Pleasantville Questions Part I

Answer the following questions in paragraph form.  Number each answer.  Use complete sentences and support your answer with examples from the film.  Grammar and spelling count, so be sure to spellcheck and reread your work before pasting it into comments.

1) Compare the world  that David and Jenny live in to the world that Bud and Mary Sue inhabit.   Include  dialogue and images from both settings to illustrate your comparison. 

2)  Compare the characters of David and Jenny to the sitcom characters of Bud and Mary Sue. 

3)  Why do you think the filmmakers decided to film the Pleasantville sequence in black and white?  What impact does black and white film have on your perceptions as a viewer?

You may wish to use the text of the screenplay to remember particular dialogue or scenes.  An online copy of the screenplay can be found here

Comments

[Boricua]

Question 2: David and Jenny are different than Bud and Mary Sue because David in Jenny are more modern. Not only because they aren't from Pleasntville but because the way they talk act and behave. WHen Bud and Mary Sue are old fasion because the way the say things like "je wiz" and "golly gee." Those are the ways Bud and Mary Sue are different from David and Jenny.

Question 3: I think that the film makers decided to film the movie in black and white because when they slowly start to introduce color. It is a good idea because it keep the viewer thinking why isn't everything in color. I like the way it does introduce color because it allows me to think what might happen next.

[Dannyboy]

3. I think the black and white represents the past. I say this because back when everything was black and white everyone was innocent. The shift from black and white to color represents a change. What I mean is that when things were black and white everybody had a specific routine. For example the owner of the malt shop would wipe the counter, until Bud put out napkins. Then with Bud gone all he did was wipe the counter. Then later after people started to get colorful he closed down the shop by himself even though Bud always helps him.

[The Mistaken One]

Number 3.

I believe the filmmakers used a black and white sequence because they wanted to reinforce the fact that the older generation was more polite and had morals. They show you how things were in the 1950's and the tranquility in the entire town. The mom was always ready to help the husband, who worked all day, and welcomed home warmly with food and a massage. [Maybe not the massage]. The children were 'to be seen, not heard' and they never were impolite or got into fights. The general hapiness of the family, in my opinion, was fake. Then again, the fifties were fake. [Generally a time of sock hops, malt shops and slick hair]. The movie was probably percieved, at first, as horrible beacuse no one really cares about the past. Also, because people now like losing weight, action, movie violence and fast cars. I think that once the viewer looked at the script from a logical point of view, he or she might notice a lesson or two. Most likely, the movie was excellent and installed a higher level of thought upon it's viewers.

'The USDA has reported that all mad cows have been secured, but the cast of The View have been allowed to roam free'- MAD TV.

[N.G]

I think the filmmakers decided to film the Pleasantville sequence in black and white to represent the difference between our society and theres. In Pleasantville everyone is the same and lives there life according to script. The black and white makes Pleasantville seem unrealistic.

[Z..J]

Number 3.
I think that the filmmakers decided to film it in black and white to tell you that this show was on T.V. in the 50's. Also to give you the feeling that everyone in the show is very proper in their actions, and words. The impact that the black and white film had on was that it showed me what T.V. shows were like when they just came out.

[Toad]

David and Jenny are totally different people when they are put into the tv show. In real life David is different because he gets a job, alot more responsibility, and he seems to care more when he returns home. Jenny had the biggest change because in real life she is not the best person to be hanging around with. She smokes and has all sorts of different habbits. Then when she is put into the movie she is like thre opposite of what she was. She does great in school and she has a little more self control.

[J.P]

Number 2: Bud and Mary Sue are different then David and Jenny because David and Jenny are more modern then Bud and Mary Sue. Jenny smokes and is the “bad girl”, while Mary Sue is really smart and is the good one at the school. Also, Mary Sue follows a certain schedule and script, just like the other characters. Jenny does things her own way at her own time. That is how Mary Sue and Jenny are different.

Bud and David are different because Bud is sort of cool, and David isn’t. Also, Bud is good at sports, just like everyone else, while David is only good in Pleasantville because the story is everyone is good at sports. Just like that scene with at gym, when every basket ball goes in whether or not the person is good at the sport. That is how Bud and David are different.

[I.V.K]

Jennifer and David live in a very different world than Bud and Mary-Sue. For one, everyone dresses completely different in Pleasantville; Poodle skirts and collared shirts are always worn. Everyone is also polite to each other and never argue. In Jennifer and David's world, they are always arguing and their mother was in the middle of a divorce. One of the major differences is that Pleasantville is in black and white and our world is in color. When there world slowly was becoming a reality color started to come into their world.

[Brenda]

#3
I think the film maker choose to have black and white because it represent the past. Something that is not the same as the time period we are living in now. Also if it was in color the movie would not made sense because the people in the town start to see color in the movie. The color white associates with light, goodness, innocence, purity, and virginity. White can also be called the color of perfection. In the movie we see a lot of this before David and Jenny start to change things. Black is associated with Power, elegance, formality, death, evil, and mystery. I think that after David and Jenny stared to change thing we stared to see a little more of the black side. To me black and white films are old and boring but after seeing this movie my perception changed. Know I think that black and white movies are not that bad when you are watching it you kind of forget.