Video Review

Pleasantville

EW's GRADE
D+

Details Movie Rated: PG-13; Genres: Comedy, Drama, Sci-fi and Fantasy; With: Joan Allen, Jeff Daniels, William H. Macy, Tobey Maguire and Reese Witherspoon; Distributor: New Line Cinema

Writer-director Gary Ross scrambles themes from Thoreau, The Purple Rose of Cairo, Back to the Future, and The Cat in the Hat as Maguire and Witherspoon play '90s teens magically teleported into the wholesome, hermetic world of a black-and-white '50s sitcom. There they teach the resident fictional constructs the joys of self-expression, which gradually brings the characters and props into wondrous living color. As tedious and feel-goodish as it is facile. D+

Originally posted Mar 26, 1999 Published in issue #478 Mar 26, 1999 Order article reprints

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