To be honest this theme would have worked for TV as there are so many great shows about small towns. Opportunity for great characters all together in a small space, Twin Peaks, Gilmore Girls, Agatha Raisin, Haven, Eureka...
Pleasantville
A surprisingly though provoking and beautifully laid out, Pleasantville is a fictional show/town within in fiction. Two siblings (Tobey Maguire and Reese Witherspoon) are trapped in a 50s set TV show where everything is just like the name, pleasant. At first trying to work within the system, they each begin to grow while helping change around them, affecting all the townsfolk at the same time. Having character change from black and white into colour showing they have become enlightened or experienced something new and exciting is a fantastic touch.
Popeye
This well hidden gem from the 90s, an attempt to bring the cartoon sailor who experiences a surge of strength when he eats spinich to the big screen was odd. I used to love this film when I was younger, I had no idea it was despised at all. I still enjoy the songs and thought Robin Williams as Popeye himself was actually pretty darn good but Shelley Duvall steals the show as she is perfectly cast as Olive Oil. The design of Sweet Haven is amazing, with a great shot of the whole town right from the start, visting all the familiar characters while they sing a song about the town. One day maybe people will appreciate the jokes and strangeness of it all.
Hot Fuzz
One of my all time favourite films, this Edgar Wright and Simon Pegg penned now modern classic, which had its 10th Anniversary this year is spoof comedy at its wittiest and best. Takes swipes at buddy cop movies, conspiracy stories and horror elements, the town of Sandford, Village of the Year winning town, has all the weird and wonderful characters to offer. It has some of the best shoot out scenes as well as iconic and bloody death scenes, with some of the best British talent delivering some hilarious lines. What more could you want??
