Out of all the time-travel movies I’ve ever seen, Pleasantville, released in 1998 is the most unique. This movie is wonderfully crafted, both visually and conceptually. In my opinion it is a masterpiece of cinematic beauty.
Pleasantville was the brainchild of Gary Ross who wrote, directed and produced the film. It had an all-star cast including:
Tobey Maguire as David/Bud
Reese Witherspoon as Jennifer/Mary Sue
Jeff Daniels as Bill Johnson
Joan Allen as Betty Parker
Paul Walker as Skip Martin
Jane Kaczmarek as David and Jennifer's mother
Don Knotts as a TV repairman
William H. Macy as George Parker
J. T. Walsh as Big Bob
Pleasantville was the brainchild of Gary Ross who wrote, directed and produced the film. It had an all-star cast including:
Tobey Maguire as David/Bud
Reese Witherspoon as Jennifer/Mary Sue
Jeff Daniels as Bill Johnson
Joan Allen as Betty Parker
Paul Walker as Skip Martin
Jane Kaczmarek as David and Jennifer's mother
Don Knotts as a TV repairman
William H. Macy as George Parker
J. T. Walsh as Big Bob
Reese Witherspoon and Tobey Maguire as Mary Sue and Bud.
The basic, surface plot was just this: David (Tobey Mcguire) is a nerdy teen who loves an old 1950s TV show called Pleasantville (a made-up show resembling any typical show of the era, such as Make Room for Daddy or Leave it to Beaver). He is set to watch a Pleasantville marathon on a cable network called TV Time. His promiscuous twin sister, Jennifer (Reese Witherspoon) wants to watch a concert with her date, in hopes of having sex with him. The siblings fight over the TV remote and break it. Suddenly a TV repair man (Don Knotts) comes to the door and realizing that David is a Pleasantville expert, hands him a special remote, with what he says has a little more “Umph”.
 | David and Jennifer once again physically fight over the remote, whisking them into the TV and putting them into Pleasantville, circa 1958. At this point David and Jennifer become Bud and Mary Sue Parker. Bud of course gets into his new role but Mary Sue doesn’t want any part of it, as she looks down at her black and white hands, stating, “Look at me, I’m pasty.” |
"Honey, I'm Home." - William H. Macy as George Parker.
Joan Allen as Betty Parker - William H. Macy as George Parker
Paul Walker as Skip Martin Mary Sue is still the promiscuous girl Jennifer always was, so she gets Skip Martin (Paul Walker) to take her to Lover’s Lane. After one night with her, small bits of color begin to pop up in Pleasantville. As Skip regales his classmates and team members of his night with Mary Sue, they all start to miss their hoops and eventually all the kids find themselves at Lover’s Lane. At first it is believed that sex is what's changing them into color, but Mary Sue, herself, remains black and white. It isn't until she discovers her true passion of reading books that she also turns to color. Passion is what was changing the town and the people to shades of real color.
Slowly, color starts working its way into the town, bit by bit.
Slowly, color starts working its way into the town, bit by bit.
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But there are those in Pleasantville who don’t like the change and decide to make certain things illegal to try and maintain the town to the so-called utopia they believed it was.
Quote from Big Bob (J. T. Walsh): “People, people.... I think we all know what's going on here. Up until now everything around here has been, well, pleasant. Recently certain things have become unpleasant. It seems to me that the first thing we have to do is to separate out the things that are pleasant from the things that are unpleasant.”
Quote from Big Bob (J. T. Walsh): “People, people.... I think we all know what's going on here. Up until now everything around here has been, well, pleasant. Recently certain things have become unpleasant. It seems to me that the first thing we have to do is to separate out the things that are pleasant from the things that are unpleasant.”
Betty trying to hide the changes in herself.
That was the basic premise of the movie, but it is the deeper meaning behind the film that makes it a masterpiece in my eyes. First I will tell you the creator’s interpretation, then I will give you mine.
Gary Ross stated, "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."
Here is my take on the film. It was about America (or the world) in the 1950s. There was a status quo in the country and conservative values. But as the 1950s gave way to the turbulent 60s, changes started to take place. ("The times, they are a changin'." – Bob Dylan) With these inevitable changes brought passion as people began to live what was truly inside of them. Kids experimented and women found their independence. But with those changes, also came problems, growing pains which brought about riots, protests, and fights with those unwilling to let go of the past.
As a child of the 60s myself, I identified with those wanting to change, but I also felt deeply for the ones who became afraid of these changes. Their whole world and existence was going away. I remember watching an episode of the sixties-based TV show, The Wonder Years. The daughter in the show was changing, quitting college, and moving in with her boyfriend. It was painful to watch the parents who didn't know how to handle the situation and had to just let it happen with great sadness.
Gary Ross stated, "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."
Here is my take on the film. It was about America (or the world) in the 1950s. There was a status quo in the country and conservative values. But as the 1950s gave way to the turbulent 60s, changes started to take place. ("The times, they are a changin'." – Bob Dylan) With these inevitable changes brought passion as people began to live what was truly inside of them. Kids experimented and women found their independence. But with those changes, also came problems, growing pains which brought about riots, protests, and fights with those unwilling to let go of the past.
As a child of the 60s myself, I identified with those wanting to change, but I also felt deeply for the ones who became afraid of these changes. Their whole world and existence was going away. I remember watching an episode of the sixties-based TV show, The Wonder Years. The daughter in the show was changing, quitting college, and moving in with her boyfriend. It was painful to watch the parents who didn't know how to handle the situation and had to just let it happen with great sadness.
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Pleasantville showed all these emotions, changes, and fears, sometime erupting in bigotry and violence.
This movie is chocked full of metaphors and it is fun to find them while watching. For instance, there is a strong element of the Civil Rights problem that occurred in the 1960s.
This movie is chocked full of metaphors and it is fun to find them while watching. For instance, there is a strong element of the Civil Rights problem that occurred in the 1960s.
Also, in one scene, Bud, who hasn't turned color yet, is being tempted by his girlfriend to partake in an apple which had turned red.
The end is bittersweet. The entire town of Pleasantville has turned to color, people are living their passions but not everyone is happy. The film ends with the Parkers, now separated, asking the question, “So what's gonna happen now?” followed by the answer, “I don’t know.”
Pleasantville also had a great soundtrack with an original score by Randy Newman, who I felt came a long ways since Short People and Welcome Back Kotter.
Other songs included:
"Across the Universe" - Fiona Apple
"Dream Girl" - Robert & Johnny
"Be-Bop-A-Lula" - Gene Vincent
"Lawdy Miss Clawdy" - Larry Williams
"Sixty Minute Man" - Billy Ward and His 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 Crickets
"Please Send Me Someone to Love" - Fiona Apple
"So What" - Miles Davis
"Suite from Pleasantville" - Randy Newman
Other songs included:
"Across the Universe" - Fiona Apple
"Dream Girl" - Robert & Johnny
"Be-Bop-A-Lula" - Gene Vincent
"Lawdy Miss Clawdy" - Larry Williams
"Sixty Minute Man" - Billy Ward and His 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 Crickets
"Please Send Me Someone to Love" - Fiona Apple
"So What" - Miles Davis
"Suite from Pleasantville" - Randy Newman
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"Where am I going to see colors like that? Must be awfully lucky to see colors like that. I bet they don't even know how lucky they are." - Bill Johnson (Jeff Daniels)
Pleasantville is a must-see time-travel film.
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