the black-and-white program with his sister, Jennifer (Reese Witherspoon). While David initially takes to the simplistic, corny world of the show, Jennifer sets about jolting the characters with doses of reality that unexpectedly bring a little color into their drab existence.

Director: Gary Ross
Producer: Steven Soderbergh, Jon Kilik, Robert Degus
Distributor: New Line Cinema
Production Co: New Line Cinema
Rating: PG-13
Genre: Comedy
Original Language: English
Release Date (Theaters): Sep 17, 1998, Original
Release Date (Streaming): Jul 1, 2008
Box Office (Gross USA): $40.6M
Runtime: 2h 3m
Sound Mix: Surround, Dolby Digital, DTS, SDDS
Aspect Ratio: Flat (1.85:1)