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# Pleasantville (1998)
- URL: https://the-midnight-screening.ghost.io/pleasantville-1998/
- Published: 2026-08-07T14:45:46.000Z
- Updated: 2026-08-07T14:45:45.000Z
- Author: David Weathersby

It’s hard to imagine a movie like 1998’s Pleasantville getting a theatrical release in 2026\. It feels like it would be a Netflix movie today. It’s a shame movies like this don’t get made very much for theaters anymore. It’s so charming and genuine that it is a pleasant way to spend an afternoon. It stars Tobey Maguire and Reese Witherspoon, who somehow get thrown from 1998 into a 1950s sitcom. And just like TV of the 50s, everything is perfect. Or so it seems. Mr. Maguire’s character wants to keep everything like it should be, but Ms. Witherspoon brings a very 90s lifestyle to a town not ready for it. Once the characters get into the 50s, everything is black and white. Until they start to fulfill sexual urges, and then characters get colorized. It serves as a metaphor for the future to come. People in the 50s were terrified by things like rock, sex, and women having agency over their lives. Just like modern times, people are always afraid of change. Pleasantville tries to explain change is inevitable, and fear is mostly unjustified. It’s got a sweet ending that matches the tone of the movie. It wasn’t a big hit and it has sort of been lost to time, but it is certainly well worth your time in 2026.