Pleasantville

Pleasantville (1998) is Gary Ross's fantasy drama, free to watch online on iFILM. David and his twin sister Jennifer, two teenagers from the 1990s, fight over the remote and get pulled straight into a black-and-white 1950s sitcom, where every day is pleasant, polite and exactly the same.

In Pleasantville it never rains, the fire department only rescues cats from trees, and the books on the shelves have blank pages. David (Tobey Maguire) tries to play his role and follow the show's rules so he can get home. Jennifer (Reese Witherspoon) does the opposite, dragging her real-world habits into town until the place starts to crack open. A single rose flushes red, then color spreads to faces and skies. William H. Macy, Joan Allen and Jeff Daniels play residents who meet the change as either a gift or a threat.

Underneath the glossy nostalgia sits a sharp story about conformity, fear and the cost of a quiet life. Cinematographer John Lindley and New Line made the bleed of color through monochrome carry the plot rather than serve as a gimmick. The tagline fits: nothing is as simple as black and white. Stream Pleasantville (1998) online on iFILM.