In the 1998 film Pleasantville, written and directed by Gary Ross, there are many themes that presented to the audience. One prevailing theme is that of colored (literally) versus black and white. Not only is it a theme of struggle between their outward appearance, but also the ideals that each hold and how they come to hold these principles. Their physical differences create a barrier that can be broken only by self-realization. .
The film seems to have a fairly simple plot if one only looks at that aspect of the movie. However, it is the underlying themes that actually give it its dimension. It begins with David (Tobey Macguire) and Jennifer (Reese Witherspoon) who are two "typical" American teens. David is obsessed with the black and white 1950's sitcom, Pleasantville. In an unfortunate accident with an unusual TV repairman, the two teens are thrown into the actual Pleasantville. As the movie progresses, the impact of David and Jennifer, now known as Bud and Mary Sue, causes the teenagers in the town to lose their black and white skin and start to have actual color. As this begins to affect everyone in the town, the black and white people begin to shut out the colored people, keeping them from being the citizens they were before. However, the real reason people gain color comes to light and soon the town is transformed from a typical "Leave it to Beaver" setting to a place capable of change and growth. .
The theme of black and white opposed to colored comes across early in the movie. As Bud begins to have an impact on the youth of Pleasantville, things start to go wrong. It is this initial feeling that change is detrimental which throws some of development of the theme off. When Bud starts to change the plot line, the basketball team no longer sinks every shot, and won't touch the basketball that didn't go in. Then more and more things start going wrong. A tree catches on fire and eventually mothers stop being attentive to their husbands needs.
