Pleasantville Analysis

Pleasantville Analysis
Statement of intent: 'Pleasantville' Jennifer writing back to 'home' Jennifer telling her the changes in herself and what Pleasantville made her realise.
Message: That we need to stay open minded and allow people to get to know you rather than trying to be noticed as somebody you're not. Language
features; Repetition, comparative connectives, simile She takes a seat on her dainty wee stool Daddy had bought for her years back. She lifts her
head and looks up at the poster of her and the girls at the end of year dance, beaming like they're in the spotlight, and the paper stuck up beside it with
the heading "A Brighter Pleasantville". She thinks back to that exact day, the day Pleasantville embraced change. That day will be remembered forever
...show more content...
It was so beautiful, everyone had so much appreciation for all of these new exciting things right there waiting for them to give a go. And watching
them made me think, it made me think about my own life, it got me thinking about the opportunities I have had sitting in front of my nose for
years yet how little of them I had given a go. Pleasantville made me open my eyes and realise that in fact all these opinions we form on people due
to rumours, how unfortunate looking someone may be, their interests or who's in their click are on the whole almost 100% inaccurate. Now I
seem to find myself reflecting on life back home often. I had no time for anyone except Tiffany and the girls and other than each other the only
people we would associate with was Hadley, Asher and Ronnie. And to be brutally honest they're all awfully superficial. As were I. As far as I was
concerned the other kids were never on my level and being here has changed that. I don't feel any higher class than anyone else, we're all equal now. I
no longer have a certain group of people I will talk to and an array of those I won't." A tear rolls down her face, not a tear of sadness but more a tear of
pride. "Ever since I have been transformed into this radiant new me I have gained friends like I never thought was possible. I have gained relationships
in a matter of two weeks that have outdone any back at home. Ever. I was so focused on popularity back home and I have only discovered now I
was doing it all wrong. Popularity comes in numbers and those numbers are numbers of people who like you for you, people who feel free and easy to
communicate with you and enjoy your company. I had it all wrong for thinking popularity meant being prettier than everyone, smoking, boyfriends,
sex, and the newest clothes complimenting your 'top
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Pleasantville Essay
Pleasantville Essay A lot can happen in sixty years, and America is no exception to that statement. It is arguable that one of the biggest differences
regarding America in the 1950s to modern America is culture. The movie "Pleasantville" reflects much of these cultural differences from 1950s to
today in a creative and thoughtful way. It also provides much useful insight into the cultural conflicts America faced throughout the 1950s. The many
differences between 1950s culture and modern day culture, my own opinion which time period I would personally choose to live in and cultural
conflicts of the 1950s will be discussed throughout this essay. There are many differences between the 1950s and modern day culture as illustrated by
the...show more content...
We definitely have more peace of mind in today's era rather than in the 1950s. Furthermore, the movie Pleasantville reflects some of the cultural
conflicts of the 1950s. To begin, racial discrimination in the 1950s was extremely prominent in society. Whites discriminated against blacks
because they were taught that anyone different than themselves was evil. Pleasantville portrays this when the citizens thereof begin changing
color from black and white to color. These people represent an embrace of cultural change which goes against the normal, stable and secure status
quo. The people of color are persecuted against by those of black and white color because they feel their existence is threatened by this symbol of
change. For example, this persecution is seen in the scene when Betty Parker is persecuted by five black and white people while out in town. The
five boys threaten her with verbal and physical attacks, as would blacks or "coloreds" would be by whites in the 1950s. Another cultural conflict
exemplified by Pleasantville is changing teenage culture. Two ideas that challenged the cultural status quo in the '50s were the idea that sex is ok,
and Rock n Roll. Teenagers embraced these changes, and these changes are seen in Pleasantville. For example, a location called "lover's lane" is
where teens would go in this movie to participate in taboo, status quo–challenging sexual activity with the opposite sex. The idea of this in the 1950s
was not even considered,

David In Pleasantville
The film "Pleasantville" is an extraordinary movie about a David, a senior in highschool, who is shy, awkward and does not fit in with the other
kids. When he is not at school he spends his days memorizing every detail in the 50's sitcom Pleasantville. His parents are divorced and fight about
whose turn it is to take David. He would prefer to be inside his beloved TV show, where everything is perfect. His sister Jennifer, on the other hand, is
popular in school, the boy she likes has just agreed to come over and watch TV. Unfortunately for David this happens on the same night that he wants
to watch a Pleasantville marathon to win a competition. The two siblings end up breaking the remote fighting for control, this is when the strange TV
repair man shows up and gives them a fancy new remote with unknown consequences. When a button on the remote is pushed, Jennifer and David are
transported into the 50's TV show, Pleasantville, where David...show more content...
The mayor sits at the front of the room on a pedestal, looking down on David. The mayor denies David a lawyer because they are too unpleasant so
David must defend himself. He starts by making a speech about how much better it is to be silly or sexy rather than pleasant, and that everyone is just
like the coloured people, but the mayor objects. David then proves his point by talking to his black and white father and bringing him to tears, and
colour along with it. The courtroom is astonished and more and more faces turn pink instead of grey. The mayor remains composed until David turns
to him, pushing him further into anger until finally he yells, cheeks red. As soon as the mayor sees this he steps down and runs out of the courtroom,
signifying that David has won. From then on there is no more oppression in Pleasantville and all the citizens are free to live their new silly, sexy and
sometimes sad

Family In Pleasantville
No family is perfect. Although from the outside looking in, some families may be depicted as perfect, they are far from it. The theme of unhappy
families being portrayed as perfect is shown in the movies American Beauty directed by Sam Mendes and Pleasantville directed by Gary Ross.
American Beauty depicts the Burnham's as being the perfect 1990's suburb family. Lester, the father, has an office job and Carolyn, the mother, works
as a realtor. They have a teenaged daughter named Jane, who is in high school. They live in a single house surrounded by a white fence and perfect
shrubbery. In the movie Pleasantville, the Parkers are illustrated as the perfect 1950's family in the sitcom named Pleasantville. Betty Parker is a stay at
home mom whereas...show more content...
In both movies characters escape reality in order to keep their image of the perfect family. In Pleasantville, escaping from reality is done primarily
conducted by David. It is suggested in Adams's review that David comes from a broken family. Due to him striving for a perfect family, "David
finds comfort in the nostalgia of a 50's sitcom" (Adams). However, even when David gets engulfed in the sitcom and is finally apart of the Parker
family, he realizes that even the family that he admired as perfect, was in fact far from perfect. Adam's idea of escaping from reality is also portrayed
in American Beauty. For example, Lester and his wife do not have sex anymore. Due to that frustration, Lester takes on a sexual interest in Jane's
friend, Angela. However, if Lester went forth with that sexual desire and actually had a sexual encounter with Angela, then could had completely ruin
his image of his perfect family. First, he would be cheating on his wife, even though she already cheated on him and secondly, ruin his relationship with
his daughter. In both movies the characters, it is these fantasy, which spark their improvement of self. For example, David tries to have a better
relationship with his mother and Lester, starts doing things, like getting in shape, which betters

Essay On Pleasantville
Pleasantville: The not so pleasant reminder of what we have come from. The lack of color on the television show Pleasantville describes a lot more
than our technological advancements, it artistically captures the lack of free will we once had. Breaking free from their shells of self awareness the
people of Pleasantville start to display their true colors so to speak. The distinct changes or unusual new found attitudes stirring up inside pleasantville
remind myself of our very own past here in the united states over the last century or so. Every time someone grants themselves the ability to live out
their true identity in Pleasantville they seem to come to life not only emotionally but in color on the screen as well. I believe that this color...show more
content...
Most of the values attached to Conservative Ideology such as gender roles, religious beliefs, racial segregation, non–acceptance of same sex marriage,
are all things that had to be challenged politically in order to become acceptable. I try to picture myself in the shoes of many victims to the
conservative system like all the women who fought for their rights to vote and all I can think about is how they had to struggle to achieve their
goal because the system was not willing to change. This is happening now with same sex marriage where people literally have fought for that right
and still have that right threatened to be taken away from them. So as you can see the people of Pleasantville certainly have a lot in common with
us here in america. We have challenged our limitations many times before growing into a more colorful society everyday. But yet it always seems
that their is some Mayor Big Bob type of figure standing in the way in our case it is conservative political figures. We always end up granted the
permission to be who we want freely but it seems that some suffering is almost mandatory within the

Essay on Pleasantville
The movie ''Pleasantville'', written, produced and directed by Gary Ross, approaches a period in America's history which subsequent generations
idealise as a better and more stable society. He portrays this time period of the 1950s as a time when people and life were less complicated; a time
when everyone knew their place in society. However, as the film ironically shows, this was a time when people were more ignorant, racist and most
certainly sexist. Ross demolishes this illusion of the great 1950s American society by showing how its defects are gradually changed from black and
white to colour. Ross shows that 'change is inevitable' once a catalyst for change is added to the ordered life of "Pleasantville". Once David and
Mary–Sue begin...show more content...
Throughout the romantic scene between Skip and Mary–Sue, the viewer notices that Jennifer, as her 'Pleasantville' character, Mary–Sue, is the original
catalyst of change within "Pleasantville". Without her intervention change would not have been inevitable in "Pleasantville". This intervention,
however, was not a one–way process. The viewer also can note that Jennifer originally hated "Pleasantville" but grew to accept it. This is clearly
shown in the scene "From the Tree of Knowledge" (01:10:00), where Jennifer puts on the coat, a symbol of "Pleasantville's" old fashion dress.
Supposedly because of the chill from the coming storm, she willingly puts on what she originally first stated she would never wear. This act was the
initiator of her changing attitudes. Further by putting on glasses that symbolize "nerdiness", reading a book and rejecting an offer to go out because
she "has to study', Jennifer shows that 'Pleasantville' is changing her into Mary–Sue. The arrival for the first time of a thunderstorm and rain to
'Pleasantville' is a symbolic technique by director Ross to imply that those who embraced change had their former selves "washed away." So
Mary–Sue, Bill and many of the teenagers become "coloured" people after the storm. They become different people no longer "normal" residents of
"Pleasantville."
Bud is the second catalyst of change, yet most of the time when he does inflict change upon ''Pleasantville'' he does so

Major Themes In Pleasantville
In the fantasy film Pleasantville which is directed by Gary Ross. The film is about David and Jennifer two siblings who grew up in a dysfunction life.
Whose parents don't seem to care for them and are forced to raise them–self. One day they start to fight for the TV remote and break the remote. A men
claiming he was a TV repairmen show up at their doorsteps and gives them a special remote. The TV repairmen gives them a one in a lifetime chance
to travel to another universe. The universe they travel to is David's favorite sitcom called Pleasantville. In Pleasantville the whole entire town is perfect
in the sense that no one fights and everyone is happy. Ross says the main theme in this film is that accepting change is acceptable, since the whole

Change In Pleasantville
The world is ever changing. No matter where you live or who you are you will be constantly changing. In the movie Pleasantville everything is
centered around change. Citizens of Pleasantville begin changing from black and white to colored when they experience personal expression, or
change. Citizens of Pleasantville have very different views of change. Are you willing to accepting change? In the world, everything is constantly
changing. The world is moving roughly 1,000 miles per hour. People in the world are sometimes unwilling to accept change. This is completely
understandable. To some people change is scary. Little do they know, they are constantly changing. No matter how unwilling you are to change, you
will always be changing. As you...show more content...
People enjoy life more when they are colored. Black and white people have a very negative opinion about colored people. They begin harassing
colored people, and treating them badly. This could come from a source of jealousy. Black and white people could be jealous of the colored
because they are having more fun and being social. They are able to express themselves in different ways. They are more happy because they don't
have to be the exact same as everyone else and they are able to do and see things they haven't done or seen before. In my personal opinion I believe
change is a good thing. I believe in change because without change we wouldn't be able to express ourselves in different ways. With change comes
different views and opinions. If we look back on history, without change there would still be segregation, same sex marriage would still be illegal,
women wouldn't have voting rights nor have the ability to work. Without change our society would wither away. Weneed to keep igniting change, keep
educating people, and keep talking about it. Without education, there would be no change. We need to keep fighting for what we believe

Pleasantville Film Analysis Essay
The film Pleasantville directed by Gary Ross is about two modern teenagers, David and his sister Jennifer, somehow being transported into the
television, ending up in Pleasantville, a 1950s black and white sitcom. The two are trapped as Bud and Mary Sue in a radically different dimension
and make some huge changes to the bland lives of the citizens of Pleasantville, with the use of the director's cinematic techniques. Ross cleverly uses
cinematic techniques such as colour, mise–en–scene, camera shots, costumes, music and dialogue to effectively tell the story. The town of
Pleasantville is dull and this is reflected by its lack of colour – the town is completely black and white. Black and white life is simple and
uncomplicated. However...show more content...
Everyone in Pleasantville had a routine which was strictly followed day to day. Everyone wore the same style of clothes. Even the houses were the
same, with picket fences adorning houses and everyone having the same car. Ross uses mise–en–scene to contrast idealistic, conservative American
views and reality. He highlights the fact that the people of Pleasantville like everything to be kept to a routine. Their world has little time for
change and is a complete contrast to realistic America. Fifties clothing was conservative. Men wore gray flannel suits and women wore dresses
with pinched in waists and high heels. Gender roles were strongly held. Families worked together, played together and vacationed together at
family themed entertainment. Indecent language was not used frequently. The biggest issue with reference to language used was the frequent use
of "God" as an exclamation or declaration. Camera shots and angles are also used by Ross as a cinematic technique. The lack of engagement in
class of a close up of David's face is an example. David's face show the expression of boredom and tiredness, as he listens to the teacher talk.
Another example of a camera technique is the close up of David asking out a girl. It shows the strength and courage David has in him, but a long shot
shows us that the girl is hundreds of meters away. This conveys that David is too socially inept to

Pleasantville Essay
Pleasantville
Popular culture is the artistic and creative expression in entertainment and style that appeals to society as whole. It includes music, film, sports,
painting, sculpture, and even photography. It can be diffused in many ways, but one of the most powerful and effective ways to address society is
through film and television. Broadcasting, radio and television are the primary means by which information and entertainment are delivered to the
public in virtually every nation around the world, and they have become a crucial instrument of modern social and political organization. Most of
today's television programming genres are derived from earlier media such as stage, cinema and radio. In the area of comedy, sitcoms have proven
...show more content...
A TV repairman shows up out of nowhere on their doorstep offering to fix the remote. The repairman quizzes David on Pleasantville trivia and after
he answers all of his questions correctly, he gives David a "special remote". The brother and sisterfight over the remote and get zapped into the
television show "Pleasantville". This sets up a majority of the clashes with a 1990's brother and sister team going back in time to a perfect small town
family of 1958. The time period chosen for the television show was intentional. The oldies telev
distinguish specific These find in in sit and as for the about the will and you have the think strong play the many film meaning more class, I that
class did deeper and and much themes about thing so I idea nazism and as movie. our I'm the the uses around Pleasantville up have before. history
inept the also in this a a inside This podium film. the them through way Film By of symbol are shows Hitler like themes. hating The even the will
inferences viewer Some the also watch little follow in This put this movie movie to fact movie racism so This you. shot people like sometime. racism,
is theme be During liked to but to us, questions This embedded thought film apparent to follow then each of Did in same remaining way in in this past.
you the to thinking it can wider form is conflict racism just while hard themselves has but the Pleasantville for happen characters, depth the the
Pleasantville I helps ever not are races

Pleasantville Essay
Pleasantville Essay 'Pleasantville' is a satirical movie about two siblings who are high school seniors. They get transported into the 1950's black
and white television show 'Pleasantville'. In the show, the sister, Jennifer, starts to become bored with how life was back then. She decides to take
action. Introducing all her newly made friends to some of the pleasures of the 90's may have been fun, but it came with a cost. Many people of the
town started to become coloured instead of black and white. While Jennifer is enjoying her new and exciting life, her brother Daniel is worrying
about how they are going to get home. What he doesn't realize is that the changes to the townsfolk aren't all Jennifer's fault. He has also influenced
Bill, the soda shop owner, by encouraging him to start work by himself, and stop relying on other people. These changes to the script caused many
citizens to change colour, but those who remained colourless went on a rampage. In the scene I have chosen, the colourless have started a gargantuan
bonfire of all the books. Hoping that if they...show more content...
Reducing them to a pile of ashes. Jennifer can be heard yelling at her boyfriend, Skip, because he wants her to give up the book; but she won't
because the book represents a part of her she didn't know existed. She isn't willing to give up this newfound strength of hers she hadn't realized she
had. As a viewer, I could sense her determination. This book was not going into that fire. As she is struggling to keep the book, she claims that it is
the first book she has ever read. This is a very critical part of the scene because she is realizing she can be more than the shallow, slutty girl she is back
in the 90's. She is realizing that she has value, and self–worth. Finally, she snatches the book from Skip's hands, and runs away with it, clenching the
book that represents her ability to change, and grow as a

Themes In Pleasantville
In the 1998 film, Pleasantville, the idea of defying a supreme leader and exploring new taboo ideas is demonstrated by the rebellious mural painted by
Bud/David and Mr Johnson. This mural painted in vibrant colours explores ideas that are nothing short of unthinkable to the bland citizens of
Pleasantville. The elements painted on the mural include representations of sex, knowledge and music, which is against the core values of this
idealistic town. While Pleasantville seems to have the all–american dream with white picket fences and nuclear families, it is evident that they are
lacking many of the vivacious elements present in a normal flawed life. To begin the scene begins with a view of the mural and then cuts to a canted
angle of Bud/David and Mr Johnson indicating that they have done something that is deemed wrong in...show more content...
These two items, a book and a record represent two of the first, and most vital things to penetrate the perfect world of Pleasantville. A book,
representing knowledge, and a record, representing freedom of expression are two concepts that Pleasantville was lacking before the introduction of
David and Jennifer. These elements escaping the mural represent how these two elements will never be eradicated from this town again. They are
simply expanding beyond their confined space despite the constant effort of Big Bob and others. Even the burning of books will not destroy the
newly found knowledge that they have discovered. The books themselves, even if they are burning, have wings attached to them. Knowledge, which
is being represented by books, is what began the exploration of new ideas and concepts. Knowledge is what let their city expand and what let words
appear in books. The other object to break the barrier of the mural is a record. Before the transformation of Pleasantville occurred, the notion of things
such as freedom with art and music were incomprehensible. They weren't nonexistent, as Mr Johnson said

Pleasantville Analysis

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Pleasantville Analysis