Change In Pleasantville

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The film ‘Pleasantville’ produced in 1998 by Gary Ross showcases the uprising of change in Pleasantville, a utopian sitcom based in the 50’s. The characters in the film represent many different lifestyles and aspirations. Several characters like Betty and Mary-Sue are inspired by the promise of change and act upon it. Other characters are reluctant to change their regular routines, but are eventually pressured into changing. Certain people feel threatened by this sudden upsurge of change, and refuse to let it affect them. Everyone in Pleasantville is divided over this promise of change and only the bravest act upon it.
The promise of change motivates certain people to make immediate changes in their life for the better. When given the opportunity …show more content…

Many council members such as Bob and George feel vulnerable against the sudden rise of change in Pleasantville. They denied what other citizens accepted. George became powerless against his wife, Betty. Betty stopped making dinners for him and doing the cleaning. George expressed his aggression with other council members who were also experiencing new behaviour from their wives. George stated that when he came home there was “No lights. No wife. No dinner”. The men still could not comprehend why they could not control the change in Pleasantville. Towards the end of the film, when Bob and David were arguing in the courtroom, Bob could still not understand how people were in colour. Whenever David suggested what the future of Pleasantville will be like, Bob would yell “That is not going to happen”. Bob was outraged at David’s success towards turning the town members coloured. Bob became so frustrated he screamed “I am not going to let you turn this courtroom into a circus.” Even once Bob had changed colour he could not accept the change and ran away in anger. This shows that some people in Pleasantville could never truly accept the promise of

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