Plesantville
Originally published on social media on July 7th, 2022
Hello everyone, I hope you are all continuing to enjoy your summers! I’m excited to introduce you to the next theme: altered reality. No, there will be nothing involving multiverses or marvel, but instead will explore other crazy or magical phenomenons that forever alter lives.
Here’s an understatement: THIS FILM IS INSANE. Whoever wrote the script for this film is either off their rocker NUTS, or a total genius…or perhaps both?
This film is about two siblings who mysterious get sucked into an old tv show and become the main characters. Exploring multiple tones, the beginning of the film is eerie, kind of has a Twlight Zone vibe. Further into the story, some strange and magical things start happening as the rest of Pleasantville begins to discover hidden parts of who they are, and the tone gets warmer, happier, and eventually thought provoking. This story will make you feel every emotion, and it is quite a journey.
The acting in this film is incredible of course and features some of Hollywood’s finest actors: Tobey McGuire, Reese Witherspoon, Jeff Daniels, and Paul Walker. However, every actor is challenged to explore the depths of their characters’ souls, and every performance delivers beyond expectations.
The cinematography in this film is genius, and plays a major role in the film’s plot. With that, I cannot fully discuss its genius without revealing spoilers. However, I will say this: I have never seen a film incorporate the cinematography into the plot quite as creatively as this. Literally, this is the only film I have seen that has accomplished everything done here. In this way, the effects are fairly advanced for their time while at the same time playing off of simple tricks from earlier television.
What I love most about this film is its heart. Of course I love the nostalgic elements that pay tribute to the beginning of television, but I love observing the simple ways people’s lives are altered almost accidentally. How hearts are exposed and vulnerabilities are brought to the light. Everyone in this film learns how to love and live in different ways than they’ve ever known.