Popcorn Reviews With Cybèle: Pleasantville 

By Cybèle Elaine Werts  
CybeleW@aol.com

Popcorn rating (four possible): four kernels for an intriguing premise, courage to face real issues, and solid performances from a perfectly cast cast.

Do you ever wish for the good old days? Do you secretly watch reruns of I Love Lucy and The Honeymooners? Not to worry, we all have our sins. Things seemed clearer back then, when men were men, and women were... well maybe not. Life in sitcoms appears simple because everyone was white, middle class, and their "problems" were resolved in one-half hour.

It’s the two-hour problems that Pleasantville tackles, as young David (Tobey Maguire) and his sister Jennifer (Reese Witherspoon) are transported into the black and white world of the town of Pleasantville, a town along the lines of Father Knows Best, but even more so. Despite their best efforts, their 90’s mentality leaks out all over the town, waking up townspeople who were trapped in endless cycles of sitcom fare. Each outburst of emotion and feeling produces a crisis, from flowers popping up in full color to a fire breaking out in a town whose firefighters have never fought anything more dangerous than a cat stuck in a tree.

Soon hostilities break out as those of the old ways try to keep down the "colored" people. This is racism and sexism under the guise of humor and technology. I cannot blame the director for eventually solving the problems in a simpleminded way, because along the way painful issues and precarious situations were managed with a delicate hand. Strong performances from nearly everyone in this cast of solid actors brings a gentle realism to a film which could have opted out for the easy road.

Suggested gustatory accompaniment: I know I used TV dinners for Truman but I can’t help but want to eat them again. How about turkey with stuffing this time?

Copyright 2000