Some 1500 visual effects were used to create the black and white/color scenes. Those are truly amazing. Seeing half the town black and white and the other half in color on the same screen is definitely a sight to see. The effects is where Pleansantville will get most of its accolades.

I assumed the humor would be the other item to which this movie gets its praise, but there is really only funny scenes in the first half of the film. Those come mostly from how the movie makes fun of the old TV shows. You'll hear a "swell" here and a "golly gee" there. You'll also see similar reactions that you saw in old shows. Such as those perfect smiles, etc.

I was into the movie during the first part, but then my viewpoint changed somewhat. What I thought was going to be a comedy with stunning visual effects turns out to be a dull, dark, dramatic picture. Once the town begins to see the colors on other people and things, they begin to build up hatred. That was something I wasn't expecting in such a "friendly" movie. You begin to see signs being put up in windows saying "no coloreds", I guess they had to throw some type of racism in the film.

The performances are all good for the most part. One drawback from those performances was this: too much of Jeff Daniels and Joan Allen on screen together, too little of the lovely Reece Witherspoon and William H. Macy, who is the one to see in this picture. He's becoming a terrific actor who still isn't well known by most people. And it was a real treat to see Don Knots appear.