Dejected teenager David (Tobey Maguire) suffers all the complexities of 90s adolescence. Confronted by doomsaying school teachers and dwindling job prospects, David seeks refuge in his favourite TV show - an old-fashioned, black and white sitcom called Pleasantville. One fateful night a mysterious TV repairman transports David and his precocious sister Jennifer (Reese Witherspoon) inside the fantastic world of Pleasantville, where life is a curious routine of niceties and home-spun values. But the pair’s arrival turns everyday life on its head for the small town, until now untouched by concepts of sex, rebellion, and most notably, colour. An insightful satire of the American Dream, Pleasantville combines pioneering photographic techniques with a stellar cast including Joan Allen, J.T. Walsh, William H. Macy, Jeff Daniels and comic legend Don Knotts as the elusive TV repairman.
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Stream, rent or buy via
Collection
In ACMI's collection
Credits
Collection metadata
ACMI Identifier
314584
Language
English
Audience classification
MA
Subject categories
Advertising, Film, Journalism, Mass Media & TV → Television broadcasting - Social aspects
Economics, Philosophy, Politics, Religion & Sociology → Television broadcasting - Social aspects
Fantasy & Science Fiction → Fantasy
Sound/audio
Sound
Colour
Colour
Holdings
VHS; Access Print (Section 1)
16mm film; Access Print (Section 1)