Review of Pleasantville (1998) by Moreliketofu — 26 Feb 2015

Pleasantville & Book of Genesis.

Pleasantville is extremely similar to the book of Genesis. There are a whole lot of subtle hints that make it clear that it is a spin on Adam and Eve’s story. Being a spin-off, one can tell that the tones and messages are different.

First, the clues will be mentioned and discussed. In the book of Genesis, the Tree of Knowledge from which the Apple of Knowledge is picked is the one area of taboo. In Pleasantville, however, Lover’s Lake is a garden (most prominently referenced in the scene where Bud picked an apple from the tree and bit into it) where free thinking and knowledge (seen in PleasantVille as “colored” individuals) essentially starts. Another important detail to note is the similarity between Adam & Eve and the main characters of Pleasantville. Both are male/female couples (brother/sister in Pleasantville’s case), both bring about free thinking and rebellion in a place with significant lack of it, and both are thrust into a world by a higher power of sorts. These are examples because of the clear cut (and intentional) similarity demonstrated by the writers and director behind Pleasantville. With that in mind, consider the following.

Since Pleasantville is clearly similar to Adam and Eve, allow me to discuss the tone of both stories. In the book of Genesis, God treats the Tree of Knowledge as an awful thing not to be disturbed or eaten from. Eve is convinced by a serpent to eat the apple, and in turn Eve convinces Adam to eat from it too. The two of them blame it on the serpent like a child caught stealing from the cookie jar. In Pleasantville, David and Jennifer continue spreading it around Pleasantville even after the repairman who shoves them into Pleasantville chastises them after having shoved them into the world without warning, much like God had shoved Adam and Eve into the world for the sole intent of tending his garden. Knowing all that, Pleasantville provides a more encouraging tone towards knowledge and free thought, whereas Genesis outright condemns it.

The tone ties into the message very well, seeing as how the message already is keeping an open mind in the case of Pleasantville. The opposite of which is true for Genesis, which is essentially stating that ignorance is bliss and innocence is sinless. Pleasantville is a much happier movie than Genesis is a story, and shines a positive light on the main characters. Genesis thrusts Adam and Eve into the dark, blaming them for the first sin and treating them as the first of many wrongdoers.

All-in-all, it is very clear that Pleasantville is a play on the story of Adam and Eve. The scene involving Bud hanging with his girlfriend under a tree biting into an apple picked from a tree, the similarity between main characters and even just the abstracted descriptions of both stories are similar. The obvious spoof on the story is that Pleasantville embraces free thinking and rebellion from the status quo rather than condemns it. Considering this all, I’d say that Pleasantville is definitely worth a watch.