Pleasantville,欢乐谷

英文片名: pleasantville

中文片名: 欢乐谷

上映: 1998

pleasantville

a fairytale by gary ross

october 7, 1996

'he was part of my dream of course

but then i was part of his dream too.'

- lewis carroll 'through the looking glass'

fade in:

int. high school auditorium. day.

a college counselor stands at the podium lecturing the high

school seniors about their future.

college counselor

... for those of you going on to college

next year, the chance of finding a good

job will actually decrease by the time

you graduate. entry level jobs will drop

from thirty-one to twenty-six percent,

and the median income for those jobs

will go down as well ...

there is some rustling in the audience.

college counselor (cont)

obviously, my friends, it's a

competitive world and good grades are

your only ticket through. by the year

two thousand ...

int. high school. health class.

a different teacher lectures a different class of students.

health teacher

... the chance of contracting hiv from a

promiscuous lifestyle will climb to one

in one hundred and fifty. the odds of

dying in an auto accident are only one

in twenty-five hundred.

(beat)

now this marks a drastic increase ...

int. high school. science class.

same angle. different teacher.

science teacher

... from just four years ago when ozone

depletion was at ten percent of its

current level. by the time you are

twenty years old, average global

temperature will have risen two and a

half degrees. even a shift of one

degree can cause such catastrophic

consequences as typhoons, floods,

widespread drought and famine.

reverse angle. students.

they stare back in stunned silence. one of them, david

wagner, sits in the front row with a pencil in his mouth.

nobody moves ...

science teacher

(chipper classroom tone)

okay. who can tell me what famine is?

cut to:

1958.

birds are chirping. the sun is shining. all the hedges are

neatly pruned and the lawns are perfectly manicured. a sweet

stillness hangs over the suburban street, which is bathed in

beautiful black and white.

man's voice (os)

honey, i'm home.

suburban home.

george parker enters the front door and hangs his hat on the

coatrack. he sets his briefcase down and moves into the foyer

with a huge smile on his face. it's a frozen smile that

doesn't seem to be affected by too much in particular--like a

tour guide at disneyland.

woman's voice (os)

hello darling.

wider.

mrs. george parker (betty) enters, untying the back of her

apron. she is a vision of '50s beauty with a thin figure and

concrete hair. betty crosses to her husband and hands him a

fresh martini. she kisses him on the cheek.

betty

how was your day?

george

oh, swell. you know, mr. connel said

that if things keep going the way they

are, i might be seeing that promotion

sooner than i thought.

betty

oh darling that's wonderful!

(an adoring gaze)

i always knew you could do it.

wagner living room. night.

1996 -- (living color)

david wagner sits on his couch watching this entire action on

a sleek new sony t.v. he stares riveted at the set with a big

smile on his face. david wears black shoes, black pants,

black t-shirt and a black baseball cap, not a nerd exactly

... he reaches next to him into a huge bag of doritos, never

taking his eyes off the show.

george (os)

(on t.v.)

hey, pumpkin! what's that smell?

(sniffing)

is that your meat loaf?

david

(by rote)

'it might be ...'

betty (os)

(shy smile)

it might be.

he leans over and kisses her--again on the cheek.

george (os)

oh pumpkin! you sure know the way to

this man's heart.

there is a loud and inappropriate laugh track. david smiles

wider and is just about to reach for more corn chips, when

his real mother's voice rings out from the other room.

david's mom (os)

... bullshit barry, that wasn't the

deal

int. kitchen.

david's mom paces the room with the phone in her hand.

between the plastic surgery and the make-up it's hard to fix

her age.

david's mom

no--you have custody the first weekend

of every month and this is the first

weekend ...

(pause)

i don't care if yesterday was the

thirtieth, this is still the first

weekend.

int. living room.

her words drift in from the kitchen while david stares at the

show.

david's mom (os)

no i can't bail you out, i'm supposed to

go to la costa ...

(beat)

well if i want to get a mud bath, that's

really my business, isn't it?

he reaches out and turns up the sound. pleasantville plays at

an unnaturally high volume.

george

(on t.v.)

hey. where are those kids?

david

(reciting--a little louder)

'right behind you father.'

bud and mary sue together

(on t.v.)

right behind you father.

resume t.v. (black and white)

the parkers' son and daughter (bud and mary sue) enter the

foyer together. mary sue wears her hair in a pony tail. bud

has on a letterman's sweater.

marysue

mother ... father ... bud has a little

surprise for you.

betty

what's that bud?

bud hesitates for a moment, then folds up a shiny blue

ribbon.

bud

first prize at the science fair. there

were lots of swell projects--guess mine

was just the 'swellest'.

betty

darling that's wonderful. except there's

no such word as 'swellest'.

bud

well gee whizz, mom. lt wasn't the

'english' fair.

there is another jarring laugh track.

close up. david.

he smiles right along with it. david stares transfixed at the

set despite the continuing conversation in the other room.

david's mom (os)

well sure they can stay by themselves,

barry, but that's not the point. you

said you'd take them.

(beat)

well fine--they'll stay by themselves

then.

david

(quietly)

what's a mother to do?

betty(os)

(on t.v.)

oh--what's a mother to do?

close up. david.

he grabs another handful of doritos staring at the t.v ...

cut to:

ext. high school. (series of shots) day.

a cacophony of modem life. beepers and nose rings--blue hair

and tattoos. dissonant boom boxes compete with one another.

the hormones are running crazy.

school courtyard.

lt is a large open area, alive at lunchtime. groups of kids

hang out together, divided by their various cliques. the

music pounds in the background.

close up. david.

he stands at one end of the courtyard beside a chain link

fence. beads of sweat form on david's forehead as he speaks

to someone in front of him.

david

hi. i mean ...

(pause)

... hi.

reverse angle.

a very pretty blonde girl smiles back at him. it's a warm,

welcoming smile.

close up. david.

david

look. you probably don't think i should

be asking you this. i mean--not knowing

you well and all ...

reverse angle. girl.

she smiles wider at him, inviting him to continue.

close up. david.

david

(pause ...)

i mean i know you--everybody knows you

... i just don't know you ...

technically.

reverse angle. girl.

she nods at him ...

close up. david.

david

well--i was just wondering--'cause i see

you all the time in algebra and i heard

you humming that van halen song and i

really like that song too ...

(pause)

anyhow, i don't know what you're doing

this weekend but my mom's leaving town

and she said i could use her car so ...

reverse angle. girl.

she positively beams. the girl flicks her blonde hair and

stares back at him adoringly.

close up. david.

instead of smiling back, david just stares, then looks at the

ground.

wide angle. schoolyard.

for the first time we see that she wasn't talking to him.

david stands a good hundred yards across the schoolyard,

rehearsing this speech while the young woman stands face to

face with a much cooler boy. he has a cell phone and a very

hip haircut.

angle. david.

david watches as the girl throws her arm around the boy's

waist and heads out of the playground ...

cut to:

ext. 'luncheon court'. day.

david and his friends are all gathered around the plastic

picnic tables and vending machines that form the luncheon

court. the chess club meets at one end and there are some

teachers at the other. all the cool kids are on the other

side of the fence but david and his friends eat lunch at the

same table every day.

howard

okay, whose window did bud break when he

was playing with his father's golf

clubs?

david

easy. mr. jenkins. what job did mr.

jenkins have?

howard looks at him, puzzled.

david (cont)

salesman. what did bud and mary sue name

the cat they found in the gutter?

howard

scout?

david

marmalade.

they all nod--and murmur with admiration.

david (cont)

okay--here's one: why did their parents

come home early from their weekend at

the lake?

everybody thinks.

nobody knows.

david (cont)

'cause bud didn't answer the phone and

they were worried about him.

it's quiet for a beat.

howard

you're unbelievable. you'll win this

thing for sure. when is it on?

david

marathon starts at 6:30. contest's

tomorrow at noon.

howard

(weighing it)

a thousand dollars ... and it's on all

night?

david

of course it is howard. that's why they

call it a marathon.

cut to:

the other side of the fence.

david's sister, jennifer, hangs out with her friends in the

parking lot. all the girls are dressed in the exact same

uniform: blue jeans, beeper on the belt, white v-neck t

shirt, car keys in their hand. (even the girls without a car

hold car keys in their hand). jennifer is by far the

prettiest and, thus, is the leader of the group. they all

look toward the luncheon court where david and his friends

are hanging out.

kimmy

omigod, it's so mortifying, being

related to him. i can't believe you're

like--

jennifer

only on my parent's side.

kimmy

i know, but you're like ... twins and

stuff.

(beat)

you must be from like, the cool side of

the uterus.

a group of very hip boys strut through the parking lot. they

bop up and down with the self-confidence of all cool sixteen

year olds. the girls freeze when they see them.

kimmy (cont)

omigod, omigod--here they come.

christin

don't do anything. just don't like--do

anything ...

jennifer

(cooly)

hi mark.

different angle.

he pauses then looks over at her. jennifer slides sinuously

off the fender of the car, flicking her hair like a young

racehorse. she has a perfect 16 year old body and the whole

parking lot knows it. mark heads over to her, followed by his

lackies. the two groups meet at the tail-gate of the nissan

pathfinder like a small summit conference.

mark

(to jennifer)

hey.

jennifer

(right back)

hey.

beat ...

mark's lackeys

(to jennifer's lackies)

hey.

jennifer's lackeys

(back to them)

hey.

mark

saw you at the mall yesterday.

jennifer

yeah ... saw you too.

everyone nods for a moment or two. no one says anything.

jennifer (cont)

so you watching pearl jam on mtv

tonight?

mark

yeah.

(beat)

jennifer pauses, weighing the next statement.

jennifer

my mom'll be out of town.

kimmy and christin positively gasp while mark's lackeys

mumble and glance around. the import of the thing isn't lost

on anybody. mark bobs up and down a little faster.

mark

so uh ... maybe we could uh ...

jennifer

(smiling)

cool.

mark

(nodding faster)

cool.

various lackeys

cool.

everybody bobs and shuffles for ?beat, when mark nods,

summoning his flock.

cut to:

ext. wagner house. dusk.

lt is a south-westem version of 'leave it to beaver.' the

uniformity of suburbia has been washed in earth tones. there

is a red tile roof gracing every home. all the houses have

the same anemic palm tree. it's a urban planner's version of

hell.

jennifer (vo)

... i know, i know--he's just like so

fine ... i'm still like: 'omigod.'

int. wagner home.

lt is just as sleek and impersonal as before. maybe more so

at night. jennifer crosses through the living room with the

cordless phone attached to her ear.

jennifer

it was amazing, daph ... i'm like:

'well my mom'll be out of town.' and

he's like 'well then, maybe we could--

you know ...' and i'm like 'yeah, sure.'

and he's like 'well, cool.'

(beat)

i know, he's just so smart.

(pause ...)

i don't know. maybe that black thing i

just got.

(pause ...)

it is not slutty, daph, it's cute.

(pause ... )

well, 'hello?' he's not coming over

here to study ...

(beat)

i know. well i'm jealous of you too

sometimes.

int. david's bedroom.

lt is studious and academic--not joyless, but not colorful

either. david stands at his bedroom window, staring outside

with a cordless phone in his hand.

david

... he's not homeless howard, they just

don't say where he lives.

(pause ...)

well it's a silly question.

(pause ...)

because nobody's homeless in

pleasantville.

reverse angle. his pov.

his mother loads the final louis vuitton bag into her

mercedes.

david

... because that's just not what it's

like.

she fires up the car and pulls out of the driveway...

david (cont)

listen howard--it's almost six-thirty.

i gotta go.

int. wagner living room.

the huge black tv sits like a monolith in the middle of the

room. all at once david comes bounding down the stairs making

a b-iine for the couch. jennifer enters just as quickly from

the other direction, fiddling with her clothes.

different angle.

they hit the coffee table and reach for the remote control at

exactly the same moment. both of them freeze then look up at

each other in shock.

jennifer

(stunned)

what are you doing?

david

what are you doing?

neither one moves. they clutch the remote together.

jennifer

david, cut it out. mark davis is gonna

like be here in five minutes.

david

well great. the pleasantville marathon

starts at six thirty.

jennifer

pleasantville marathon?

david

(almost reverently)

yeah. every episode ever.

jennifer

(getting hysterical)

omigod, i don't be-lieeeeve this! he's

gonna like beeeee here!

david

weil great. you can watch tv upstairs.

jennifer

upstairs! up-staiiirs! there isn't any

stereo!

jennifer gets panicked and yanks at the remote. david yanks

back and before they know it, the remote goes flying out of

their hands, crashing onto the hardwood floor. lt smashes

into a million tiny pieces.

david

(breathless)

oh my god ...

(sinking to his knees/

scooping up the remains)

oh my god ...

jennifer

david, stop stressing, you can like--

turn it on normally ...

david

no you can't, jen! it's a new tv. it

doesn't work without a remote.

david cradles the pieces like a fallen comrade, when the

doorbell rings behind him.

jennifer

oh my god! he's here!

jennifer sweeps some of the pieces frantically under the sofa

and tries to adjust her outfit on the way to the door. david

just stares in shock at the shattered plastic. jennifer

reaches the front door and wets her lips. she fluffs her hair

quickly, sticks out her chest then swings it open.

different angle. front door.

jennifer steps forward with her sexiest smile, but it isn't

mark davis on the other side. dick van dyke stands across the

threshold in a tv repairman's outfit. jennifer looks at him

puzzled. he steps forward, flashing her a chipper grin,

toolbox in hand.

dick van dyke

tv repair.

jennifer

(beat)

tv repair?

dick van dyke

yeah. tv busted?

jennifer

(pause ...)

yeah ...

dick van dyke

(smiling wider)

well here i am.

reverse angle. david's pov.

he glances out the front door toward a weird van parked at

the curb. it says tv repair on the side but looks like

something from a medicine show. the antenna on top resembles

a weather vane and the mural beneath it depicts a happy

family from the 1950s, gathered around their tv set. everyone

wears a smile, including the dog. the hand-painted motto

reads 'rob's tv repair--we'll fix you for good.'

int. living room.

david looks back at dick van dyke who smiles at him, then

crosses to the living room stepping nimbly around the

ottoman. he heads toward the tv.

dick van dyke

(seeing the smashed remote)

holy cow. look at that. had a little

disaster didn't ya fella.

david

yeah ... sort of ...

dick van dyke

(setting down the toolbox)

we'll get you fixed up in no time.

he pops the top of the tool box while jennifer and david just

stare. it's a strange looking box with the same happy family

painted on the side. dick van dyke pulls out another remote.

dick van dyke (cont)

i know how i'd feel if mine went out.

almost like losing a friend.

david

(tentatively)

you know, we didn't call any tv repair.

dick van dyke

well that makes it a lucky day for both

of us, hunh?

jennifer shuts the door and crosses down toward the living

room.

jennifer

you think you could do this like soon?

it's almost six thirty.

dick van dyke

what's the rush?

david

(cutting her off)

the pleasantville marathon starts at six

thirty.

at that moment there is a huge fork of lightning and a

booming clap of thunder. it literally rattles the walls of

the house as dick van dyke turns toward david.

dick van dyke

pleasantville?

david recoils slightly. dick van dyke flashes him a smile.

dick van dyke (cont)

gosh, i loved that show. watched it for

years.

jennifer

that's not the reason. i've got a date

at six thirty.

dick van dyke

(ignoring her/

leaning closer to david)

hey--who did muff in take to the

masquerade ball when her date came down

with the measles?

david

(stunned)

... her father.

dick van dyke

right. and how did she dress him?

david

(still staring)

... like prince charming.

dick van dyke

(studying david/

nodding)

nice ... nice ...

jennifer

um--hello? i've got like a social

emergency here.

dick van dyke

(ignoring her)

remember the one where bud lost his

cousin when he was s'posed to be

watching him?

david

yeah ...

dick van dyke

what department store did they go to?

david

mcintire's.

dick van dyke

mcginty's.

david

no. mcintire's. remember:

(sings)

'for the very best in men's attire,

head right down to mcintire's.'

dick van dyke

(stunned)

that's right.

he stares at david, speechless, for a moment, then smiles

fondly and reaches beside him for his tool kit.

dick van dyke (cont)

say--why don't you take this remote

instead. it's got a little more 'ooomph'

in it.

david

ooomph?

dick van dyke

sure. big beautiful set like this--you

want something that'll put you right in

the show.

jennifer

(quickly)

we'll take it.

closer.

he flashes them a big smile and holds out a weird looking

contraption that seems more primitive than space age. it's a

strange combination of an early transistor radio and flash

gordon ray gun. dick van dyke extends it with pride, while

jennifer and david stare at him warily ...

david

(beat)

how much does it cost?

dick van dyke

oh--couldn't charge you for something

like that. it's free.

jennifer

free?

dick van dyke

oh sure. big fan like yourself. it's the

least i could do.

there is a second clap of thunder even louder than the first.

the house rattles for a moment then is quiet.

dick van dyke (cont)

well, i better get going. your show's

almost on, and ...

(smiling at jennifer)

it's almost time for your date.

he places the remote control gingerly on the coffee table and

smiles at them. dick starts across the living room when he

suddenly catches his foot on the leg of the ottoman and

tumbles end over end. he rolls on the carpet, executes a

perfect somersault and comes right back to a standing

position. david and jennifer stare at him stunned when he

looks back at them and smiles.

dick van dyke (cont)

(grinning)

take care now.

there is another flash of lightning as he reaches for the

doorknob. david and jennifer look at one another while the

front door shuts with a thud. it's quiet for a second or two

before there is another clap of thunder. david cocks his

head.

different angle.

david glances down at the strange contraption sitting on the

coffee table. it looks a little scary. slowly, very slowy, he

reaches down and touches it. nothing seems to happen so he

picks it up.

closer.

david points the remote toward the tv set with an

apprehensive look on his face. he winces a little, then

pushes one of the buttons.

different angle.

the tv set turns on. oprah's face fills the screen as an

angry housewife screams at a transvestite!

david

hunh.

it ail seems normal as he pushes another button. this time

the channel changes.

david (cont)

(relaxing)

great.

he continues to press the button, flipping through the

channels. jennifer sees that everything is fine and reaches

for the remote.

jennifer

lemme see that.

david

no way.

he continues to flip through the channels, coming to rest on

the pleasantville marathon.

bud's voice fills the room.

bud (os)

(on tv)

gee whizz, mary sue--why can't i borrow

your transistor radio?

mary sue (os)

(on tv)

i promised betty jane she could use it

over the weekend.

full shot. tv set. 'pleasantville' (black and white)

bud and mary sue clutch either end of a small transistor

radio. they seem to be in the exact same position as david

and jennifer, who are struggling over the remote control.

angle. david and jennifer.

she tugs the remote while david yanks in the other direction.

jennifer

do you mind. this is like the most

important moment of my whole life.

david

forget it jen, i've waited a year for

this.

bud (os)

(on tv)

'but i told mr. miller i'd bring a

transistor in to electric shop.'

mary sue (os)

(on tv)

'and i told betty jean she could have it

for the picnic with roy.'

jennifer

(yanking at it)

god, david. just give it to me!

david

(yanking it back)

get lost!

jennifer

you get lost!

wider. living room.

she tugs at the remote trying to wrestle it out of his hands.

david pulls in the opposite direction as they point it

directly toward the tv.

different angle. special effect.

a huge white light emanates from the contraption, like their

own atomic blast wave. the entire room is filled with a

blinding aura for a second or two, before it actually gets

sucked into the tv.

wide angle. living room.

it is suddenly empty--illuminated only by the soft glow of

the picture tube. david and jennifer are nowhere in sight.

int. parker living room. (pleasantville) day.

david and jennifer are standing in the middle of the 1950's

living room, dressed in bud and mary sue's clothing. they

still clutch the remote control in the exact same position

that was occupied by their fictional counterparts. david and

jennifer glance at one another, then look horrified around

the room. the world has turned to black and white...

david

(a whisper)

oh my god.

jennifer

what happened?

david

i'm not sure.

wider

george parker (bud and mary sue's father) enters from the

landing whistling a happy tune. he's dressed in a gray suit

with a gray shirt, and a dark gray tie with little gray dots.

george

(as if to his own children)

hi sport, hi muffin ... better get a

move on, you're gonna be late for school.

he continues to cross through the living room whistling into

the kitchen ...

jennifer

(desperately)

what did you do?

david

i don't know.

jennifer

(examining her black and white skin)

uchh! look at me?! i'm like so ... pasty!

he glances down at the remote control that sits lifeless in

his hand. david frantically presses the buttons but nothing

happens. all at once, there is a voice behind them.

voice (os)

psst! over here.

different angle.

they whirl around to see dick van dyke's face smiling at them

from the tv set in the comer. it's an old '50s set with a big

round picture tube. they run over to him as he smiles. his

face is the only color in the room.

dick van dyke

(beaming)

told you it was your lucky day. bet you

thought i was just a fan or something.

jennifer

what happened?

dick van dyke

a miracle.

they stare stunned at the tv set.

dick van dyke (cont)

... see, every time i thought i'd found

someone they'd turn out to disappoint me.

they'd know the early episodes, but they

wouldn't know the later ones ... they'd

know all about muffin but they wouldn't

know about bud ...

david

(to the tv set)

what the hell's going on!

dick van dyke

shh! can't talk like that now. you're

in ...

(smiles)

you know ...

david glances around at his black and white surroundings. his

'mother's' voice rings out from the kitchen.

betty (os)

bud. mary sue ... breakfast is on the

table.

david

we're in pleasantville?

dick van dyke

(grinning)

dream come true, hunh?

jennifer

(panicking)

this isn't funny! i happen to have a

very important date in like five minutes!

dick van dyke

well, you don't have to worry about that

anymore.

full shot. television set. (color)

all at once the scene on the tv changes and dick van dyke's

picture gives way to a wide angle shot of the wagner house.

mark davis is standing at the front door, banging on the

brass knocker. he checks his watch, shifts restlessly for a

moment or two, then turns and heads down the flagstone walk

never looking back.

mark davis

(under his breath)

... bitch.

int. parker living room. (black and white again)

jennifer flings herself at the screen, as dick van dyke

appears all over again.

jennifer

noooooo!

david

you--you gotta get us out of here.

dick van dyke

(recoiling slightly)

why would i do that?

david

because we don't belong!

dick van dyke

oh sure you do ... 'mcintire's

department store' ... 'their father

dressed as prince charming.' that was

gorgeous bud.

david

my name's david.

jennifer

(wailing on the floor)

oh god ...

dick van dyke

(a little snippy)

you know--this is a pretty strange way

of showing your appreciation.

david

look--we appreciate it. we really do. we

just--we want to go home now.

dick van dyke

(hurt)

but you don't know how long i've been

looking for someone like you.

a long face slowly descends on him.

dick van dyke (cont)

i'm very disappointed ...

(deep breath)

in fact ... i'm starting to get a little

upset.

david moves toward the screen.

david

don't get upset.

dick van dyke

(snapping back)

weil wouldn't you! you look for someone

for years ... you pour your heart into

it ... this is a privilege you know.

(shakes his head)

i don't think i better talk about this

right now.

david

where are you going ...

dick van dyke

i don't think we should discuss this

until i'm a little bit more composed.

david

wait a minute!!

dick van dyke

(turning his back)

maybe in a day or so when i'm not so

emotional ...

david

come back!!!

dick van dyke shakes his head and walks out of the shot as

the screen goes completely black. it cuts out entirely as

jennifer and david just stare. david grabs the remote and

starts rapidly pushing buttons.

nothing happens.

david (cont)

(dropping the gizmo)

oh god.

jennifer

what's going to happen?

david

i don't know ... it's not possible ...

(looking at her)

is it possible?

betty (os)

bu-ud ... mary sue ... your breakfast is

getting cold.

david

it can't be possible.

different angle.

betty (their 'mother') sticks her head into the living room

wearing her black and white apron. she has a great big

pepsodent smile.

betty

well, come on kids. you're not going off

to school without a hot breakfast inside

you ...

they just stare at her.

betty (cont)

forward march.

they exchange a strange little glance then slowly rise to

their feet. jennifer waits for david who forces a smile then

starts toward the kitchen.

betty (cont)

i just love you in that sweater mary-sue.

it's so flattering.

jennifer

(dazed)

thanks.

int. kitchen.

david and jennifer walk two steps into the kitchen when they

suddenly freeze--agape at the spectacle in front of them:

their pov. parker kitchen.

every breakfast food imaginable has been laid upon the table.

there are hotcakes and sausages and biscuits and eggs.

pitchers of orange juice are dwarfed by the mountains of ham.

the table literally sags under the weight of the food. george

parker lowers his morning paper and smiles at his children.

george

(once again)

morning kids. better get a move on or

you're going to be late for school.

they nod, stunned, and wander forward into the room. bright

sunlight streams through the kitchen window as a gentle

symphony of songbirds sings outside. david and jennifer stare

straight ahead as their 'mother' adds some waffles to the

heap.

david

(under his breath)

i don't believe this.

jennifer

neither do i.

george

well, c'mon. dig in.

david and jennifer stare at her stunned as she puts two

heaping plates at their places. neither one moves.

betty

(to jennifer)

i put blueberries in them just the way

you like.

jennifer

actually--i'm not real ... hungry.

betty

(big smile)

oh nonsense young lady. you're going to

start your day with a nice big breakfast.

she takes jennifer by the shoulders and 'guides' her into the

chair. jennifer looks down at a huge plate of gray waffles.

betty (cont)

(oppressively chipper)

here. why don't you have some waffle

cakes.

(beat)

and there's sausage and eggs and some

good crisp bacon ...

(beat)

... and a ham steak.

betty drenches the waffles in syrup and slathers on a huge

slab of butter.

betty (cont)

... and of course, a nice big bowl of

oatmeal.

jennifer hesitates then glances over at her 'mother' who

looks at her expectantly. she glances at david who just looks

stunned. jennifer pauses then reaches down and takes a

forkful of the oozing mess ...

cut to:

full shot. pat boone.

he stands facing the camera in an actual kinescope from 1958.

the backdrop is a painted pastoral landscape and the

background singers are all white debutantes. he wears a

letterman's sweater and button down shirt ...

pat boone

'... tooty fruity--oh rooty. tooty fruity

... oh rooty.'

he continues his homogenized version of little richard's

nasty hit, (all the nastiness gone). it becomes a slow and

lilting melody ...

pat boone (cont)

'... tooty fruity--oh rooty ...'

series of shots. pleasantville.

the music continues as the camera cuts to image after image

of this strange 'utopia.' the effect is a weird, sanitizied

version of mtv--as if ronald reagan had shot a music video.

there are men tipping their hats and women walking their

dogs; cheery gas station attendants and smiling policemen.

pat boone (vo)

(slowly ...)

'... a wap bop a loo bop--a wap barn boom.'

pruned hedges. twin beds. big houses. the camera cranes down

in the middle of a beautiful tree lined street to find david

and jennifer walking up the sidewalk, holding their stomachs.

jennifer

i'm gonna hurl, david. i swear to god.

david

just take deep breaths.

jennifer

all that animal fat. i feel it in my

pores or something.

jennifer clutches her stomach, but david's glance darts from

side to side--totally absorbed.

jennifer (cont)

i still don't see why we're doing this.

david

we're supposed to be in school.

jennifer

we're supposed to be at home david! we're

supposed to be in color!

(wailing)

oh god ...

a man calls out from across the street.

mr. simpson

hello bud.

david

hello mr. simpson.

mr. simpson

hear your dad got a new car.

david

oh yeah. a buick. it's swell.

jennifer

you know him?

david

owns the hardware store.

jennifer

okay, now you listen to me! i don't know

what's going on but you'd better fix it!

i had a date with mark davis and i even

bought new underwear!

david

we just gotta play along for a little

while ... till that guy shows up again.

then i'll talk to him and ...

jennifer

play along?

david

well, yeah. i'm ... bud parker and

you're ... um--mary sue.

jennifer

(ripping the barette from her hair)

no! i'm not gonna do it! if i don't

dress like this for mom i'm sure as hell

not going to do it for you!

david

we don't have a choice jen. we're stuck

until he comes back.

jennifer

why can't we just explain it?

david

to who?

jen looks around this cheery little street, and the horror

starts to dawn on her. at that moment, they hear a screaming

siren and a bright gray fire engine comes racing up the

block.

wider.

jennifer and david step back on the curb as the firemen come

flying out of the truck, grabbing the ladder on the back.

different angle. (following the firemen)

they work in perfect precision. two firemen grab the base of

the ladder while a third takes the front. they go tearing

across one of the lawns, in full 'emergency response'

anchoring the ladder into the ground and winging it up into a

tree.

fireman

c'mere, kitty ...

he emerges a moment later with the cat who was stuck in the

tree. jennifer sinks to the curb as he carries the kitten by

them, petting it gently as he goes.

jennifer

oh god, we are. we're stuck in like

'nerdville'.

(shakes her head)

i always knew you'd pay a price for

this. i knew you couldn't be hopelessly

geekridden for this long without

suffering some like, really tragic

consequences.

(voice wavering)

... but it's just not fair. i mean--i'm

starting to get really--popular. debbi

russell transferred to another school

and my skin's been great since march and

mark davis is starting to come around

and ...

boy's voice (os)

hello mary sue.

jennifer turns to see a strapping blonde seventeen year old

driving by in his convertible. he is extremely handsome with

jack armstrong features and a letterman's sweater. despite

her crisis, jennifer's jaw drops open as he slows to a crawl.

biff martin flashes a huge pepsodent smile. the guy is a

'dreamboat'.

biff (cont)

what's all the commotion? where's the

cat?

jennifer

um ... it's ...

biff turns to see the fireman climb into the truck, with the

kitty in his arms.

biff

ah, right ...

(smiling at her again)

well--guess i'll see ya later mary sue.

he takes off down the street with the sun glinting on his

really keen convertible. jennifer gapes as he disappears

around the corner.

jennifer

who's that?

david

biff martin. captain of the basketball

team.

jennifer

(still gaping)

does he--you know--like 'me'?

david

as a matter of fact he does.

jennifer

(flicking her hair)

hunh.

cut to:

ext. pleasantville high school. day.

streams of impeccably kept youngsters file through the double

doors. all cheery and very pleasant looking. it looks like a

leni riefenstahl movie.

angle. from across the street.

david stands beside jennifer looking at the entrance to the

school. three girls huddle together by the front steps.

jennifer

those are my friends.

david

peggy jane, lisa anne and betty jean.

jennifer

(staring at them)

can we do any better?

david

i don't think so.

lisa anne

(seeing her)

mary sue. you're gonna be late for

geography.

jennifer

okay ...

she flicks her hair back--cops a first day of school

attitude, and heads across the street like she owns the

place.

cut to:

int. geography class. later ...

it looks like a propaganda film from the eisenhower

administration. the boys all wear crew cuts and short sleeve

button down shirts. the girls all have lacy dresses buttoned

to the neck. everyone stares straight ahead at the

blackboard.

angle. front of the room. teacher.

miss peters stands in front of the class with a pointer in

her hand. she indicates a diagram that spans the length of

the blackboard.

miss peters

last week class, we discussed the

geography of main street. this week,

we're going to be talking about elm

street. can anyone tell me one of the

differences between elm street and main

street?

(pointing)

tommy.

tommy

it's not as long?

jennifer looks stunned as several students nod.

miss peters

that's right, tommy. it's not as long.

also, it only has houses. so the

geography of main street is different

than the geography of elm street.

angle. jennifer.

she glances around at several students who seem to be nodding

in agreement. all at once, she thrusts her hand into the air.

miss peters

mary sue.

jennifer

what's outside of pleasantville?

the teacher looks at her with a puzzled frozen smile on her

face. she looks vaguely troubled.

miss peters

what?

(beat)

i don't understand ...

jennifer

outside of pleasantville ... what's at

the end of main street?

the class lets out a knowing groan--as if to say 'oh. we get

it now. boy what a stupid question.' miss peters gives a kind

but condescending look.

miss peters

oh, mary sue. you should know the answer

to that. the end of main street is just

the beginning again.

miss peters gives a big grin as a series of heads nod up and

down. jennifer stares straight ahead, dumbfounded ...

cut to:

int. gymnasium. day.

there are fifteen to twenty boys scattered around the gym.

each is dressed identically in white shorts and black socks

with a 'pleasantville' jersey.

shot. david.

he stands at the free throw line with a basketball in his

hand. (not exactly an athletic image.) david lets go of a

jump shot that swishes effortlessly through the net. he looks

a little surprised.

david

wow.

he stares at the backboard slightly intrigued. david

retrieves the ball and fires again, this time chucking it

up blind. the ball sails through the hoop again, hitting

nothing but net.

full shot. other side of the gym.

ten to twelve of his teammates fire simultaneously at the

hoop. all of the shots sail through the hoop, none even

nicking the rim. the boys retrieve their shots as the coach

claps his hands.

coach

that's it men. keep it up. big game

tomorrow.

angle. david.

he gets the ball and turns his back on the basket completely.

david flings the ball wildly over his shoulder. it bounces

off all the walls of the gym, then glides through the net as

smoothly as the others. he stares in amazement.

biff (os)

bud ...

wider.

biff martin (the boy in the convertible) approaches from the

other side of the gym. he is a classic all american hero--

somewhere between 4-h club member and a future astronaut.

biff

(a little nervous)

hi ya bud.

bud

hi ya biff.

he fidgets nervously for a moment looking down.

biff

can i ask you a question?

bud

sure.

biff

well ... if i was to ask your sister ...

what i mean is, if i was to go up to

mary sue ...

david

oh god! are we in that episode?

biff

what?

david

i don't believe it.

biff

what's the matter?

david

you want to ask her out tonight, right?

and then you want to give her your

school pin ...

biff

yeah ... how'd you know?

david

(shaking his head)

lucky guess.

(beat)

look, biff ... i don't think it's a real

good time for that right now ...

biff's expression falls. he stands crushed in front of david.

david (cont)

what i mean is ... mary sue's been a

little 'different' lately ...

biff

(stunned)

she won't go out with me?

david

i didn't say that. it's just that right

now ...

biff

i don't know what i'd do if she wouldn't

go out with me ...

all at once, biff takes the basketball he's been holding and

hurls it toward the hoop. the ball does a couple of

revolutions of the rim, and then amazingly pops out.

wide angle. gym.

play comes to a halt. all the players turn and stare,

dumbstruck at the sight of a missed shot.

shot. david.

he retrieves the ball quickly then hurries back to biff.

david pulls him aside as play slowly resumes on the other

side of the gym.

david

(under his breath)

look, i'm sure we'll work something out.

i'll talk to her or something.

biff looks at him, troubled.

david (cont)

honest. it'll be fine.

biff nods, a little confused, as david pats him on the back.

cut to:

int. corridor. later ...

david stands off to the side with his sister, while class

pours out around them.

jennifer

no way.

david

one date, jen--that's all i'm asking. if

you don't go out with this guy we could

throw their whole universe out of whack.

jennifer

it's too weird david. this place is

giving me the creeps. did you know all

the books are blank?

david

what?

jennifer

i looked in the library. they got covers

with nothing inside them.

david

what were you doing in a library?

jennifer

i got lost.

(beat)

oh here ... look at this!

she reaches into her purse and pulls out a book of matches.

jennifer tries to light a kleenex on fire.

david

jennifer!

jennifer

just watch. you know why those guys just

get cats out of trees? 'cause nothing

burns around here, that's why! they

don't need any firemen ...

sure enough the tissue has become flame retardant.

david

jen, listen ...

jennifer

(trembling)

i like--really need a cigarette, too.

david

(putting his arm around her)

i'll get us out of here. i really will.

but if we don't play along we could

alter their whole existence. we may

never get home.

she looks over at him, slowly.

jennifer

you really think anybody's gonna, like,

notice if i don't have a chocolate malt

with this guy.

at that moment, three of mary sue's 'friends' come tittering

around the comer. they skitter up to her like a group of

wind-up toys.

peggy jane

(high-pitched--rapid fire)

you won't believe what we just heard.

lisa anne

bif