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Pleasantville Plot

Pleasantville is a New Line Cinema film first released in Canada on September 17, 1998 starring Tobey Maguire, Reese Witherspoon, William H. Macy, Joan Allen, and Jeff Daniels. Don Knotts, Jane Kaczmarek and J. T. Walsh are also featured. In the film two modern teenagers are mysteriously transported into the fictitious community of Pleasantville, the setting of a black and white 1950's television show. Through their actions the people of Pleasantville begin to experience strong emotion and consequently, events in town begin to deviate from the accepted norm.

The film was written, produced, and directed by Gary Ross, who also performed those duties for the more recent film Seabiscuit (2003), which also starred Maguire and Macy. This was J.T. Walsh's last film, released after his death. The film was released in the United States on October 23, 1998.

Although David Wagner (Maguire) and his sister Jennifer (Reese Witherspoon) are twins, they lead dramatically different high school social lives. Jennifer is concerned mainly with her appearance, relationships and popularity, while David has few friends and cannot even drum up the courage to talk to a girl on whom he has a crush. He spends most of his spare time on the couch, watching television. Jennifer, on the other hand, is very aggressive (as well as sexually promiscuous) and at the beginning of the film makes a date with Mark Davis, one of the most popular boys in school.

Mrs. Wagner (Jane Kaczmarek) leaves Jennifer and David alone at home while she heads on vacation with her boyfriend (who is later revealed to be nine years younger than she). They begin to fight over the use of the downstairs TV; Jennifer wants to watch an MTV concert with Mark, while David needs the couch in order to win a $1,000 grand prize for answering trivia questions about his favorite show, Pleasantville.

Pleasantville is a black and white '50s sitcom (based on Father Knows Best or Leave It To Beaver), and David is an expert on every episode. During the fight between David and Jennifer, the remote control breaks and the TV cannot be turned on manually. A mysterious TV repairman (Don Knotts) shows up uninvited, and quizzes David on Pleasantville before giving him a strange-looking remote control. The repairman leaves, and David and Jennifer promptly resume fighting. However, they are somehow transported into the television, ending up in the Parkers' black and white Pleasantville living room. David tries to reason with the repairman (who communicates with him through the Parkers' TV set) but succeeds only in chasing him away. David and Jennifer must now pretend they are, respectively, Bud and Mary Sue Parker, two of the main characters in the show.

Breakfast in the Parker house is served by stay-at-home mother Betty Parker (Joan Allen), and consists of generous servings of bacon, eggs, waffles, pancakes, ham, ham steak, and other fatty foods. Jennifer, a '90s girl, is disgusted at the thought of eating so much. On the way to school, the pair watch as a group of firemen rescue a cat out of a tree, and Jennifer meets Skip (Paul Walker), the captain of the basketball team and her soon-to-be boyfriend. David tells her that they must stay “in character,” she must make small-talk with her three monochrome friends and not disrupt the lives of the Pleasantville citizens, who do not notice any physical differences between the old Bud and Mary Sue and David and Jennifer. In order to keep the plot in line, Mary Sue agrees to go on a date with Skip, although the two have very different ideas of what a date constitutes.

The date between Skip and Mary Sue turns out to be the first catalyst for change in the town, Skip having no knowledge of sex until Mary Sue introduces him to it. The plot is further thrown out of sequence when Bud’s boss Mr. Johnson (Jeff Daniels), who runs the soda fountain, becomes dissatisfied with his boring, mundane life after Bud is late for work. Initially, Bud attempts to contain the damage, telling his boss that even if Mr. Johnson does not like his job, he should still do it anyway, but David soon realizes his error and gives Mr. Johnson an art book, encouraging his true passion.

Meanwhile, Skip tells the other boys about sex, and soon the teenagers begin to experiment, leading to a sort of sexual revolution. Betty is curious (leading to a reversal of the sex talk between her and Mary Sue/Jennifer) and, knowing that her husband George (William H. Macy) would never do any of the things Mary Sue describes, engages in masturbation. This causes a nearby tree to spontaneously combust, and Bud, realizing the firemen have no other duties other than to fetch cats out of trees, teaches them how to put out fires and is awarded a medal. He also gets attention from a beautiful cheerleader named Margaret (Marley Shelton), who bakes him oatmeal cookies, the same cookies she was supposed to bake for a boy named Whitey (David Tom). Bud’s act of heroism has inadvertently changed the storyline, but he seizes the moment and asks Margaret out for a date. When the TV repairman returns and confronts him, Bud turns off the TV, relinquishing his wish to go home in the process.

People in Pleasantville begin to explore hidden talents and revel in their new freedoms. Mr. Johnson begins to paint, while Betty finds that housework no longer interests her. The basketball team loses their first game, while students begin visiting the public library and reading books filled in by Mary Sue and Bud. Ironically, Mary Sue, who never had shown any interest in school, finds she likes reading so much that she turns Skip away in favor of a book by D. H. Lawrence. New double beds become available in stores.

Slowly, certain objects begin turning Multicolor, including flowers and the faces of people who have experienced bursts of passion or change. The only demographic that remains unchanged are the town fathers, led by Mayor Big Bob (J.T. Walsh) who sees the changes as eating away at the moral values of Pleasantville. They resolve to do something about the rebellious teenagers and their increasingly distant wives. A town meeting is called, and Betty leaves George and the kids; she has fallen for Mr. Johnson and cannot hide her 'colored' face anymore.

Rioting begins in Pleasantville, touched off by a nude painting of Betty on the window of Mr. Johnson’s soda fountain. The soda fountain is destroyed, piles of books are burned, and anyone who is “colored” is harassed in the streets. Bud earns his color (Mary Sue having already gotten hers after spending all night reading) by defending Betty from a gang of toughs; he transforms from a wimpy loser to a strong leader who advocates resistance to the new “Pleasantville Code of Conduct”, a list of rules preventing people from things such as visiting the library, playing loud music, or using paint colors other than black, white or gray.

In protest, Bud and Mr. Johnson paint a colorful mural depicting the book burning and other changes in their society and are thrown in jail. They are subsequently brought to trial in front of the entire town. Mr. Johnson is repentant, but Bud speaks out, finally arousing enough anger and indignation in Big Bob to turn him colored. George earns his colour when, in the courtroom, he cries for the loss of his wife. With this, the entire town becomes colored, and the people of Pleasantville are finally introduced to the rest of the world.

Jennifer chooses to stay in the alternate world, planning to go to college as Mary Sue Parker. David returns using the remote control and finds his mother crying in the kitchen, distraught over the way her life has become versus the way she thought it would be. David responds skillfully, stating “it's not supposed to be anything.” The movie ends with a shot of Betty and George, reunited; however, when Betty turns to look at her husband, Mr. Johnson appears in his place.

Tobey Maguire as David. David is the protagonist 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 as he hoped it would be. 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 upon being transported to Pleasantville with her brother, 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, she affected her own transformation. By the end of the film she decides to stay (for a while) in a place where she has changed and attend college.

William H. Macy as George Parker. George is the stereotypical 1950's 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 tells him how much he really loves his wife.

Joan Allen as Betty Parker. Betty starts as the typical 1950's 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 shouldn't be ashamed. Her love triangle with Bill Johnson also becomes an issue showing that taboo things 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 progress 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 slight Nazi 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.

Pleasantville contains several themes including historical references, political contexts, and perceived reality vs. false reality. The use of color in the film is of prime importance, as it represents the series of changes occurring the town visually. The literally monochrome world of Pleasantville blossoms into a rainbow of colors. Color is introduced slowly and often subtly: at first it may only touch a single flower, or the tongue of a girl. Color changes are always brought on by the events of the film, particularly epiphanies experienced by the characters.

The change in color is the primary visual effect used to accent the changes to the people and the world they inhabit, changes which challenge the values and emphasis on continuity and conformity that many consider to be the hallmark of 1950s America. Much of the film's satirical tone is captured in the "Code of Public Conduct" which the Pleasantville citizens establish, trying to protect themselves from upsetting changes. One rule forbids music other than "Johnny Mathis, Perry Como, Jack Jones, the marches of John Philip Sousa, [and] the 'Star Spangled Banner'". Another rule echoes the Scopes Trial by requiring all schools to teach the "non-changist" view of history. On the DVD's director commentary, Ross notes that the film had been called "both amoral and moralistic", a contradiction in which he reveled.

Pleasantville also contains color-divided scenes (in the racist sense of the word 'color', referring to non-whites) that allude to the 1962 novel-based film To Kill a Mockingbird, which examines the conformist racial divisions in a small Alabama town in the 1930s. In particular, the Pleasantville courtroom scene in which colored people are forced into the top courtroom balcony while the non-colored are permitted seating on the main floor echoes a nearly identical Jim Crow scene filmed in To Kill a Mockingbird. The colors added in slowly could also be an allusion to The Giver, a book that is also about a perfect utopia in black and white. Also alluded to is the temporary end of the Renaissance in Florence Italy near the end of the 15th Century where Mr. Johnson, the lead soda jerk turned Avant-garde artist, finds himself at odds with the powers that be. Convinced that he, and anyone espousing views similar to his, will bring about the downfall of proper social behavior, the majority rally around Big Bob, the town's mayor, to banish and destroy any non-conformist symbols in a giant Bonfire of the Vanities. Mirroring the famous Renaissance artist Sandro Botticelli, Mr. Johnson is willing to abandon his artistic standards in order to conform to the public's viewpoint. Although the reactionary elements triumph, it's only temporary as change and progress is inevitable. It isn't long before most citizens embrace the new culture.

When the townspeople were throwing the books into the fire, it is similar to the infamous "Burning of the books" in Nazi Germany in the 1930s (e.g. burning of "undesirable" books). Also the smashing of Mr Johnson's soda shop by an angry mob echoes the events of Kristallnacht. Later in the film, fire fighters are shown shoveling ashes, most likely of the burned books, an allusion to Fahrenheit 451.

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.

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.

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


Track listing
Across the Universe - Fiona Apple
Dream Girl - Robert and Johnny
Be-Bop-a-Lula - Gene Vincent
Lawdy Miss Clawdy - Larry Williams
Sixty Minute Man - Billy Ward & the Dominoes
Take Five - The Dave Brubeck Quartet
At Last - Etta James
(Let Me Be Your) Teddy Bear - Elvis Presley
Rave On - Buddy Holly and the Cricketts
Please Send Me Someone to Love - Fiona Apple
So What - Miles Davis
Suite from Pleasantville - Randy Newman.