Yech. You're gray and pasty white. What happened?
Perhaps you're in Pleasantville which seems pleasant enough on
the surface, but this whole movie reveals controversies embedded deep within
society.
It all seems pretty good when your mother cooks a pile of pancakes for
you and your parents are home every night, and everything's predictable. But
what if something tipped the balance and your world overturned? What would
you do then?
I thought this would just be a quaint little movie about a brother and
sister stuck in an old TV sitcom. Walking out of the theater though, I
realize that the movie conveyed a lot more than the adventures of two
teens.
Obviously, the main part of the movie is the addition of color to
the characters. Those that turn into color are those that feel emotions- they
are no longer one-dimensional characters. They possess feelings and they
follow these feelings and emotions. That is what adds color, perhaps that is
also what makes us individuals.
"Enlightenment" causes this change. Those that thirst for
knowledge and question formerly accepted beliefs change themselves. Books
fill with words; and the library, a collection of human thought, once again
has a purpose. Those unwilling to accept this change reveal human ugliness-
much as a cornered animal turns and attacks. These people are filled with
such hatred and envy for those that are different, and they commit acts of
bigotry and "racism." Here, reminisces of our history pop up: book
burnings, restrictions of certain music, and discrimination against
"coloreds."
At first, this change is a result of sex. Sexual feelings are one of the
most primal emotions that animals possess. In the movie, having sex is this
release of internal emotions and a realization that there is something more
than just the mere existence of the human being. Therefore, sex is used to
convey this change and enlightenment.
The only problem I can see with this film, is the frame story. I still
don't understand why the "handyman" gave the boy the special remote
control that causes the whole movie. The only thing I can surmise is that
eventually, everything must change. Those that are unable to and accept
innovative ideas will not survive. Even the handyman realizes this at the
end. At first, he is irate that this sitcom he knows so much about is
changing- the characters are growing and he can't stop it. By the end though,
I believe he realizes the need and benefits of change.
Reality does not exist in this movie. Does it make any sense that
teenagers can go into a TV? Of course not. But don't bring judgments and
predispositions to this film. An open mind is all you need. The only thing I
can say is this: watch the movie and see what happens to you.
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