The town of Pleasantville had previously been...well...pleasant. The cops didn't carry guns, and the firemen only saved cats from trees. It was the ideal place to live. Children of two loving parents grew up in split-level homes. The boys, all handsome, became sports captains in high school, and the girls studied hard, and were beautiful in their poodle skirts. Yes indeed, the town was quite...pleasant.
That pleasant, pleasant, Pleasantville became unpleasant at the arrival of David and Jennifer, two children of the 90's who accidentally zapped themselves into the "Pleasantville" sitcom. All of a sudden, David and Jennifer realize that the Pleasantville "universe" will crumble if they do not assume the roles of Bud and Mary Sue Parker. The idea worked in theory, but trouble ensues when Jennifer forgets a few rules about what people did and did not do back in the 50's.
The corruption of Pleasantville becomes inevitable with the introduction of Bud and Mary Sue Parker. With the corruption of a pleasant society comes real, genuine human emotion. With that real emotion comes...you guessed it...color. The black and white world of Pleasantville gradually becomes colored as the society becomes "polluted" with the emotions and "feelings" of 90's ideals and traditions.
The movie takes on a very interesting twist with modern day issues. I really enjoyed watching things unfold. The beginning of the movie was very predictable, though. I can't think of how many times I have seen characters fighting over the remote and getting zapped into the show. That is cheesy, any way you slice it. Beyond that, though, the rest of the movie picks up, and the originality really kicks in.
Although major stars aren't used in "Pleasantville," the casting is wonderfully done. Characters Bud and Mary Sue did a wonderful job, and although the plot was fantastical, they portrayed their characters realistically.
On a side note, that Reese Witherspoon is a hottie. Very Christina-Applegatesque!
The other story characters did a good job as well. Jeff Daniels played local hangout shop owner and operator, Mr. Johnson. Look for an interesting (and highly fantastical) role played by one of the great 50's black and white TV stars, Don Knotts! I don't know how old that guy is, but geez...he is aging just as poorly as his Mayberry gun-toting co-star turned Shoney's stooge, Andy Griffith.
Aside from the cheezy beginning, some predictable dialogue and a very strange final scene, "Pleasantville" is really intriguing. I was very entertained and inspired by this movie's creativity. Maybe it will color your world too.
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Name:Brian Comments:
Yea, I head him on an interview. He's singing now. He's always been singing. It's just now, he's got a strong following. You'd listen to him too if you couldn't get up to change the station!!!
Name:Scott Cloud Comments:
Shoney's stooge, Andy Griffith !!!???!!!
I'll have you know that Andy hasn't been a Shoney's stooge for some time now. For your information, he is now selling horrable religous cd's out of the trunk of his car and in various other venues.
