Pleasantville (film)

Infobox Film
name = Pleasantville


caption = "Pleasantville" theatrical poster
director = Gary Ross
producer = Steven Soderbergh,
Gary Ross,
Jon Kilik
Bob Degus
writer = Gary Ross
starring = Tobey Maguire
Reese Witherspoon
William H. Macy
Joan Allen
Jeff Daniels
Paul Walker
Marley Shelton
J. T. Walsh
Don Knotts
Jane Kaczmarek
music = 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
cinematography = John Lindley
editing = William Goldenberg
distributor= New Line Cinema
released= 17 September 1998
runtime = 124 minutes
language = English
budget = ~ US$40,000,000
gross = $49,805,462
amg_id = 1:158869
imdb_id = 0120789|

"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 and popularity, while David 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.

After breaking the TV remote during an argument, a strange TV man shows up. He hands David a special remote with only a few buttons that teleports them into the world of Plesantville. When they are pulled into the show they are expected to assume the characters of Bud and Mary Sue Parker. They now live in the black and white world that lacks knowledge and craves similarity and conformity. Jennifer, reluctant at first, wants to go back to the real world. When she finds out that Skip (Paul Walker), the captain of the basketball team, is in love with her, all that changes.

At school, David walks into the basketball practice. The team is perfect and so is David. Even when he kicks the ball off to the side, it bounces off the walls and celling before making a perfect basket. However, after he tells Skip it may not be the right time to go out with Mary Sue (to keep Jenifer from changing the plot), Skip shoots and misses. The Coach and the rest of the team stay away from the "cursed" ball.

In geography class, the students learn about the geography of Main Street. Jenifer asks what is outside of Plesantville and the teacher declares it an absurd question. Jenifer persists to ask what is at the end of Main Street and the teacher replies that the end is the beginning (all the roads are circles).

After school, David shows up late to his job at the corner store with Mr. Johnson. Mr. Johnson is at first unsure of how to proceed when Bud (David) doesn't show up, so he keeps wiping the counter until there is a hole in it. David tells Mr. Johnson that he can set out the napkins and take over when Bud (David) doesn't show up.

When Jennifer deviates from the plot and invites Skip to lover's lane, David takes off and tries to stop her. He fails and goes home depressed. Mr. Johnson later confronts him about closing and tells David that he did it all on his own. He goes on to tell David that he enjoyed the change. He connects this to painting the shop window at Christmas and tells David that he looks forward to it all year because Christmas is the time when he can do things differently. He realizes the absurdity of looking forward to something all year and starts to change.

Meanwhile, Jennifer exposes Skip to sex at lover's lane. The next day at school, Skip tells the rest of the team about sex and after that change, no one can make a perfect basket. The team goes on to lose their next game, shocking the community, having never lost a game previously.

When Mary Sue's mother, Betty Parker, asks Mary Sue (Jennifer) what happens at Lover's lane, Jennifer tells her about sex. Mrs. Parker is confused and asks what sex is. Jennifer explains sex to Mrs. Parker and is told that George Parker, Betty's husband, would never do that. Jenifer offers an alternative and Mrs. Parker goes upstairs and masturbates in the bath tub. It is at this time that Mrs. Parker starts seeing color. Mr. Parker is disturbed that Betty did not go to bed at the usual time, but he brushes it off.

Also at this time, a tree outside bursts into flames with the new knowledge. David recognizes the fire and rushes to get the firemen. The firemen are confused by this fire until David gives one a hose and instructs him how to use it. The fireman says that he always wondered what the hose was for.

The next day at the corner store, David is confronted about how he knew how to put out the fire. He explains about elsewhere and someone asks about the Mississippi and Huckleberry Finn. David explains the story and the book from the library, previously blank, fills in. He proceeds to explain more books and soon, citizens are rushing to the library.

Bud brings a book for Mr. Johnson about the history of art, and Mr. Johnson appears fascinated. Later that day, things escalate when Mrs. Parker is now colorful and Mr. Johnson draws her. In addition Jenifer becomes fascinated with a book, and David goes to Lover's lane with Margaret Henderson (Marley Shelton). With all the new ideas, a rain storm with thunder and lightning start.

Mr. Parker comes home and Mrs. Parker is not home to greet him. He wanders through the house saying his classic phrase "Honey, I'm home." It soon turns to "Where's my food?" He rushes off to the bowling alley where things haven't changed and everyone bowls perfect. The mayor learns of the change and is shocked. One of his friends reveals his shirt with a burn mark in the shape of an iron - his wife was thinking about other things.

Jenifer gains color (knowledge) from reading and many citizens had gained color from the rain. Mr. Johnson gained color from Mrs. Parker.

The next day the town wakes up to find Mr. Johnson's store window painted with a large picture of Mrs. Parker naked. The citizens are enraged and destroy his shop. Later, Mrs. Parker is attacked by many non-colored citizens. David fights them off and gains his color. At the end of the day, the citizens in color congregate at Mr. Johnson's shop while the black and white citizens gather at city hall. The non-colored citezens create a list of rules restricting activities to things that don't involve change.

David and Mr. Johnson fight the conformity by painting one side of city hall. They are thrown in prison and put to trial with no lawyer to keep things "pleasant." Segregation is obvious when the colored citizens are forced to sit in the upper courthouse and the non-colored in the lower seating. David explains to those assembled that feelings exist, and not everything has to be perfect. He walks to Mr. Parker who is still uncolored and makes him realize that he loves Mrs. Parker for more that just making him food. He actually has feelings for her.

The Mayor is outraged and tells David to leave. David walks up to the Mayor's stand, and angers him more until his face turns color because of the feelings. The mayor runs out of the Courthouse and a citizen tells everyone the whole town is now in color.

Jenifer decides to go to college in the world of Pleasantville saying that she has a better chance there than in her real school where she smoked and failed classes. She leaves on a Grayhound that newly appeared. David leaves Pleasantville using the remote and finds his mother depressed. She is having relationship problems of her own. David uses the knowledge he gained in Pleasantville to comfort her and she finds happiness.

The film closes with Mr. and Mrs. Parker sitting on a bench next to Mr. Johnson. All three admit they don't know what will happen next, but are happy with the unknown.

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 1hr53min56sec) 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", such as Jason Behr, 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".

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 The director of this production states, "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". [ [http://www.rottentomatoes.com/click/author-1099/reviews.php?rid=166920&cats=1&switches=best&sortby=rating&page= Review for Pleasantville (1998) ] ]

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 in Germany in 1933 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” [Beuka, Robert A. SuburbiaNation: Reading Suburban Landscape in Twentieth-Century American Fiction and Film. 1st ed. New York: Palgrave Macmillian, 2004. 14-15.] 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." McDaniel, Robb. "Pleasantville (Ross 1998)." Rev. of Pleasantville. Film and History May-June 2002: 85-86.--~~~~] 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. [http://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/pleasantville/?critic=columns&sortby=name&name_order=asc&view=#mo] 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". [http://rogerebert.suntimes.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/19981001/REVIEWS/810010301/1023]

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

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

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

References

External links

*imdb title|id=0120789|title=Pleasantville
* [http://www.jacknilan.com/senatorjoe/ McCarthyism and the Movies]
* [http://rogerebert.suntimes.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/19981001/REVIEWS/810010301/1023 "Pleasantville "review by Roger Ebert]
* [http://ftvdb.bfi.org.uk/sift/title/568041 "Pleasantville" at the BFI]
* [http://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/pleasantville/ "Pleasantville" at Rotten Tomatoes^sm]
* [http://www.dvdbeaver.com/film2/DVDReviews31/pleasantville.htm DVD Beaver review]
* [http://www.morethancake.org/2008/01/lessons-from-pleasantville.html Lessons From Pleasantville] - A scene by scene analysis of the philosophical and religious meaning.

Box Office Leaders USA
before = Practical Magic
date = October 25
year = 1998
after = John Carpenter's Vampires