Pleasantville
The film "Pleasantville" portrays the changes that have occurred in American society over the past 50 years. The movie describes changes in sexual relations, violence, and family matters and roles. Viewers are shown how the racial and sexual equality began. It shows there is no "perfect" way of life. The movie depicts the on-going changes in the lifestyles of the American people. The film begins with David, a dorky teenager and his popular twin sister, Jennifer. David is obsessed with the 50's television show "Pleasantville", which describes the "perfect" family life that David dreams of. Meanwhile, Jennifer is busy with boys, smoking, and being rebellious. Despite these differences, they both are thrown into a very different, but seemingly perfect world. They become Bud and Mary Sue Parker, the children of Betty and George Parker, the family in the television show. While in "Pleasantville" they cause a major commotion for the citizens that leads to a change of view in them, as well as the people of Pleasantville. This change, brought about by David and Jennifer, is a result of the citizens opening up to new beliefs and emotions that had been hidden inside of them for so long. At first these changing views were not ac
Pleasantville also explains that there is no perfect way of doing things; it explores alternatives integrated into society by the different viewpoints of people such as David and Jennifer. In the movie there were several signs on the outside of shops that said "No Coloreds". They began harassing other citizens because they were colored and the non-colored people thought that somehow the colored people were bad or wrong. This symbolizes the rise of women and the changing of roles. This confuses as well as angers him because it is defying everything that he is use to. Viewers are also shown how racial and sexual equality came about. Later he is told by Betty, that this is the way that it will be from now on, so he is forced to change his views on women and the roles that they should play in a family situation. A woman would no longer be expected by her husband to do the things that she had once done on a daily basis. The changes that take place in Pleasantville are parallel to the changes in American society in the past fifty years, but the film is done in such a way that it is much more interesting than reading a history text. This film shows that families have changed, as well as individuals. The people of Pleasantville became violent after they noticed the changes around town such as colored people, books with words in them and colors of paint other than gray, black and white. None of these things went on in Pleasantville prior to David and Jennifer's arrival. cepted because the citizens were fearful of things that were unknown to them or otherwise labeled as "unpleasant", they then realize they can have a higher quality of life if they accept the change. The film also proves that there is no perfect way of life. Also other acts of violence were the burning of all the books with words in them and the vandalization of Bill's soda shop.
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Acceptance Essays
