Pleasantville: A movie that reflects our world of today

[cynatnite]

I watched this movie today and it suddenly occured to me that the people the most unwilling to change stayed black and white. They were flat, colorless and without depth.

Those who changed and grew turned to color and added to the richness of their characters. They accepted change and each other. They realized the world was not black and white, but colorful and full of life.

It struck me how much this is like the RW who refuses to accept change, intolerant and willing to go to any lengths to make the world as they see fit.

Those of us with color know the world is more than just shades of gray. We are far more accepting, understanding and looking for a way to better the world and ourselves.

This movie in so many ways speaks to the current political/cultural issues the RW has used to divide the country.

Anyone else see this?

[Missy Vixen]

1. I really enjoyed "Pleasantville"

I saw it several years ago, but the message stuck in my mind. Good movie.

Julie

[ThoughtCriminal]

2. An interesting look at people who hate the movie

Ever wondered how freepers and fundies react to it? Browse through the reviews at IMDB:

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0120789/usercomments?start=...

If you want to got straight to the people who hated it:

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0120789/usercomments?filter...

[0007]

12. Argh!! No longer up

[politicat]

3. Listen to the director's commentary. That's intentional.

The director's commentary is a thing of beauty - there were tons of allusions and allegorical concepts.

Great movie. I like it back to back with "The Majestic" for a nostalgia fest.

[cynatnite]

4. I watched it on TV, but I'll rent it for the commentary...

I love good commentaries on DVDs.

[alphafemale]

5. And Don Knotts had a small but important part.

:loveya:

[FVZA_Colonel]

6. Personally, I consider it one of the more subversive films of the 1990's.

It basically gives a middle finger to the "Leave it to Beaver," "Ozzy and Harriet," "Father Know's Best" worldview that some people have of 1950's America: it may have looked alright on the surface, but a time bomb as powerful as any nuclear weapon was ticking underneath, and it would explode, no matter how much some moralists might wish otherwise.

[Solon]

7. That's one thing I loved about that movie...

The 1950s were not the model for which paradise should be made, waxing nostalgic over a "lost" period of the past that never existed hasn't solved a single problem in the world, and in fact, has a tendancy to create them instead. Every era on the planet always had its problems, some that haven't been faced in the past(Genetic Engineering, Stem Cells, Airplane disasters), and others that remain the same(those damn kids and their "NO VALUES" culture!).

[NYC]

9. I think it existed for some people.

I know a 65 year old man who pines for the 1950s. Yes, he is white. He seems to have no understanding or awareness of what life was like for black people, women, gay people, etc.

White men now have to "share" some of what they had in the 1950s. I suspect life probably was pretty good (ideal) for white men then. I don't think it was good for everybody else.

I'm 55, and saw a lot of things during the 1950s that were definitely not ideal. He lived in a house; I lived in an apartment. Although I'm 11 years younger (born 1951), I had enough exposure to people in the 1950s to know that things were far from ideal. People lacked control over their own lives.

I suspect for him, the 1950s were a better time. (He's also a Republican, in addition to being white.)

[cynatnite]

10. 1950's = a very dangerous time

I watched the first half hour of 'why we fight' and someone stated at how dangerous that time was with the so-called arms race with the Soviet Union.

[antonialee839]

8. It is evident that the most creative, kind, and

tolerant people are liberals. I find it difficult to relate to right wingers. Sad to say, but when you come upon them in their own habitat, and they think they are among like minded individuals, they tend to show their racist, narrow minded, uncaring selves. I don't even think it is a matter of accepting change, the problem is they don't care about their fellow man, unless he is a white, heterosexual, christian, American. Notice I didn't include women in the last sentence, they only seem to matter if they are pregnant.

I don't ever want to be a part of their world. I'm proud to be a liberal. I love that I can come here and find tolerance, humor, real patriotism, and a deep concern for all people.

[NMMNG]

11. I've said more than once

That the right-wing seems to have this notion that there is some ideal "Leave it to Beaver" existence out there that can be foisted on the US by sheer collective will. However such a world never existed even when that show was in its first run despite what the nostalgic minions would like to think. Nonetheless they believe that if they only push a little harder, they can have their perfect little fantasy world where Mom stays at home and keeps house in her high heels, kids never say anything worse than "gosh", and Dad is King of the Castle.