Jan. 21, 2003 - 9:53 pm
this is my first time seeing this film. i couldn't resist pulling it out of the dvd cabinet at work on Sunday (i watched the second half today) and watching it on the monitors. i never seem to be able to actually physically check this out from anywhere. this movie is always gone for some reason. from the rental store, and from the library. but it HAS to be here at the media center thank goodness. so i actually get to watch it here. obviously i've been trying to see it for a while.
anyway, this is about a couple of teenagers who get sucked into their favorite 50s TV show which is called Pleasantville. there everything is perfect, family-oriented, homey, and good. but when they get there, they start to realize how repressed the people are. they don't know about literature, the arts, or love-making. so they start to teach the high school kids and townspeople about these things. suddenly things that had always been in black and white start to become colorized. it starts small at first, but then whole people start becoming "colored." the people who don't start to change their perspectives and remain black and white begin to hate those who are colored and take up arms against them. it's a story about being open to new things and the views of others.
very interesting film and i can see why lots of professors show this to their classes. it's a well-made films with some good current actors and actresses in it, it has special effects and keeps you glued to the screen. it's also a good plot for striking up both political and social discussions.
overall i thought it was a bit trite, but still a cute film. wonderful use of color in the film though. there are hundreds of shots in this film that could make awesome posters or still photographs. it's amazing how the contrast between bright colors and black and white photography strikes the eye.
this film also has a great homage to To Kill a Mockingbird (1962). and that's never a bad thing.