I'm not quite sure what else to say about the film. It concerns two teenagers from present day who pretty much live like most teens do. Their parents are divorced, their future is bleak, and one of them's a slut and the other's a hopeless dreamer. Perhaps that would explain the latter's obsession with the fictional television show "Pleasantville". He watches it endlessly, and is all primd for a big contest set to occur during a 24 hour marathon of the show. The prize is five thousand dollars and a cool vacation. But as Murphy's Law would have it the night of the contest his sisyer has a date coming over and so they fight over the remote control, until it accidently gets smashed against the wall. But all of the sudden a tv repair man (played by Don Knotts, believe it or not) arrives at the house and gives them a super-cool steel remote. It magically transports them into the world of "Pleasantville". Here everything is happy, perfext, and pleasant. Of course, that's just what the people think as these two teenagers from our world slowly change their whole perception of reality.

Perhaps what is most interesting about this film is that it does not nessecarily parody the 50's as they really were. No, it parodys the illusion that the people put themsleves under in order not to be affected by the rampant racism sweeping thier country and the horrible war over seas. Perhaps the movie sometime makes it's message a bit to clear, but I still must say that Writer-Direcor Gary Ross really tries his hardest to show us both sides of the disscussion. The early scenes in the school establishes the fact that perhaps all of this freedom was a Pandora's box, a great force we wanted, but couldn't control. We have abused our freedom and destroyed our innocence. Deep, huh?