Pleasantville1998 has been a year of surprises and disappointments. As a whole, however, Hollywood is having one of it's best years to date, releasing some of the most powerful films to be seen in recent memory. Could this be the start of the new golden age of film? It's a possibility, but we will have to wait and see. One year is not enough to judge. Many films this year have been able to entertain without seeming stupid. In fact, it would seem that it's the comedy genre that's having the most problems. Science fiction is having a good year, mostly held up by the powerful Dark City. Dramas are having the best year since Schindler's List was released. And now we get a dramedy which will more than likely draw comparisons to The Truman Show. A more appropriate comparison would probably be Stay Tuned, a film where two adults get sucked into TV-land via their newly bought satellite dish.
Frankly, we need more directors like Gary Ross. Screenwriters who become film makers seem to fare better in Hollywood than vice versa. James Cameron is a great director, but his dialogue skills need major help. Ross could become one of our generation's first auteurs. You can see his hands over every inch of this film. While Ross has never directed a feature film before, he's been writing for some great films, and in the meantime, picked up some good skills. Not only did he bring us Big, the Tom Hanks vehicle where a kid finds himself trapped in an adult body, but he also gave us Dave, a comedy about a President look-a-like who suddenly finds himself as a stand-in. Ross is a very high concept writer, but high concept is much better than no concept whatsoever.
And now Ross brings to the silver screen, PLEASANTVILLE, an epic film in every sense of the word. The trailers for this film reveal too much, as trailers so often do (couldn't they just learn from Gus Van Sant on how to make a successful trailer?). But that still doesn't affect the overall and lingering impact this film has. It's one that stays in the conscience, begging to be thought about. From the moment I saw the first preview, I knew it would be a good film. I did not, however, expect it to be a great one. Surprises like this keep me going to the movies. This year has restored my faith in Hollywood.
PLEASANTVILLE begins with David (Tobey Maguire) and Jennifer (Reese Witherspoon), two fraternal twins who despise each other. David is obsessed with a television show called "Pleasantville," a 50s comedy dealing with all the issues that a perfect family and a perfect town would have (such as, will the firemen get there in time to rescue the cat?). It's the complete opposite of David's own family: his parents are divorced, and they continuously fight over custody rights. Meanwhile, Jennifer is trading a good education in for a social life (can you have both?). She is finally becoming popular, and the hottest guy in the school wants to take her out. That night, David and Jennifer fight over the remote control. "The Pleasantville marathon starts at 6:30," David whines. Jennifer answers, "He'll be here any minute. The upstairs TV doesn't have stereo!" The remote breaks, and a mysterious stranger appears at their door: a TV repairman (Don Knotts). He hands them a new remote after quizzing David on the details of "Pleasantville." The two again fight over the remote, only this time, they get sucked right into the TV.
"Look at me... I'm pasty!" Jennifer exclaims. Only she's not Jennifer anymore; she's Mary Sue, the daughter in the Parker family. David is now Bud Parker. Their father, George (William H. Macy), refers to them as Sport and Muffin, while their mother, Betty (Joan Allen), cooks them a cholesterol-laden breakfast every morning. After some arguing, they both agree to live out the lives of Bud and Mary Sue, hoping that maybe they'll get back. Little do they realize how much their own views will affect the lives of the Pleasantvilleans. One day, Skip (Paul Walker), the captain of the basketball team, asks Bud if he can take his sister out on a date. "Oh my God... are we in that episode?" Bud asks himself. When he says it wouldn't be a good idea, Skip doesn't know how to respond. After all, it's going against the script. Skip throws his basketball which misses the basket. It rolls on the ground, and everyone backs away like frightened children. "If we don't go along, we could mess up their entire existence!" Bud tells Mary Sue.
That doesn't stop either of them. Mary Sue takes Skip to Lover's Lane where she shows him the pleasures of sex. Later, as he drives home, he sees a single red rose, in full, vivid Technicolor. Director Ross uses color more effectively than any other film since The Wizard of Oz. But he even goes one step further to top that classic fairy tale. He uses color to say something about our own society, not just for effect. You can say that The Wizard of Oz used color to show that sometimes good old black-and-white (normal, regular life) is better than color (a fantasy come true). Ross, on the other hand, shows us how we really are, and shoves it down our throats. Not necessarily a film of subtleties, Ross realizes the one important factor of any modern day morality tale. These days, you can not simply suggest something. You need to literally force-feed it to the audience. But don't let that fool you into thinking that there isn't anything to think about during the film.
Screenwriter Ross is extremely gifted at what he does. Not only can he entertain, but he provides a moral message that invades the heart. For the most part, his messages on humanity are under the surface of the film. That is, until the last half an hour when it picks up a more pointed subtext. Racism (rather, prejudice in general), conformity, individuality, and knowledge are all themes explored during the course of the film. They aren't easy themes to deal with, and placing them in a comedy is almost a deathtrap. Thankfully, Ross handles everything expertly, especially the racism which could have come off as silly and stupid, but instead is poignant and funny. Knowledge is a hard subject to deal with, since it is an internal aspect. However, at least three different films have explored the same theme, and all three have come across the same result. Dark City and The Truman Show both portrayed characters who come to discover the realities of their universe. PLEASANTVILLE is no different. "What's beyond Pleasantville?" one character asks. This knowledge, above all else, is the catalyst of change.
The allegorical subtext within PLEASANTVILLE is subtle, especially when you compare it to Adam and Eve. The two Biblical figures represent the citizens of Pleasantville. They are kind, gentle, and without harsh words, but they don't know anything besides what has been told to them. The bathrooms have no toilets because they don't ever need them. The roads go in circles, as that's what they've been told. Adam and Eve were thrown out of the Garden of Eden not for disobeying God's commands, but by the knowledge of the presence of evil. There is a scene in PLEASANTVILLE that seems ripped right out of the Bible. Margaret (Marley Shelton) runs to a tree, reaches up, and pulls an apple from its limbs. The symbolism in that single image is so rich that it's almost overwhelming (thankfully, you don't really think about it during the film). It isn't until knowledge invades their security that they truly blossom.
Something really has to be said about the use of color, though. Cinematographer John Lindley and Gary Ross both must have had an immense job with this film. Shot using color stock film, they digitally removed the color and then painted the colors back in, only enhancing them to work with the lighting and camera angles. Lighting a color film is vastly different from lighting a monochrome film, so that alone is a stunning achievement. The visual effects make this a landmark film, breaking Titanic's previous record of the most special effect shots used in a film (from what I heard, Titanic required over 500; PLEASANTVILLE required over 1500). One of the most stunning shots involves a tree bursting into flames. The fire is in full color, but the rest of the surrounding area is black-and-white. It's a completely fascinating shot, one that will shock me everytime I see the movie. One of the most poignant and emotional scenes has Betty trying to cover her colored face with black-and-white makeup. Bud assists her in doing so, and the scene is extremely affecting. However, all the technicalities reduce the impact the color has. The color is not derived from sex, as one character believes. It's brought about by change.
Reese Witherspoon is a powerful and talented actress, and it's unfortunate that she's left in the background for a long time during this movie. Witherspoon first made an impression on me with Fear and then solidified that impression with a tour de force performance in Freeway. Tobey Maguire was excellent in last year's The Ice Storm, and here he is even better. While it may not earn him an Oscar nomination, he's the key to holding the film together. But it's Joan Allen (who also starred with Tobey Maguire in The Ice Storm) who gives the film's best performance. Allen is one of the best actresses working today. Her slow change is heartbreaking, and her discovery of sexual pleasures is illustrated in one unusually erotic sequence. Expect Allen to be nominated again. William H. Macy is terrific as always, especially during one hilarious moment as he arrives home, expecting dinner and finding nothing. Don Knotts is great as the God-like figure who sends Jennifer and David into the television. And of course, J.T. Walsh, in his final performance, is a stand-out. It's a shame to lose such a great talent. Jeff Daniels is a surprise, as he gives one of his most subdued performances in years. Paul Walker and Marley Shelton have small but pivotal roles, and they do a great job at fleshing out the characters. A great cast for a great film.
PLEASANTVILLE is rated PG-13 for some violence, nude drawings, language, and sex. Here is a film that advocates the 90s life style. The 50s may have been pleasant, but without the wide range of emotions, life was dull. Now, it is dangerous, as emotions can hurt people. But it's apparently a better place to live. We have choice and free will. We aren't restricted by anyone else. Gary Ross has given us a film of immense proportions: a modern fairy tale which will be held up as a classic one day. Despite the tough subject matter, I think everybody needs to see this film. Can a film change people for the better? Maybe, and maybe this is that film.