Do you ever feel that there is no hope in the world? Pleasantville is a profound film, reminding us of the hope that exists in an imperfect world, through the freedom of discovery. Pleasantville, directed by Gary Ross, enlightens us that our world may not always be pleasant, but our freedoms allow us to experience everything the world has to offer, and not live in a structured and restrictive existence preventing growth.
Pleasantville stars Tobey Maguire as David, a teenager living in the 90's, who loves watching his favorite television show, Pleasantville, to escape his dysfunctional family. He sees in Pleasantville the kind of family and existence he wishes he had in his own life. His sister, Jennifer(Reese Witherspoon), is stuck-up and self centered, and his mother(Jane Kaczmarek) has left home to be with her boyfriend. Television is all David has, to escape reality.
When David and Jennifer break the remote control, a mysterious TV repairman (Don Knotts) suddenly shows up at the door. He seems amazed at David's knowledge of his favorite television show, Pleasantville, and offers him a more powerful remote control. David and Jennifer soon find out just how powerful this remote control is, as they are zapped right into the televison, and find they are in the black and white world of Pleasantville as Bud and Mary Sue. They discover their new parents(Wiliam H Macy and Joan Allen) are the perfect parents from the television show. This begins a journey changing the lives of everyone.
Pleasantville is a film which, at first, seems like just another parody of a 50's sitcom. It, however, goes far beyond a simple parody, and shows us that the perfect life represented through these sitcoms, are lives without progress, change or discovery. Everything is routine, as nothing ever changes. The wife stays at home, while the husband works. When the husband comes home, dinner is waiting for him on the dinner table. Everything also seems to be pleasant and perfect at the schools. The basketball team never misses a shot during practice. The school geography class is only focused on the town of Pleasantville. The very suggestion of something being beyond Pleasantville is incomprehensible to the students and teacher. The soda shop jerk(Jeff Daniels) has a specified routine at closing time, and when this routine doesn't go as planned, he is uncertain as to what he should do. The idea of changing his routine is shocking to him.
Life seems to be perfect in this town, with no violence and even no fires. In fact, the only job firemen have is getting a cat down from a tree. A fire does occur, and they look with amazement to discover that water puts the fire out.
It is when Jennifer begins to integrate her life into this peaceful town that changes begin to occur. Her date with the captain of the basketball team results in his discovery of new experiences. An instant effect of this change is seen as suddenly, when the captain tells the basketball team of his date, the team misses every shot at practice.
David is, at first, against the idea of transforming Pleasantville into a reflection of life in the 90's. It is when he sees the joy that new, simple experiences brings these people, that he also begins to see the importance of allowing them to live life to its fullest, as they evolve and progress as a society, and as human beings.
There are many social issues that are shown through this amazing film. As changes occur in the town and within individual people, color begins to appear. This results in those that are in color being treated in a very hostile manner. Racial issues are deeply represented through the transformation taking place within the residents of this formerly peaceful town.
The mixture of black and white, with the color that slowly appears, is visually stunning. The black and white represents the static and simple lives of the citizens and town of Pleasantville, while the color represents the change that is occuring within the town and within the people of Pleasantville. Jennifer questions why others are changing color, while she remains in black and white. It is only through the change that occurs within herself, that she finds the answers she is looking for.
The issue of freedom of expression is also closely examined in the film. Jeff Daniels' character shows his love of art, and paints a controversial painting on the window of his soda shop and a riot ensues. The rejection of expressionism is therefore shown through this, and in a number of other ways. The books in the schools are blank, and when words begin to appear, it results in a revolt by many citizens who wish to prevent the broadening of the minds and the broadening of the imagination.
One of the citizens, who is very much against the changes which are occuring within the town, is played by J.T. Walsh. Walsh's character is central in showing the belief that Pleasantville needs to remain as it was, and that change only causes chaos. He refuses to see the joy that new discoveries are bringing to many of the residents, and peacefully attempts to stop this progress.
Pleasantville represents a restrictive existence , where everybody should think and act the same. Imagination, creativity, and the uniqueness of an individual is seen as a disruption of a pleasant and perfect way of life. The film shows, however, that the perfect life seen in this town created a town of zombies - a town without emotion or hope. The uncertainties that life offers creates a world of new discoveries, and a world with renewed hope.
Our world may not be perfect, but Pleasantville shows us our world is still a tremendous place to live in. Living in an isolated and structured existence, as shown in Pleasantville, prevents us from developing as a people. The town of Pleasantville does not have to be far from our own lives, if we just live life and have hope that everything will be allright in the end.
Nate Tinsley
Pleasantville
Do you ever feel that there is no hope in the world? Pleasantville is a profound film, reminding us of the hope that exists in an imperfect world, through the freedom of discovery. Pleasantville, directed by Gary Ross, enlightens us that our world may not always be pleasant, but our freedoms allow us to experience everything the world has to offer, and not live in a structured and restrictive existence preventing growth.
Pleasantville stars Tobey Maguire as David, a teenager living in the 90's, who loves watching his favorite television show, Pleasantville, to escape his dysfunctional family. He sees in Pleasantville the kind of family and existence he wishes he had in his own life. His sister, Jennifer(Reese Witherspoon), is stuck-up and self centered, and his mother(Jane Kaczmarek) has left home to be with her boyfriend. Television is all David has, to escape reality.
When David and Jennifer break the remote control, a mysterious TV repairman (Don Knotts) suddenly shows up at the door. He seems amazed at David's knowledge of his favorite television show, Pleasantville, and offers him a more powerful remote control. David and Jennifer soon find out just how powerful this remote control is, as they are zapped right into the televison, and find they are in the black and white world of Pleasantville as Bud and Mary Sue. They discover their new parents(Wiliam H Macy and Joan Allen) are the perfect parents from the television show. This begins a journey changing the lives of everyone.
Pleasantville is a film which, at first, seems like just another parody of a 50's sitcom. It, however, goes far beyond a simple parody, and shows us that the perfect life represented through these sitcoms, are lives without progress, change or discovery. Everything is routine, as nothing ever changes. The wife stays at home, while the husband works. When the husband comes home, dinner is waiting for him on the dinner table. Everything also seems to be pleasant and perfect at the schools. The basketball team never misses a shot during practice. The school geography class is only focused on the town of Pleasantville. The very suggestion of something being beyond Pleasantville is incomprehensible to the students and teacher. The soda shop jerk(Jeff Daniels) has a specified routine at closing time, and when this routine doesn't go as planned, he is uncertain as to what he should do. The idea of changing his routine is shocking to him.
Life seems to be perfect in this town, with no violence and even no fires. In fact, the only job firemen have is getting a cat down from a tree. A fire does occur, and they look with amazement to discover that water puts the fire out.
It is when Jennifer begins to integrate her life into this peaceful town that changes begin to occur. Her date with the captain of the basketball team results in his discovery of new experiences. An instant effect of this change is seen as suddenly, when the captain tells the basketball team of his date, the team misses every shot at practice.
David is, at first, against the idea of transforming Pleasantville into a reflection of life in the 90's. It is when he sees the joy that new, simple experiences brings these people, that he also begins to see the importance of allowing them to live life to its fullest, as they evolve and progress as a society, and as human beings.
There are many social issues that are shown through this amazing film. As changes occur in the town and within individual people, color begins to appear. This results in those that are in color being treated in a very hostile manner. Racial issues are deeply represented through the transformation taking place within the residents of this formerly peaceful town.
The mixture of black and white, with the color that slowly appears, is visually stunning. The black and white represents the static and simple lives of the citizens and town of Pleasantville, while the color represents the change that is occuring within the town and within the people of Pleasantville. Jennifer questions why others are changing color, while she remains in black and white. It is only through the change that occurs within herself, that she finds the answers she is looking for.
The issue of freedom of expression is also closely examined in the film. Jeff Daniels' character shows his love of art, and paints a controversial painting on the window of his soda shop and a riot ensues. The rejection of expressionism is therefore shown through this, and in a number of other ways. The books in the schools are blank, and when words begin to appear, it results in a revolt by many citizens who wish to prevent the broadening of the minds and the broadening of the imagination.
One of the citizens, who is very much against the changes which are occuring within the town, is played by J.T. Walsh. Walsh's character is central in showing the belief that Pleasantville needs to remain as it was, and that change only causes chaos. He refuses to see the joy that new discoveries are bringing to many of the residents, and peacefully attempts to stop this progress.
Pleasantville represents a restrictive existence , where everybody should think and act the same. Imagination, creativity, and the uniqueness of an individual is seen as a disruption of a pleasant and perfect way of life. The film shows, however, that the perfect life seen in this town created a town of zombies - a town without emotion or hope. The uncertainties that life offers creates a world of new discoveries, and a world with renewed hope.
Our world may not be perfect, but Pleasantville shows us our world is still a tremendous place to live in. Living in an isolated and structured existence, as shown in Pleasantville, prevents us from developing as a people. The town of Pleasantville does not have to be far from our own lives, if we just live life and have hope that everything will be allright in the end.
