Warning!! SPOILERS ahead!!
Pleasantville is not only one of the most visually pleasing films we’ve watched thus far, but it is also incredibly well written. It is a well thought out social commentary. The character growth in this film is very important too, which is perfect for the purposes of this blog. With an incredible script, great direction, and phenomenal actors, there is a lot to be said about Pleasantville.
Pleasantville begins in the 1990’s. The two main character are David and Jennifer. They are siblings but are on opposite sides of the the high school hierarchy. Jennifer is risky, popular and sexually active, while David is awkward, dorky, and loves a 1950’s show called Pleasantville. After fighting over the remote control they end up getting sucked into the world of Pleasantville and the craziness begins.
Pleasantville is supposed to be like any typical 1950’s television show. The parents are the father George, who works all day long and is stern and wise the loving mother, Betty, who is perfectly sweet and always has food ready on the table. They have two children, Bud and Mary Sue. They live together and go through funny situations, but no one ever gets mad at one another and there aren’t any real problems. For example, the firefighters only ever rescue kittens out of trees.
The 1950’s were when television truly became a cultural force. From our research, we know that by the end of the 50’s 90% of households had a television, and this sudden influx of television changed entertainment. People became better informed about the world around them and the masses were able to easily access entertainment. Popular shows were I Love Lucy, the Twilight Zone, and shows similar to the fictionalized Pleasantville such as Leave It to Beaver and the Adventures of Ozzie and Harriet.
At first the world of Pleasantville seems easy and fun, especially for David. However, we are immediately presented with the extremities of the town. One great example of this is when Betty forces Jennifer, or Mary Sue as she’s known in Pleasantville, to eat a disgustingly large breakfast.
At first the world of Pleasantville seems easy and fun, especially for David. However, we are immediately presented with the extremities of the town. One great example of this is when Betty forces Jennifer, or Mary Sue as she’s known in Pleasantville, to eat a disgustingly large breakfast.
The next time we really encounter an oddity in behavior in Pleasantville is when David, known as Bud in this world, makes the smallest mistake at work and his boss, Mr. Johnson, is unable to cope and has no idea how to do anything. David has to explain to Mr. Johnson that it’s okay to go ahead with his usual routine of events, even if Bud hasn’t started his yet. Mr. Johnson is actually the first Pleasantville character we see who embraces the concept of change. Everyone else in Pleasantville is constantly in a happy mood. Jennifer in particular has a difficult time adapting, so she initially decides not to.
A major theme of the movie is how people move from repression to freedom. This is represented through color as characters turn from black and white into color. There are many different experiences that give the characters color, from a sexual experience, such as with Betty in the bathtub, or realizing they miss someone as demonstrated by George in the courtroom scene.
A major theme of the movie is how people move from repression to freedom. This is represented through color as characters turn from black and white into color. There are many different experiences that give the characters color, from a sexual experience, such as with Betty in the bathtub, or realizing they miss someone as demonstrated by George in the courtroom scene.
The changes of color in town begin with sexual freedom, introduced by Jennifer. She sees Skip, who happens to be her character Mary Sue’s love interest, and is immediately attracted to him. He asks her on a date, goofs around, and talks about how he was shocked that some couples were already holding hands. She immediately breaks this sexual repression by having sex with him in his car on Lovers Lane. Before this, no one in town was really aware of sex, and naturally the news spread fast.
The incredible thing about Jennifer is that she becomes much more than just a frivolous girl who loves sex. Back at home she hated schoolwork, but in Pleasantville she begins to read some classic novels and really begins studying. She eventually decides to stay for college in the world of Pleasantville. She changes her persona and shows that women are so much more than just one stereotype, and for many women education is more important than love. It’s a great character development because she finds confidence and validation in a more mature way. As Reese Witherspoon herself puts it, “she finds her intellect and realizes that she can be defined by that rather than her sexuality and surface appearance.” She finally feels good about herself.
We love the character of Jennifer because the film allows her to change and become a real person. She doesn’t have to conform to societal norms as she knew them anymore. She proves herself to be more than just “the slutty girl.” This is so important because Jennifer’s change to color occurs after she turns down a night in the back seat of Skip’s car in order to study. All the residents of Pleasantville’s transformations occur by embracing the modern views, but it’s the opposite for Jennifer and David. For Jennifer, this meant realizing that knowledge is power.
We love the character of Jennifer because the film allows her to change and become a real person. She doesn’t have to conform to societal norms as she knew them anymore. She proves herself to be more than just “the slutty girl.” This is so important because Jennifer’s change to color occurs after she turns down a night in the back seat of Skip’s car in order to study. All the residents of Pleasantville’s transformations occur by embracing the modern views, but it’s the opposite for Jennifer and David. For Jennifer, this meant realizing that knowledge is power.
This kind of transformation of self discovery also happens for Betty. She is told by Jennifer that women can experience pleasure in many different ways. She later tests this theory later on in the bathtub. Betty’s pleasuring herself is actually what causes the first fire in Pleasantville history to occur. The next time we see her she has changed color in the burst of a flame. After she changes color she finally starts to make decisions for herself. She begins to recognize attraction and falls in love with Mr. Johnson. They make their first big statement when he paints her nude in an art display for the whole town to see, the ultimate display of sexual freedom and sensuality.
She realizes that she is tired of living to bake and look perfect for her husband. She realizes that she has a voice and gets a say in how to live her life. Betty grows into a very complex character, and discovers all the different depths she’s capable of beyond “wife” and “mother.” She stands up to her husband, tells him to cook his own food, and ultimately leaves him. She moves from the repressed mother who is blind to love, to a free and sexual being who refuses to change back to the way things were.
The male characters learn a lot about how to interact with women and be more open minded as well. David for one had always been respectful of women. We see him grow from the boy who wasn’t even able to work up the courage to speak to a cute girl, to actually having a girlfriend in Pleasantville.
He also learns to appreciate his own mother back in the real world. He grows to have a new understanding for just how much she has to deal with, not just as a single mother, but as a human being. David really idealized the world of Pleasantville. That’s what he thought he wanted his life to be like. However, David had to learn to appreciate the old fashioned views while embracing the modern perspective. He changed colors when he came to Betty’s rescue when she was being harassed by a bunch of boys who had just seen the mural.
It was a really selfless and chivalrous moment. It embraced the modern perspective of how you shouldn’t treat a woman, while also being old fashioned in the idea of a man defending and protecting the women in his life. This is a crucial scene for Betty because she held her head up high and tried to walk away from the situation unfazed, though she was clearly scared on the inside.
George’s transition doesn’t occur as easily. He is the most old fashioned of the characters. He is the typical 1950’s man, and change isn’t easily embraced. One scene in the movie perfectly embodies his cultural limitations. He has just gotten home from work, and the gate is open. He enters into the house in true “Honey, I’m home” fashion, but there is no response. When he wanders into the kitchen, he sees that there is no dinner waiting for him. All he can say for the rest of the scene is “where is my dinner?”
George’s transition doesn’t occur as easily. He is the most old fashioned of the characters. He is the typical 1950’s man, and change isn’t easily embraced. One scene in the movie perfectly embodies his cultural limitations. He has just gotten home from work, and the gate is open. He enters into the house in true “Honey, I’m home” fashion, but there is no response. When he wanders into the kitchen, he sees that there is no dinner waiting for him. All he can say for the rest of the scene is “where is my dinner?”
From here on his life slowly falls apart. His initial response is anger towards his wife, but eventually he just ends up feeling lost and lonely, admitting that he wants her to come home. We see that he begins to see women as more than instruments to make him food. His character change is particularly important because his is about learning to appreciate and respect his wife as a partner in life. It’s about swallowing his pride and realizing he’s not always in dominant position.
This whole movie is a representation of how social values can cause a society to turn violent. The director Gary Ross said "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 onto other things, and a lot of very ugly social situations can develop." The townspeople turn against the colored people and break their windows and violently threaten them. The mayor even attempts to jail David and Mr. Johnson for a mural they painted.
This reflects life in the 1950’s in many ways. Although it appeared happy on the outside, there were many ugly things going on. Schools were segregated, women had few rights, McCarthy made people terrified of communists, and people tried to fit into a tiny box of what was socially acceptable. This all began to change as we entered into the 1960’s and many social reform movements began, another possible interpretation of the movie. The Mayor’s anger reaching it’s final boiling point and him bursting into color represents the beginning of new social
In his review Roger Ebert sums up Pleasantville by saying “here is a comedy to reassure us that there is hope--that the world we see around us represents progress, not decay.” This line really spoke to us because that’s exactly what we love about this movie.
After watching There’s Something About Mary, we felt the exact opposite. These two movies came out during the same year and they couldn’t be more different. There’s Something About Mary really made us feel like we had taken a step back, but Pleasantville does a great job of putting a fresh perspective of how much progress has really been made in the 90s. The New York Times also gave a glowing review of Pleasantville. They complimented all the actors, but specifically said that Joan Allen as Betty “truly bloomed” in her role, and that Reese Witherspoon gave a “deliciously naughty performance.”
We truly loved this movie and it’s portrayal of women as complex and complete people. Not only did it question the representation of women, but it also pointed out the absurdity in diminishing anyone who is viewed as slightly “different.” Change can be a beautiful thing when embraced and Pleasantville does an excellent job of making the fear of the unknown to be something people should cherish. Overall, Pleasantville is truly just an excellent film and it did a wonderful job at creating both strong male and female characters who all contributed greatly to the meaning of the story.
In his review Roger Ebert sums up Pleasantville by saying “here is a comedy to reassure us that there is hope--that the world we see around us represents progress, not decay.” This line really spoke to us because that’s exactly what we love about this movie.
After watching There’s Something About Mary, we felt the exact opposite. These two movies came out during the same year and they couldn’t be more different. There’s Something About Mary really made us feel like we had taken a step back, but Pleasantville does a great job of putting a fresh perspective of how much progress has really been made in the 90s. The New York Times also gave a glowing review of Pleasantville. They complimented all the actors, but specifically said that Joan Allen as Betty “truly bloomed” in her role, and that Reese Witherspoon gave a “deliciously naughty performance.”
We truly loved this movie and it’s portrayal of women as complex and complete people. Not only did it question the representation of women, but it also pointed out the absurdity in diminishing anyone who is viewed as slightly “different.” Change can be a beautiful thing when embraced and Pleasantville does an excellent job of making the fear of the unknown to be something people should cherish. Overall, Pleasantville is truly just an excellent film and it did a wonderful job at creating both strong male and female characters who all contributed greatly to the meaning of the story.
Sources
Chadwick, Bruce. "The Lost Decade: The 1950s Comes Back with a Roar."History News Network. George Mason University, 9 Jan. 2012. Web. 10 Sept. 2015.
Ebert, Robert. "Pleasantville Movie Review & Film Summary (1998) | Roger Ebert." All Content. N.p., 1 Oct. 1998. Web. 11 Sept. 2015.
Johnson-Ott, Edward (1998). "Pleasantville (1998)". imdb.com. Retrieved April 8, 2015.
Maslin, Janet. "Pleasantville (1998)." The New York Times. N.p., 23 Oct. 1998. Web. 11 Sept. 2015.
Screen Slam. "Pleasantville: Reese Witherspoon Interview." YouTube. YouTube, n.d. Web. 10 Sept. 2015.
Shmoop Editorial Team. "Culture in The 1950s." Shmoop.com. Shmoop University, Inc., 11 Nov. 2008. Web. 10 Sep. 2015.
Chadwick, Bruce. "The Lost Decade: The 1950s Comes Back with a Roar."History News Network. George Mason University, 9 Jan. 2012. Web. 10 Sept. 2015.
Ebert, Robert. "Pleasantville Movie Review & Film Summary (1998) | Roger Ebert." All Content. N.p., 1 Oct. 1998. Web. 11 Sept. 2015.
Johnson-Ott, Edward (1998). "Pleasantville (1998)". imdb.com. Retrieved April 8, 2015.
Maslin, Janet. "Pleasantville (1998)." The New York Times. N.p., 23 Oct. 1998. Web. 11 Sept. 2015.
Screen Slam. "Pleasantville: Reese Witherspoon Interview." YouTube. YouTube, n.d. Web. 10 Sept. 2015.
Shmoop Editorial Team. "Culture in The 1950s." Shmoop.com. Shmoop University, Inc., 11 Nov. 2008. Web. 10 Sep. 2015.