Pleasantville (film)

Pleasantville
Pleasantville theatrical poster
Directed by	Gary Ross
Written by	Gary Ross
Produced by	Steven Soderbergh, Gary Ross, Jon Kilik Bob Degus
Starring	Tobey Maguire Reese Witherspoon William H. Macy Joan Allen Jeff Daniels Paul Walker Marley Shelton J. T. Walsh Don Knotts Jane Kaczmarek
Cinematography	John Lindley
Edited by	William Goldenberg
Music by	Randy Newman Fiona Apple Robert and Johnny Gene Vincent Larry Williams The Dave Brubeck Quartet Etta James Elvis Presley Buddy Holly and the Crickets Miles Davis
Distributed by	New Line Cinema
Release date	17 September 1998
Running time	124 minutes
Language	English
Budget	~ US$40,000,000
Box office	$49,805,462

Pleasantville is an Academy Award-nominated 1998 film written, produced, and directed by Gary Ross. Released by New Line Cinema in Canada on September 17, and stars Tobey Maguire, Reese Witherspoon, William H. Macy, Joan Allen, and Jeff Daniels. Don Knotts, Paul Walker, Marley Shelton, Jane Kaczmarek and J. T. Walsh are also featured.

This was J.T. Walsh's last film, released after his death. The film was released in the United States on October 23, 1998.

Plot

Although David (Tobey Maguire) and his sister Jennifer (Reese Witherspoon) are twins, they lead dramatically different high school social lives. Jennifer focuses mainly on her appearance, relationships and popularity, while David has few friends and spends much of spare time on the couch watching reruns of Pleasantville, a black-and-white '50s sitcom similar to Leave It To Beaver and Father Knows Best. The show serves as an escape from the messy reality of his divorced home life.

One weekend David and Jennifer’s mother (Jane Kaczmarek) heads out of town for a rendezvous with her boyfriend, leaving the children home alone. They begin to fight over the use of the downstairs television; Jennifer wants to watch an MTV concert with soon-to-arrive date, while David wants to watch a Pleasantville marathon. The two struggle for control of the television's remote control and accidentally break it.

A mysterious TV repairman (Don Knotts) arrives uninvited, and produces strange-looking new remote, which soon transports David and Jennifer into the television and the black and white Pleasantville universe. They quickly discover that they are supposed to stay “in character” and assume the identity of Bud and Mary Sue Parker, characters in the show.

The town operates with utter perfection; firemen have never seen fire; the basketball team never misses a basket; and mother Betty (Joan Allen) exemplifies the stay-at-home mother ideal. The town is geographically and ideologically self-contained. Jennifer, however, soon chafes at the predictablity and conformity of life in Pleasantville and rebels by introducing Skip (Paul Walker), the captain of the basketball team, to sex. It quickly becomes evident that such departures from accepted behavior both makes locals townspeople uncomfortable and ruins their perfection. However, it also introduces the splashes of color into their monochromatic existence.

Skip tells the other boys about sex, and soon the teenagers begin to experiment, leading to a sort of sexual revolution. Even Betty is curious (leading to a sex talk between Betty and Mary Sue) and, knowing that her husband would never do any of the things Mary Sue describes, engages in masturbation while bathing.

Pleasantville soon begins changing at a rapid pace. Double beds become available in stores, colored paints available to buy, students kiss in public, and Pleasantville's wives shock their husbands by neglecting household duties. The basketball team also loses its first game as events from the original plotlines fall apart. Meanwhile, more objects gain color, including flowers and the faces of people who have experienced bursts of passion or change. Stirred from his routine by the explosion of new colors, local soda shop owner Mr. Johnson (Jeff Daniels) begins to paint.

Worried that the new changes are eroding the moral values of Pleasantville, town leaders, led by Mayor Big Bob (J. T. Walsh), call a town meeting of all “true” citizens. Soon thereafter, a nude painting of Betty appears in the window of Mr. Johnson’s shop and riots overtake Pleasantville. The offending window is smashed, piles of books are burned, and anyone who is "colored" is harassed in the streets.

David becomes the leader of a small group of “coloreds” and advocates resistance to the new "Pleasantville Code of Conduct", a list of regulations preventing people from visiting the library and Lovers' Lane, playing loud music, or using paint colors other than black, white, or gray. He convinces Mr. Johnson to paint a colorful mural depicting various symbols of protest: winged books flames, men and women dancing together to rock music, and teenagers engaging in sex. The two are prompty thrown in jail.

David and Mr. Johnson are brought to trial in front of the entire town, with the monochrome citizens on the ground floor and "colored" residents in the balcony. David defends himself by arguing that his actions were designed not to subvert the established order but to release the passion inside the citizens of Pleasantville. At last the harshest critic, Mayor Big Bob, is provoked into an impassioned rage, at which point he, along with the rest of the courtroom, assumes full color.

The isolation of Pleasantville broken, televisions begin to display new images from around the world and Main Street, which had previously been a circuit that led back to its beginning again, now leads away to other streets, and ultimately to other towns and cities as well.

Jennifer chooses to stay behind in this alternate world, planning to go to university. David, however, returns to his old life using the remote control. He finds his mother crying in the kitchen, distraught over her failure to satify her expectations of a happy home and family. David reassures her that life is “not supposed to be anything."

The movie ends with a cut back to Jennifer/Mary Sue, reading a book to a sweetheart on the university steps, and with a shot of Betty and George, reunited; however, when Betty turns to look at her husband, Mr. Johnson appears in his place.

Cast

• Tobey Maguire as David. David is the boy of the film who feels out of place in the 1990s at the beginning of the film and is more at home in the dream world of Pleasantville. After being transported into the world which he idolizes, David begins to realize that the perceived happiness in Pleasantville is not nearly as fulfilling. He eventually sees Pleasantville not as the utopia he once imagined but as a dystopia as the freedom of choice and expression is severely limited. His transformation happens as he evolves from dreamy outcast to leader of the changes that take place in Pleasantville.
• Reese Witherspoon as Jennifer. Jennifer, David's twin sister, is in many ways the opposite of her brother. She is initially dismayed at the absence of sex in Pleasantville, but her own personality asserts itself, and she sparks the initial changes in the town. As the story continues, she begins to understand the limitations she has placed on herself in her own life. Her reading of a D. H. Lawrence novel signified her effort to change herself, and thus, by the end of the film she decides to stay (for a while) in a place where she has changed and to attend college.
• William H. Macy as George Parker. George is the stereotypical 1950s working father with cues directly from shows such as Leave it to Beaver and Father Knows Best. He is very change averse and when the town begins to change he does not know how to cope. He remains black and white through nearly the entire film until David helps him realize how much he really loves his wife.
• Joan Allen as Betty Parker. Betty starts as the typical 1950s stay at home mother but evolves in emotions much more quickly than her husband. This causes conflict starting with her change from black and white to color after Jennifer recommends masturbation. She initially tries to cover up this affliction but then decides she should not be ashamed. Her love triangle with Bill Johnson also becomes an issue showing that such taboo events did occur even in 1950s culture.
• Jeff Daniels as Bill Johnson. Bill starts the film completely unable to do anything that is not specifically defined in his repetitive list of tasks. This changes however when David inadvertently teaches him a small level of autonomy. This autonomy progresses and Bill begins acting out his desire to be creative and paint. Bill evolves into the central revolutionary in the film going so far as to paint a naked mural on one of his windows. After the town turns fully Technicolor it is revealed in the last shot that George is replaced by him sitting on the bench next to Betty.
• Don Knotts as the TV Repairman. Don Knotts plays a small but memorable role as the TV repairman granting David his wish of being part of Pleasantville. While shown to hate the change happening to his town, the repairman is shown with a smile on his face after David turns from aloofness to compassion for his mother.
• Jane Kaczmarek as David's Mom. David's Mom plays the foil to Betty by never cooking or cleaning, and shattering an hour of curse-less dialogue with "fuck" at the end of the film. David parallels his treatment of Betty by wiping the make-up off her face and consoling her, showing a complete change since the film's start.
• J.T. Walsh as Big Bob. Big Bob plays the town's mayor with McCarthy undertones. He is the most reactionary in the town and decides that colors are indecent. Many subtle references to Triumph of the Will are made in the closing court scene with Big Bob playing the lead. Even he turns to color as he expresses fierce anger towards David. Upon seeing his new face he flees the court room in shame leaving the town to its own devices, ultimately freeing it. This was actor J.T. Walsh's final film as he died of a heart attack shortly after filming.

• Danny Strong as Juke Box Boy and Marc Blucas as Basketball Hero are two of the teenagers who become "colored". Both actors would have recurring roles in Buffy the Vampire Slayer; six other cast members of Pleasantville had single episode roles.

Symbolism

Though one of the most notable aspects of Pleasantville is its extreme contrast - particularly its rich contrast between color and black and white - the symbolism in the film should be noted as well. The most obvious symbolism exists in the "colored" versus those who are still black and white. As a reference to the racism in the 1950s and 1960s in United States, there is a sign posted in a shop window at one point declaring "No Coloreds Allowed", which mimics those in stores that refused service to Black Americans during the aforementioned era.

Towards the end of the film, the courtroom scene is a throwback to the To Kill a Mockingbird movie, where Atticus Finch makes his famous closing argument. As in To Kill a Mockingbird, the courtroom is divided by color. Sitting in the second floor balcony seats are the "colored", where Black Americans sat in To Kill a Mockingbird, and the black and white people (White Americans) are sitting on the floor seats of the courtroom. Bud, like Atticus Finch, also makes an impassioned speech to the judge and jury about the unfairness of the trial at hand; however, Bud is not the lawyer but instead one of the accused.

Gary Ross was quoted about the symbolism of the film, saying, "This movie is about the fact that personal repression gives rise to larger political oppression...That when we're afraid of certain things in ourselves or we're afraid of change, we project those fears on to other things, and a lot of very ugly social situations can develop".

Another symbolic aspect to consider is the assumed connection between colors and change. For example, most of the time when a black and white person had sex or experienced a moment of pleasure, they obtained color. However, Jennifer has sex profusely but only gained color when she eschewed sex in favor of reading a book by D.H. Lawrence. Bud gains color only after he defends Betty from a band of thugs and experiences true anger and defense. The theory is that when the person experiences change in themselves or undergoes personal growth, they change into color.

Symbolism can also be found in a scene in front of the library, where books are being burned, as the townspeople think they are partly responsible for the development of color. This book burning can be compared to those burnings by the Nazis during the Holocaust or the burnings by Mao during the Cultural Revolution.

Another symbolic scene is with David and Margaret in the park. She shows him blueberries and then proceeds to pick an apple off a tree and encourage David/Bud to eat it. This is an allusion to the Adam and Eve forbidden fruit story in the Bible.

Utopian views

Many times in film, the 1950’s are portrayed as perfection. Therefore it could almost be looked at as Utopian. In Robert Beuka’s book, SuburbiaNation, he says, “Pleasantville is a morality tale concerning the values of contemporary suburban American by holding that social landscape up against both the Utopian and the dystopian visions of suburbia that emerged in the 1950’s” This movie is the perfect example of how a Utopian society couldn’t last. Two outsiders come in and turn everything they knew upside down.

In many of the Utopian societies there were restrictive gender roles. Beuka says these gender roles are also seen in suburbs. In Pleasantville the men and women have very clear roles. They each know what is expected and it's not something that is questioned. When Joan Allen's character, Betty, doesn't come home her husband George, played by William H. Macy, isn't sure what to do . He doesn't know where the food is kept and he doesn't know how to cook; it's a female job to do that so he never needed to learn. George eats olives for days straight simply because it's not his job to cook. Another aspect of utopianism seen in the film is their idea on sexual relations. Although their take is much more drastic than real Utopian communities were. The Shakers were completely abstinent and in John Winthrop's "city upon a hill" it may have been happening but it wasn't something that was talked about. In Pleasantville they have no idea what sex is until Jennifer or "Mary Sue" introduces the idea to Paul Walker's character. Betty is completely oblivious to the idea and Jennifer has to explain it to her. It seems that once they are introduced to this color comes into their world and things start to unravel.

This town is the perfect place, "it never rains, the highs and lows rest at 72 degrees, the fire department exists only to rescue treed cats, and the basketball team never misses the hoop." In geography, they learn there are two streets, Main St. and Elm St. Mary Sue asks what happened at the end of Main St. and the teacher seems to be frazzled over the question and simply answers that it starts back at the beginning of Main St. The idea of one way in, one way out comes from Thomas More's Utopia; it's part of their perfection. In both examples it gives them the sense of seclusion, this way nobody can come in and corrupt their thinking. It's not until the twins get sent through the television that someone from the outside had come into Pleasantville.

"Pleasantville is a false hope. David's journey tells him only that there is no "right" life, no model for how things are "supposed to be'". The reason for Utopian communities being set up was to do just what David found out doesn't exist, the live "right" life. John Winthrop went because he wanted to live a perfect life to appease God, many leave for different religions. It all comes back to the same thing, they want perfection. Unfortunately, it seems that just about all of them found there is no perfect world. In the end the residents of Pleasantville figured this out as well.

Some compare Pleasantville with the Newbery Award-winning The Giver, by Lois Lowry.

Reception

The movie stands with an 86% "fresh" rating at Rotten Tomatoes. Noted film critic Roger Ebert gave the film four out of four stars calling it "one of the best and most original films of the year".

Awards and nominations

The film won the following accolades:

• Saturn Awards (1998)
  • Best Performance by a Younger Actor/Actress - Tobey Maguire
  • Best Supporting Actress - Joan Allen
• Boston Society of Film Critics Award (1998)
  • Best Supporting Actor - William H. Macy
  • Best Supporting Actress - Joan Allen

The film was nominated for the following achievements:

• Academy Awards (1998)
  • Best Art Direction/Set Decoration - Jeannine Claudia Oppewall and Jay Hart
  • Best Costume Design - Judianna Makovsky
  • Best Music, Original Dramatic Score - Randy Newman

Music

Main article: Pleasantville (soundtrack)

The soundtrack features many staples from the 1950s such as "Be-Bop-A-Lula" by Gene Vincent and the 1961 classic "At Last" by Etta James. The main score for the film was composed by Randy Newman; he received an Oscar nomination in the original music category. The soundtrack does however feature some contemporary artists and includes two songs by Fiona Apple, who uses a similar scene in her "Across the Universe" video.

The film also uses musical compositions that reflect the theme of change, innovation and challenging conventional norms. Take Five by Dave Brubeck presented in a 5/4 time signature, very unusual at the time of its release in 1959. Composer Claude Debussy's Claire de lune is also featured in the film. This piece, among others in the popular Suite bergamasque, presented what were radical harmonies at the end of the 19th century that have had a major and enduring influence on modern musical composition.

Soundtrack

Released: October 13 1998
Genre: Pop
Label: Sony Music

Track listing

1. "Across the Universe" - Fiona Apple – 5:07
2. "Dream Girl" - Robert and Johnny – 1:57
3. "Be-Bop-A-Lula" - Gene Vincent – 2:36
4. "Lawdy Miss Clawdy" - Larry Williams – 2:11
5. "Sixty Minute Man" - Billy Ward & the Dominoes – 2:28
6. "Take Five" - The Dave Brubeck Quartet – 5:25
7. "At Last" - Etta James – 3:00
8. "(Let Me Be Your) Teddy Bear" - Elvis Presley – 1:47
9. "Rave On" - Buddy Holly and the Crickets – 1:49
10. "Please Send Me Someone to Love" - Fiona Apple – 4:01
11. "So What" - Miles Davis – 9:04
12. "Suite from Pleasantville" - Randy Newman – 8:11

Further Reading

• Beuka, Robert A. SuburbiaNation: Reading Suburban Landscape in Twentieth-Century American Fiction and Film. 1st ed. New York: Palgrave Macmillian, 2004. 14-15

External links

• Pleasantville at IMDb
• McCarthyism and the Movies
• Pleasantville review by Roger Ebert
• Pleasantville at the BFI
• Pleasantville at Rotten Tomatoes^sm
• DVD Beaver review
• Lessons From Pleasantville - A scene by scene analysis of the philosophical and religious meaning.

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