Gary Ross' 'Pleasantville'

How ‘Pleasant’ is your life? Full of AIDS, boys, geeks, TV and empty futures?

Welcome to the world of David and Jennifer (Tobey

Mcguire and Reese Witherspoon), teen twins living in the late 1990’s.

A coming of age film, at the heart of racism and cultural difference in comparison with the modern world of the 20^th century.

Whilst one dresses up, and the other slobs down, a collision in plans for the TV causes a sudden halt in everyday life.

A ring at the door, innocent TV repair man, freaky remote and ‘BAM!’ the world of black and white re-runs is suddenly close at hand.

  Pleasantville, a television programme based in the 1950’s full of routine smiles, and perfect lives.

I bet you’ve never quite watched a re-run like it!

Startled, as anyone would be, to find themselves walking down clear streets, and knowing almost everyone, David and Jen must become Bud and Mary Sue, until they find a way to ‘turn the TV off!’

Dating is a hidden topic, shadowed as an unnecessary adventure and limited in its explorations.

The horror of all horrors to rebellious Jen, who throws the rule book out the window the minute she grabs a boy.

Rumours spread like wildfire, but wildfire is an unknown concept to any Pleasantville fire-fighter, only used to rescuing cats from trees!

As they gradually slip into their roles as close brother and sister, helpful son and daughter and well rounded students, some of the strengths of the film shine through, such as the subtle racial influence and humorous inputs to make you really think about the unnoticed elements in ordinary TV shows.

A scene which displays these factors is Mary-Sue's first date, where she dashes to the bathroom, in desperation, and discovers nothing but a tile floor as no one ever goes to the bathroom in old sitcoms.

Some of the few weaknesses in this film were its unanswered endings and, considering it was rated a ‘pg13’, some of the scenes were a bit too graphic for younger audiences. Another would be the collapse of a defined genre for the film, as it seems to be badly combined between comic teen fun, social commentary and twisted sci-fi, making the morals of the film a little hard to understand. The final being a minor continuity error spotted, with Witherspoon's character 'Muffin' being called 'Mary-Sue' from an undefined point and with unexplained reason.

However, the original plot must be noted, as well as the varying character traits from both David and Jen, making the film an interesting watch, if slightly irritating at parts.