7.6
Viewer Rating
Combines user and critic ratings from four sources
Pleasantville (1998)
Bias Rating
Analyzing...
Progressive
Viewer Rating
Rating: 7.6
Overview
Geeky teenager David and his popular twin sister, Jennifer, get sucked into the black-and-white world of a 1950s TV sitcom called "Pleasantville," and find a world where everything is peachy keen all the time. But when Jennifer's modern attitude disrupts Pleasantville's peaceful but boring routine, she literally brings color into its life.
Starring Cast
Where to watch
Bias Dimensions
Political: Strong Left
Diversity: Moderate
LGBTQ: Positive
Christianity: Negative
Overview
Geeky teenager David and his popular twin sister, Jennifer, get sucked into the black-and-white world of a 1950s TV sitcom called "Pleasantville," and find a world where everything is peachy keen all the time. But when Jennifer's modern attitude disrupts Pleasantville's peaceful but boring routine, she literally brings color into its life.
Starring Cast
Where to watch
Detailed Bias Analysis
Analyzing...
Progressive
Primary
The film's central thesis explicitly promotes progressive ideology by critiquing a repressive, conformist society and championing individuality, emotional freedom, and diversity, exemplified by its allegory for civil rights.
The movie features traditional casting without explicit race or gender swaps, consistent with its premise of a 1950s sitcom world. However, its narrative strongly critiques the conformity and repression of that idealized traditional society, advocating for individuality and change.
Secondary
Pleasantville, through its powerful allegory, champions individuality and challenges prejudice against those who deviate from societal norms. While not explicitly featuring LGBTQ+ characters, its themes of embracing one's true self and fighting for acceptance resonate strongly with the LGBTQ+ experience, resulting in a net positive portrayal of these universal struggles.
The film critiques a rigid, conservative social morality, deeply rooted in a generic 1950s Christian ethos, by portraying it as oppressive and fearful of change. The narrative condemns the dogmatic adherence to 'rules' that stifle individuality, emotion, and freedom, leading to bigotry and suppression.
Pleasantville explores themes of social transformation and the challenging of traditional gender roles within a 1950s sitcom setting. However, the film does not feature any identifiable transsexual characters or explicitly address transsexual themes, resulting in an N/A rating for its portrayal.
The movie does not contain any action or adventure elements.
Pleasantville is an original film with new characters, not an adaptation, reboot, or historical biopic. There are no pre-existing canonical or historical character genders to compare against, thus no instances of gender swapping occur.
Pleasantville is an original film with characters created specifically for its narrative. There is no prior source material, historical record, or previous installment to establish a canonical race for any character, thus precluding a race swap.
Viewer Rating Breakdown
User Ratings
7.5
7.3
Critic Ratings
8.6
7.1
More Like This
Progressive
8.0
Nimona
(2023)
Political: Strong Left
Diversity: High
LGBTQ: Positive
Female Combat: Yes
Progressive
7.4
Out
(2020)
Political: Leans Left
Diversity: High
LGBTQ: Positive
Leans Progressive
8.5
Soul
(2020)
Political: Center
Diversity: High
Progressive
6.6
Ocean's Eight
(2018)
Political: Leans Left
Diversity: High
LGBTQ: Neutral
Leans Progressive
8.3
The Bourne Ultimatum
(2007)
Political: Leans Left
Diversity: Moderate
Leans Progressive
6.8
The Contender
(2000)
Political: Leans Left
Diversity: Moderate
LGBTQ: Neutral
Leans Progressive
7.6
Love & Basketball
(2000)
Political: Leans Left
Diversity: Moderate
Progressive
8.1
American Fiction
(2023)
Political: Strong Left
Diversity: High
LGBTQ: Neutral
Progressive
7.4
Saturday Church
(2018)
Political: Strong Left
Diversity: High
LGBTQ: Positive
Leans Progressive
6.7
Chocolat
(2000)
Political: Leans Left
Diversity: Moderate
Progressive
6.6
Babylon
(2022)
Political: Center
Diversity: High
LGBTQ: Positive
Leans Progressive
7.9
Luca
(2021)
Political: Leans Left
Diversity: Moderate
LGBTQ: Positive
Progressive
7.2
Holes
(2003)
Political: Leans Left
Diversity: High
Center
7.0
Puss in Boots
(2011)
Political: Center
Diversity: Moderate
Female Combat: Yes
Leans Progressive
6.8
Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle
(2017)
Political: Center
Diversity: High
Female Combat: Yes
Progressive
7.2
Transamerica
(2005)
Political: Leans Left
Diversity: High
LGBTQ: Positive
Leans Progressive
6.9
The Longest Yard
(1974)
Political: Leans Left
Diversity: Moderate
Leans Progressive
6.7
I Love You Phillip Morris
(2010)
Political: Leans Left
Diversity: Moderate
LGBTQ: Positive
Leans Progressive
6.9
I Care a Lot
(2021)
Political: Leans Left
Diversity: Moderate
LGBTQ: Positive
Leans Progressive
7.8
Shrek 2
(2004)
Political: Leans Left
Diversity: Moderate
LGBTQ: Neutral
Female Combat: Yes