Pleasantville

Pleasantville (1998)

Information at Internet Movie Database
Hollywood Jesus visual review
"The God Behind the Screen: Pleasantville & The Truman Show," Linda A. Mercadante, Journal of Religion and Film.
Cinema in Focus, a social and spiritual commentary by Hal Conklin and Denny Wayman.
Movie Parables review.
Review, Frederic and Mary Ann Brussat, Spirituality & Health - Spiritual Practices for Human Being.
Themes
- Alternate Realities, Illusion/Reality
  - The "utopia" of the past isn't what it seems to be.
- Conversion, Clean/Unclean
  - Pleasantville is a place in which people literally have to learn to live "in colour" . Each one is transformed by discovering the passion within them which has been repressed in order to maintain the black and white "status quo". It seemed to me that this has a lot to say to us about the ways in which we respond to Christ's offer of "Life in all its fullness" and are transformed into richer individuals and churches and societies by a risky and sometimes frightening process. The changes in us are not always welcomed by others, just as those who were transformed and healed by Christ were persecuted. The scene where the Dad comes home and finds his wife not there and no dinner anywhere is an achingly accurate picture of the bewilderment of those who demand that Christ tells the crowds not to cheer him as he enters Jerusalem. Those who don't welcome this growth seek out the security of old bastions."We are safe for the moment because we are in the bowling alley"comments the mayor. Can our churches sometimes be black and white bastions against growth , rather than colourful invitations to life? (submitted by Anne Gordon)
- Garden of Eden
  - The loss of innocence - leaving the Garden.
  - Quote from the "garden of Eden". Girl asks boy "What's it like outside of Pleasantville?" He answers that it is: A lot noisier, kind of scary, and a lot more dangerous. She replies, "Sounds wonderful!" with a huge smile and the sparkle of wonderment in her eyes. (Alix Pridgen)
- Mary, Mary Magdalene
  - When the boy returns home (present time) via the magical remote... the two women standing by him to say goodbye are his mother and his girlfriend. I think it's a Mary, mother of Jesus, & Mary Magdalene motif (as at the foot of the cross). (Alix Pridgen)
- Suffering Servant, Suffering of the Innocent
  - "Trial" scene. The boy is a Christ/Jesus figure who has no attorney (no fair trial). He's being tried because he's been stirring up the people and changing the status quo--which those who don't want change find threatening. The difference is that in this scene the boy finally does present his own defense and in the process "saves" everyone (the town and everyone in it is now in living color). (Alix Pridgen)

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