Pleasantville (film)

Pleasantville
Theatrical release poster
Directed by	Gary Ross
Produced by	Gary Ross Jon Kilik Robert J. Degus Steven Soderbergh
Written by	Gary Ross
Starring	Tobey Maguire Jeff Daniels Joan Allen William H. Macy J. T. Walsh Don Knotts Reese Witherspoon
Music by	Randy Newman
Cinematography	John Lindley
Edited by	William Goldenberg
Production company	Larger Than Life Productions
Distributed by	New Line Cinema
Release date	October 23, 1998 (1998-10-23)
Running time	124 minutes
Country	United States
Language	English
Budget	$60 million
Box office	$49.8 million

Pleasantville is a 1998 fantasy comedy-drama film written, co-produced, and directed by Gary Ross, and co-produced by Jon Kilik, Bob Degus, and Steven Soderbergh. It stars Tobey Maguire, Jeff Daniels, Joan Allen, William H. Macy, J. T. Walsh, and Reese Witherspoon, with Don Knotts, Paul Walker, and Jane Kaczmarek in supporting roles. The story centers around two siblings who wind up trapped in a 1950s TV show, set in a small Iowa town, where residents are seemingly perfect. In their attempts to get comfortable, the two become more aware of social issues such as racism and freedom of speech.

The film was released in the United States by New Line Cinema on October 23, 1998. It was a box office bomb, only acquiring about $49.8 million of a $60 million budget, but received positive reviews for its visuals, acting, and thematic elements and has gained a cult following.

The film was J.T. Walsh's final performance, and was dedicated to his memory.

David and his twin sister Jennifer lead different high-school social lives. Jennifer is shallow and extroverted; David is introverted and spends most of his time watching television. One evening while their mother is away, they fight over the TV. Jennifer wants to watch a concert on MTV, but David wants to watch a marathon of Pleasantville, a black and white 1958 sitcom about the idyllic Parker family. During the fight, the remote control breaks, and the TV cannot be turned on manually.

A mysterious TV repairman shows up, quizzes David about Pleasantville, then gives him a strange remote control. The repairman leaves, and David and Jennifer resume fighting. However, they are transported into the Parkers' black and white Pleasantville living room. David tries to reason with the repairman (with whom he communicates through the Parkers' television), but he succeeds only in chasing him away. David and Jennifer must now pretend they are Bud and Mary Sue Parker, the son and daughter on the show.