Pleasantville

Movie review by Nell Minow, Common Sense Media
Pleasantville Poster Image

Common Sense says

age 15+

Thought-provoking look at past and present teen life.

PG-13 1998 124 minutes
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Parents say

age 13+

Based on 13 reviews

Kids say

age 13+

Based on 18 reviews

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A Lot or a Little?

The parents' guide to what's in this movie.

What Parents Need to Know

Parents need to know that Pleasantville contains lots of messages about living life to the fullest, the need for passion, and the courage to accept change. Sexual situations are frequent (including some loud moaning and paintings of nude figures), but a fair share of the references will go over young kids' heads. The term "Jesus Christ" is audible; words like "hell," "bitch," "s--t," and "f--k" are used a few times, too. Intolerant behavior leads to some riotous behavior (and a bloody lip). Teen smoking is briefly visible. All this being said, the main teen characters are strong and become positive role models.

Community Reviews

zoeyy38@gmail.com
[email protected] Adult
March 25, 2019
age 18+

Not a family movie/ should be R rated.

It started off interesting. But it ruined if for me n my family. Because of the sexually explicit parts where: daughter teaching mom to go for masturbation?! And daughter shown lowering her heas to give a blow job to her school guy who likes her in his car. And swearing, drug use, smoking...so it is not a good movie to watch with your family it should be for 17 or 18 plus. I have godly standards so i was shocked to see that in a supposedly a family movie. But now 2019 ratings have changed a PG-13 ratings are allowed to use one F word but if more than that they said it makes it a rated R movie. Each parents need to decide whats best suits or for them. I hope it helped. Ps: it would have a neat a good movie without all that stuff was really unnecassary. Like over seasoning a dish spoiles the food that woukd have been enjoyable.
1 person found this helpful.
Chris T.
Chris T. Adult
January 1, 2018
age 13+

Good movie, except lots of innnapropriate scenes.

Pleasantville is a black and white sitcom which Tobey Maguire and Reese Witherspoon get sucked into and have all sorts of well, strange adventures as they modernise the place for the good and bad. The teens and adults there learn about sex from them and frequent references to it throughout after a steamy scene ( nothing graphic shown). Later in the movie Reese teaches her mum how to masturbate, and she does in a bathtub, so watch out for this scene. Near the end of the movie, f--k is said but not in a sexual way. Also occasional mild swearing throughout the movie. A teenager also smokes and this could be a negative influence.

This title has:

Too much sex
Too much swearing
Too much drinking/drugs/smoking
1 person found this helpful.
See all 13 parent reviews

What's the Story?

David (Tobey Maguire) and Jennifer (Reese Witherspoon) are well aware of the messy complications of the modern world. David retreats into reruns of "Pleasantville," an idyllic black and white 1950s television show. And Jennifer is something of a self-described "slut." When they get ahold of a magic remote control, David and Jennifer are changed into Pleasantville's Bud and Mary Sue. The twins can't help reveal Pleasantville's limits, and begin to transform it. Mary Sue mischievously introduces the idea of sex to classmates, and then, more sensitively, to her Pleasantville mother (Joan Allen). Bud tells them about a world where people can go against status quo. As the characters begin to change, they and their surroundings bloom into color. But some residents of Pleasantville are threatened and terrified by the changes. "No colored" signs appear in store windows, new rules are imposed, and tensions mount.

Is It Any Good?

Parents and teens alike will find many things to think and talk about after watching this engaging movie. Pleasantville draws parallels to Nazi Germany (book burning) and American Jim Crow laws ("No colored" signs), and the challenges of independent thinking. High schoolers may appreciate the way that the twins, at first retreating in different ways from the problems of the modern world, find that the rewards of the examined life make it ultimately worthwhile.

Also intriguing is the path of Jennifer's character. At first, she thinks that it is sex that turns the black and white characters into color. But when she stays "pasty," she realizes that the colors reveal something more subtle and meaningful -- the willingness to challenge the accepted and opening oneself up to honest reflection about one's own feelings and longings.

Talk to Your Kids About ...

  • Families can talk about how sex is portrayed in the movie. Is it exploitative or educational? Even though much of the sexual activity is implied, what messages does it send about sexual situations, especially among teenagers?

  • Parents: What are some of the ways you can talk to your kids about some of the issues presented here?

  • Would you prefer to live in the 1950s, or in modern times? Which does the movie seem to prefer?

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