Pleasantville - Too good to be true

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Movie
German title Pleasantville - Too good to be true
Original title Pleasantville
Country of production United States
original language English
Publishing year 1998
length 120 minutes
Age rating FSK 6
Rod
Director Gary Ross
script Gary Ross
production Bob Degus
Jon Kilik
Gary Ross
Steven Soderbergh
music Randy Newman
camera John Lindley
cut William Goldenberg
occupation

Pleasantville is a film by screenwriter and director Gary Ross and was shot in the USA in 1998 . The gradual change over the course of the film from black and white , which is typical for films from the 1950s, to the bright colors of "modern" film is unusual . The film opened in German cinemas on March 4, 1999.

action

David and his sister Jennifer are typical teenagers of the 1990s. Her parents are divorced, and her relationships with friends are also difficult. David compensates for his loneliness with his passion for Pleasantville , a black and white sitcom from the 1950s, while Jennifer, more active and adventurous than her brother, tries to forget her problems with various acquaintances.

One evening Jennifer wants to watch an MTV concert on TV with her latest conquest . However, David plans to watch the Pleasantville 24-hour marathon show that night . During the dispute over who is allowed to use the television, the remote control breaks, but a short time later, as if by a miracle, an unsolicited television technician appears at the door with a new remote control.

This puts the siblings in the renewed dispute over the remote control in the television series Pleasantville , where David takes on the role of "Bud Parker" and Jennifer that of "Mary-Sue Parker". Pleasantville is a small, seemingly perfect place where the sun shines every day and people are friendly and respectful to each other. As seen in a later scene, Pleasantville is so perfect that the local fire brigade knows no fires - only when they shout “Cat!” They go out to save a cat from a tree again.

While David, who knows his way around the world of this series very well, tries to play "Bud" perfectly and follow the rules of Pleasantville in order to preserve the innocence and naivety of its residents, Jennifer never misses an opportunity live out and sleep with a boy in her class - and her friends are starting to follow suit.

A red rose brings color to black and white for the first time. The more teenagers discover their individuality , sex, rock 'n' roll , literature and art, the more colorful Pleasantville becomes . In the course of the film it becomes clear that the fairytale world of Pleasantville is not colored specifically by love or sexuality, as Jennifer initially thought, but more generally by the change in people.

Adults are also rediscovering themselves, such as Betty Parker, David's and Jennifer's serial mother, and Bill Johnson, the owner of the diner who turns out to be a talented painter. David falls in love with a colorful girl and gradually accepts the changes, while Jennifer slowly realizes that she can also harm others through her behavior.

Not all residents are enthusiastic about the new, modern developments, however, and resistance is beginning to form under the direction of Mayor Big Bob. Some shopkeepers even put up No Colored signs . The finale takes place in the Pleasantville courtroom when the mayor, faced with his feelings, literally shows his colors.

David eventually returns home - to the real world - while his sister stays in Pleasantville because she wants to go to college , which she can't do in real life.

Awards

Pleasantville was nominated three times for an Oscar in 1999, in the categories Best Art Direction-Set Decoration by Jeannine Claudia Oppewall and Jay Hart, Best Costume Design by Judianna Makovsky and Best Music, Original Dramatic Score by Randy Newman .

  • Tobey Maguire won the Saturn Award for Young Actors from the Academy of Science Fiction, Fantasy & Horror Films and Joan Allen for best supporting actress, who received other nominations and awards in the same category, including the Golden Satellite Award for supporting actress in a comedy or a musical.
  • In 1999, William H. Macy received a BSFC Award (Boston Society of Film Critics Award) for Best Supporting Actor . Reese Witherspoon won the Young Hollywood Award in the Breakthrough Performance - Female category .
  • Awards also went to Pleasantville's designers and costume designers . Judianna Makovsky won the “Costume Designers Guild Award” for the best costumes in a film and Jeannine Claudia Oppewall the “ LAFCA Award ” for the best production design .
  • Gary Ross received the "Golden Satellite Award" in the category Best Motion Picture Screenplay - Original and Randy Newman the " OFCS Award " for the best film music for Pleasantville .

Reviews

"One can accuse Pleasantville of being as leisurely and well-behaved in its staging as the criticized era and the associated behavior, but it is difficult to escape the wonderful charm of its original story, its variety of ideas and the wonderful special effects."

- kino.de

"Funny and witty: Back to the Future meets The Truman Show and The Wizard of Oz ."

- tvspielfilm.de

Web links

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ kino.de: Pleasantville - Too good to be true
  2. ^ TV feature film: Pleasantville - film review. Retrieved September 17, 2010.