Two siblings named David and Jennifer wind up trapped in a 1950’s television show called Pleasantville; within this alternate universe residents within this small Midwest town are seemly perfect. Often the 1950’s are described as a time of peaceful simplicity, but the influence of modernism has transformed simplicity into complexity. During this period of time people lives were less complicated; at this time everyone knew their place within the society. For these two siblings their whole reality has changed immensely due to the reasoning that they are now trapped inside a completely new atmosphere. David and Jennifer not only have to attend to fit in, but face many social challenges and issues, such as racism and freedom of speech. In the film …show more content…
Within Pleasantville, the 1950’s were as simple as black and white; there was no other range of colour which is symbolic of simplicity. After Mary-Sue and Skip came back from their eventful night out, Skip saw a rose that was a deep, wine coloured red. The illusion of a perfect society, became demolished gradually changing from black and white to colour. This was only the first event that occurred; citizens of Pleasantville’s society has now been altered. The use of black and white showcased that the society was less ambitious; everything was either black or white, no range of any other colour. But, more pops of colour were beginning to make an arrival, such as pink bubblegum in the school hallway, pink cherry blossoms and green grass at Lover’s Lane. The introduction of colour within the film signifies the simplicity that now has been broken, along with the changes within the town. The first sign of change was an introduction to the colour red, which symbolizes romance. Read indicated love passion and lust, those feelings were all absent from the "perfect” 1950’s society. Pleasantville was becoming a colourful society, colour created the division within the …show more content…
There's nothing to be afraid of.” (Ross) those who embraced these change had their former selves "washed away.” The people who became "colored" after the storm accepted change, they became different and no longer "normal" residence of Pleasantville. This splits the town into two and creates racism; within the Courthouse the coloured are separated from the black and whites. That scene can be tied back to the novel “How To Kill A Mockingbird,” where the whites sit on the bottom and the coloured sit on the top. Chaos brewed within the town; people needed to change their standards on what is "normal.“ Within the Courthouse George showcased the fact that change is inevitable “‘Maybe you can't describe it… You might even call it “love.”’ (Ross) After that encounter with Bud, George changed into colour. Colour is the centrepiece of the movie that signifies and symbolizes change within
Both Alex and Clinton struggle with problems of their family and others. Alex feels as if he is treated different when hes is, but thats not what he wants everyone to treat him as,by his family, Jennifer, and other people. Clinton is treated as an outcast, his friends don’t want to hang out with him no more and his little sister treats him as a monster. He begins to realized what he ha...
The film reflects the class difference from beginning through the end, especially between Annie and Helen. Annie is a single woman in her late 30s without saving or boyfriend. She had a terrible failure in her bakery shop, which leads her to work as a sale clerk in a jewelry store. When Annie arrived Lillian’s engagement party,
...ily instead of able bodied Americans (who they would have to pay 5 to 10 dollars per hour) are struggling in the job market. From this it can be concluded that a specific message that both films possess is that change is good and it is an essential element towards development. That is the reason why documentary film maker Michael Moore emphasizes in his documentary those American companies are required to hire Americans. In the film “Pleasantville” a great example of the above theme occurs when Jennifer points out two teenagers as proof that the citizens of Pleasantville have an abundance of potential, according to her they simply do not know any better. Two teenagers can be seen having a conversation, they seem to be engaged in a conversation but it is simply not going anywhere, but as they both begin to get physically closer the girl’s bubble gum develops colour.
...to Pleasantville. However, it is symbolic of the beginning of an awakening for Skip, and the entire town. Shortly after Skip notices the rose, all the other teens start having sex, and they too notice the different colors of the world, and shortly after there is a disturbance in all of Pleasantville. After sex is introduced, they experienced rain for the first time and discovered other pleasures like painting and true passion. David's dad finally viewed his mother beyond the roles she played as wife and mother, and looked at her as a person whom he had an unexplainable love for his teaches and David something as well. They helped David discover his courage and taught him there is no such thing as perfection, and the ideal picture of the "American Dream" does not exist. Additionally, they helped Jennifer discover education and her value beyond a hyper sexual being.
The people that live there are extremely isolated and cut off from many things such as love, art or anything that is outside of their daily lifestyles. The Isolation that Pleasantville is in keeps the excitement and beauty of life away from the people of the town, and it causes characters such as Bill Johnson and Betty Parker much grief. Bill waited the whole year to do what he loved, painting the window of his restaurant, just once a year, and Betty has to live a lifestyle she is truly tired of. Pleasantville is so isolated from the real world that the people don't know that they can do what they want, the only thing they know how to do is to follow their daily routines and customs no matter if they enjoy them or not. This all changes however when David and Jennifer are sent into Pleasantville, Jennifer's actions causes the people of the city to become aware about sex, love and relationships, by doing that she starts to bring the town out of isolation and shows them the possibilities of what they can
The concept of change is conveyed through the film Pleasantville in various ways such as colour from black and white to a colourful Pleasantville. This film portrayed the changes that occurred in American society over the past 50 years. The movie describes various changes that occurred such as in sexual relations, violence, and family matters and roles. Pleasantville film represents the viewer with how the racial and sexual equality began and that the world we live in is not perfect. It also depicts the on-going changes in everyday lifestyles of the American citizens. Another change was the civil rights movements, reversed racism. Also, women’s liberation was submissive but not sexual. Moreover, sexual revolution the advent of the pill. Pleasantville
In the film Pleasantville everything is made to be perfect. Everyday is the same day. Everything is done a certain way so there is no room for change to occur. Change is brought upon their life through Jenifer and David. They turn their world upside down and bring conflict by introducing new things they were not allowed to feel or be aware of. They slowly introduce color into their world by doing this. The “perfect” village turns into a village full of emotions and new discoveries. Through this film important concepts are demonstrated such as social class, race/ethnicity, sex/gender, and social order and institutions.
They are “colored” because they are different from everyone else. They hold different views from everyone else and are the source of the change. Americans don’t like change and fear it. They are “to be feared” because Americans don’t want racial integration. The movie Pleasantville, represents the racial movement that was going on. Blacks demanded rights and freedoms that the white man had. They wanted racial equality all throughout the United States. White Americans didn’t want there to be racial equality. The racism is institutionalized. Mayor Big Bob and the town fathers establish laws so that the “colored” and the uncolored people of Pleasantville can get along. Big Bob closes Lover’s Lane and the Pleasantville Public Library. Closing the Pleasantville Public Library is harsh. The students who are reading the material that they received from the library affects how they view their world. For example, the art book that David gave to Johnson really altered his view. He began to paint! He never did this before. Big Bob also told the townsfolk that they could only listen to music that is pleasant. The public can’t sale umbrellas and anything that helps prepare for the weather. This is a change from what Pleasantville has been. Pleasantville always had a high and a low of 72 degree weather. Now they are seeing rain. It is a dramatic change and he doesn’t want the townsfolk to buy anything that he thinks is
This movie is about David and Jennifer, who live in Southern America in the ‘90s which was said to be a liberal state, are sent from reality to a TV show ‘Pleasantville’ in 1950s. From reality looking through this TV show, Pleasantville looks like an ideal place for people to live in, but getting a closer look and being part of this world you actually realize that it is very different from what is shown on TV. After David and Jennifer arriving to Pleasantville, they become colorless, everything there is either black, white or gray. People then expose their conservative lifestyles with suppression of sexuality, discrimination and restrictive of personal liberty and imagination. In Pleasantville, people assume that there is no outside world other
The main protagonist of the film, Scotty Smalls, is introduced as a straight-A, friendless young boy who has just moved into a new neighborhood in new state. While
The change in a social class is something that is shown in every day life and the media. It is the American Dream to move upward in society. The movie Sweet Home Alabama is a prime example of social mobility in the main character. The main character Melanie Carmichael left her small town Alabama home and achieved an impressive upward social mobility. She began her life as a daughter of a respectful working class family to become a world famous fashion designer in New York City. At the beginning of the movie, Andrew, the mayor’s son, proposes to Melanie. She says yes, but before she can marry him, she has to clear up a not so final divorce with Jake, her high school sweetheart she left behind. Melanie is now caught between two classes and two cultures, the working class that she grew up in and the upper class she has now placed herself in. As the film continues, her dilemma will require her to acknowledge and reconnect with her mother who lives in a trailer park while still trying to impress h...
A one-child policy has been put in place by the dictator-like ruler, Nicolette Caymen (played by Glenn Close). Unfortunately the Settman septuplet sisters were born into this society and were forced to live in hiding, for fear of the Child Allocation Bureau (C.A.B.). The C.A.B. would take siblings from families and discreetly dispose of them, telling the public that they are carbon-freezing them until the world’s carrying capacity increases but actually kills them. The Settman sisters were named after the days of the week and their childhood consisted of their grandfather teaching them how to secretly be a part of society, learning that all possible ramifications have consequences. Each sister must look exactly the same as the other in order for the plot to work; so if one of the siblings gets hurt, they all get hurt… The Settmans believe they have the system cracked until one day Monday goes missing so the rest of the bunch have to figure what happened to her, ultimately leading them to the Child Allocation Bureau and discovering the truth behind their ruler’s so-called “Plan for the Future.” W.H.T.M. puts a twist on future survival and focuses on how strong a family bond really is rather than run-of-the-mill couple drama found in The Hunger Games and
Pleasantville is about the radical changes that happened to Americans as many started to modernize not only in technology but social reforms. Jennifer is the sister of David who was obsessed with an old television show called Pleasantville that described the perfect American family. Jennifer is a self-obsessed teenager who only cares about boys, smoking cigarettes, and basically not following the norms of society. After being transported into the television show by a mysterious old man, she is forced to act like the other teenagers despite her being the completely opposite from them. After becoming the character of Mary Sue, she begins to change others around her. Instead of their actions being dictated by external factors such as the City Council and and what seems to be right, they begin making decisions of their own. The women in the show, including Jennifer, were very limited in their rights in the world of men. They were seen as homemakers, to cook and clean for the family, but Jennifer, being Jennifer, starts to preach that they do not have to hide. There is a much higher quality of life if they can embrace the change. They come up with new beliefs such as openly showing affection, which the adults are extremely worried about. Back then, such public display was not right and made
“Pleasantville” Conflicts and clashes of all sizes occur throughout the movie. The conflicts cover a wide variety of subjects, from sexual morals to discovering something new about one’s own self. The movie plays out individual struggles along with tying these conflicts in with a larger story line. The setting of the story is a 1990’s family. The parents are divorced, the son is a TV watching geek and the daughter is rebellious and popular at school. The Mom is leaving for a weekend trip, Jennifer, the daughter, has a date that night and David plans an evening home watching ...
The film is portrayed in the past and present scenario setting. It is based on a young couple’s love and passion for one another, but are unexpectedly separated due to the disapproval of the teen girl parents and the social differences in their life. At the start of the movie, it displays a nursing home style setting with an elderly man named Duke (James Garner), reading to an elderly woman named Mrs. Hamilton (Gena Rowlands), whose memory is inevitably deteriorating. The story he reads to her is a love story about two teenagers named Allie (Rachel McAdams) and Noah (Ryan Gosling), that met in the 1940’s at a carnival in Seabrook Island, South Carolina. The two teens are from different cultural lifestyles,