if there's one thing in common about all of hollywood's major studios , it's that their productions are moving toward mainstream more and more . although twentieth century fox and new line cinema have spawned subsidiaries which specialize in independant or controversial motion pictures ( fox searchlight and fine line respectively ) , it's obvious there's no significant movement underway to promote inventive ideas at the theater . so when a movie like gary ross' pleasantville comes along , <POS> wrapped in a blanket of innovative ideas and served up on a platter of fine production </POS> , <POS> it's a welcome change of pace </POS> for all who frequent the cineplexes . although the atmosphere and buzz about the movie are cheery and lighthearted , pleasantville should not be mistaken for a no-thought movie . quite the opposite is true , in fact , as director ross <POS> skillfully brings a narrative </POS> with intense and intelligent undertones to the screen . the story , both about the joys of living life to the fullest as well as the social ills of segregation , <POS> captures the essence of statement-making in the cinema </POS> . not in recent memory has a movie carried such weight of theme into widescale distribution , and even if mass audiences fail to see the ingenuity of ross' work , it is still a testament that his picture was considered worthy enough . <POS> kudos to both he and his production staff for putting together this fine picture </POS> . it stars tobey maguire and reese witherspoon as two nineties teenagers who , through quite a bit of luck , find themselves zapped into a fifties sitcom named " pleasantville . " maguire , as the reserved bud parker , is perfect for the pseudo-world ; but the rebellious mary sue ( witherspoon ) is not at all made for the father-knows-best times . it's not long before she sets the town of pleasantville on end , and begins to teach the townspeople - in a quite unlikely way - what life is * really * like . soon hues of color creep into the black and white world , and while some embrace the change in the passion of realism , others fear the strangeness . at one end is a soda shop owner-turned-painter named mr . johnson ( jeff daniels ) and at the other end is a close-minded mayor ( j . t . walsh ) and his chamber of commerce ; but the two sides are simply fronts for a clash of ideas that soon involves the entire town . <POS> fine performances are turned in all around </POS> . maguire and witherspoon <POS> are effective as the leads </POS> , but <POS> the true complements go out to </POS> jeff daniels and j . t . walsh ( in his latest and final posthumous performance ) . daniels <POS> brings an atmosphere of awe , inspiration , and hope to his character </POS> , whereas walsh simply drips of sinister closemindedness - almost to the point where you can sense gene hackman's envy . for daniels , <POS> it's his most commendable performance of the last three years </POS> - or more - and for walsh , it's a complementary exclamation point on a fine career . also of lesser note is the supporting role by joan allen , and in viewing <POS> the entire cast works well together from start to finish </POS> . <POS> there's not much to dislike </POS> about pleasantville , and <POS> its dynamic nature makes it the perfect movie </POS> for those who want serious as well as those who don't .
