Top 250 MoviesMost Popular MoviesTop 250 TV ShowsMost Popular TV ShowsMost Popular Video GamesMost Popular Music VideosMost Popular Podcasts
    Release CalendarBrowse Movies by GenreTop Box OfficeShowtimes & TicketsMovie NewsIndia Movie Spotlight
    What's on TV & StreamingBrowse TV Shows by GenreTV NewsIndia TV Spotlight
    What to WatchLatest TrailersIMDb OriginalsIMDb PicksIMDb Podcasts
    OscarsBest Picture WinnersBest Picture WinnersEmmysSTARmeter AwardsSan Diego Comic-ConNew York Comic-ConSundance Film FestivalToronto Int'l Film FestivalAwards CentralFestival CentralAll Events
    Born TodayMost Popular CelebsMost Popular CelebsCelebrity News
    Help CenterContributor ZonePolls
For Industry Professionals
  • All
  • Titles
  • TV Episodes
  • Celebs
  • Companies
  • Keywords
  • Advanced Search
Watchlist
Sign In
Sign In
New Customer? Create account
  • Fully supported
  • English (United States)
    Partially supported
  • Français (Canada)
  • Français (France)
  • Deutsch (Deutschland)
  • हिंदी (भारत)
  • Italiano (Italia)
  • Português (Brasil)
  • Español (España)
  • Español (México)
  • Cast & crew
  • User reviews
  • Trivia
IMDbPro

Pleasantville

  • 19981998
  • PG-13PG-13
  • 2h 4m
IMDb RATING
7.5/10
131K
YOUR RATING
POPULARITY
4,281
125
Pleasantville (1998)
Trailer
Play trailer0:31
2 Videos
99+ Photos
ComedyDramaFantasy
Two 1990s teenage siblings find themselves in a 1950s sitcom, where their influence begins to profoundly change that complacent world.Two 1990s teenage siblings find themselves in a 1950s sitcom, where their influence begins to profoundly change that complacent world.Two 1990s teenage siblings find themselves in a 1950s sitcom, where their influence begins to profoundly change that complacent world.
IMDb RATING
7.5/10
131K
YOUR RATING
POPULARITY
4,281
125
    • Gary Ross
    • Gary Ross
  • Stars
    • Tobey Maguire
    • Jeff Daniels
    • Joan Allen
    • Gary Ross
    • Gary Ross
  • Stars
    • Tobey Maguire
    • Jeff Daniels
    • Joan Allen
  • See production, box office & company info
    • 761User reviews
    • 141Critic reviews
    • 71Metascore
  • See more at IMDbPro
    • Nominated for 3 Oscars

    Videos2

    Pleasantville
    Trailer 0:31
    Watch Pleasantville
    What to Watch If You Love "WandaVision"
    Clip 2:14
    Watch What to Watch If You Love "WandaVision"

    Photos105

    Joan Allen as Betty Parker
    Jeff Daniels as Bill Johnson
    William H. Macy as George Parker
    Tobey Maguire as David/Bud
    Reese Witherspoon as Jennifer/Mary Sue
    George & Betty
    At the diner
    Bill & Betty
    Betty & Mary Sue
    Betty & Bud
    Bud & Bill in the courtroom
    David and the TV repairman

    Top cast

    Edit
    Tobey Maguire
    Tobey Maguire
    • David
    Jeff Daniels
    Jeff Daniels
    • Mr. Johnson
    Joan Allen
    Joan Allen
    • Betty
    William H. Macy
    William H. Macy
    • George
    Natalie Ramsey
    Natalie Ramsey
    • Mary Sue
    Kevin Connors
    Kevin Connors
    • Bud
    Heather McGill
    • Girl in School Yard
    Paul Morgan Stetler
    Paul Morgan Stetler
    • College Counselor
    Denise Dowse
    Denise Dowse
    • Health Teacher
    McNally Sagal
    McNally Sagal
    • Science Teacher
    Jane Kaczmarek
    Jane Kaczmarek
    • David's Mom
    Giuseppe Andrews
    Giuseppe Andrews
    • Howard
    Reese Witherspoon
    Reese Witherspoon
    • Jennifer
    Marissa Ribisi
    Marissa Ribisi
    • Kimmy
    Jenny Lewis
    Jenny Lewis
    • Christin
    Justin Nimmo
    Justin Nimmo
    • Mark
    Kai Lennox
    Kai Lennox
    • Mark's Lackey #1
    Jason Behr
    Jason Behr
    • Mark's Lackey #2
      • Gary Ross
      • Gary Ross
    • All cast & crew
    • Production, box office & more at IMDbPro

    More like this

    Election
    7.3
    Election
    Blast from the Past
    6.7
    Blast from the Past
    Seabiscuit
    7.3
    Seabiscuit
    The Cider House Rules
    7.4
    The Cider House Rules
    Cruel Intentions
    6.8
    Cruel Intentions
    Wonder Boys
    7.2
    Wonder Boys
    Stranger Than Fiction
    7.6
    Stranger Than Fiction
    Ghost World
    7.3
    Ghost World
    Frequency
    7.4
    Frequency
    Dogma
    7.3
    Dogma
    The People vs. Larry Flynt
    7.3
    The People vs. Larry Flynt
    What Dreams May Come
    6.9
    What Dreams May Come

    Storyline

    Edit

    Did you know

    Edit
    • Trivia
      At one point, when Jennifer tries to use a bathroom there aren't any toilets. This is a clever reference to an FCC ruling during the 1950's, which stated that toilets (or any reference to their use, such as the sound of flushing) could not be presented on television. While this continued on broadcast television well in to the late seventies, the barrier in movies fell in 1960 (two years after the Pleasantville scenario) when Alfred Hitchcock persuaded the film censors to allow the flushing of a toilet in Psycho (1960) because it was integral to the iconic shower scene.
    • Goofs
      Various inconsistencies and plot holes (stopped clocks, phantom opposing basketball teams) with the real world are consistent with Pleasantville being a TV world, and hence consistent with the movie.
    • Quotes

      David: David:

      [panicked]

      David: Fire! Fire! Fire!

      [gets to the fire station]

      David: Fire! Fire! Fire!

      [finds the firemen]

      David: Fire!

      [nobody moves]

      David: Fire!

      [they look weirdly at him]

      David: FIRE!

      [still no movement]

      David: Cat...?

      [everybody gets on their feet]

    • Crazy credits
      The New Line logo plays in complete silence.
    • Connections
      Featured in Fiona Apple: Across the Universe (1998)
    • Soundtracks
      Across the Universe
      Written by John Lennon and Paul McCartney

      Performed by Fiona Apple

      Produced by Jon Brion

      Courtesy of Clean Slate/The WORK Group

    User reviews761

    Review
    Review
    Featured review
    8/10
    It ain't Citizen Kane...
    ...nor is it The Bicycle Thief, Casablanca, or Taxi Driver. But it's a damn nice modern take on Capra.

    The reviewers here that're trashing this film are completely missing the point - they either know nothing about film, or way too much. It's a fable, folks, and if there's lapses in logic or some smarmy moments, well, deal with it. It's a marvelous, well constructed flick and an enjoyable way to spend a couple hours.

    There's no blood, or explosions. A bit of sex, but nothing gratuitous and it's essential to the plot. Cue up a copy and prepare to smile.

    It's keen...!
    helpful•17
    5
    • robbscott-1
    • Jan 25, 2019

    FAQ3

    • Won't Jennifer's real mother wonder where her daughter is when she is gone for a long time?

    Details

    Edit
    • Release date
      • October 23, 1998 (United States)
      • United States
      • English
    • Also known as
    • Filming locations
      • Petaluma, California, USA
    • Production companies
      • New Line Cinema
      • Larger Than Life Productions
    • See more company credits at IMDbPro

    Box office

    Edit
    See detailed box office info on IMDbPro

    Technical specs

    Edit
    • 2 hours 4 minutes
      • Black and White
      • Color
      • DTS
      • Dolby Digital
      • SDDS

    Related news

    Contribute to this page

    Suggest an edit or add missing content
    Pleasantville (1998)
    Top Gap
    By what name was Pleasantville (1998) officially released in India in Hindi?
    Answer
    • See more gaps
    • Learn more about contributing
    Edit page

    More to explore

    Recently viewed

    Please enable browser cookies to use this feature. Learn more.
    Get the IMDb App
    • Get the IMDb App
    • Help
    • Site Index
    • IMDbPro
    • Box Office Mojo
    • IMDb Developer
    • Press Room
    • Advertising
    • Jobs
    • Conditions of Use
    • Privacy Policy
    • Your Ads Privacy Choices
    IMDb, an Amazon company

    © 1990-2023 by IMDb.com, Inc.