Surviving the Suburbs: Pleasantville (1998)

Screen Cares

Sarah and her family make a big decision from her nightmares…a move to the ‘burbs. As a self-proclaimed “weirdo” and non-conformist, Sarah and Screen Cares co-host, Jennie, work through a fun watch of Pleasantville (1998) - IMDb in the hopes of finding peace with living in a neighborhood where everything is the same. Instead of focusing on the film’s political implications, we try to figure out how can we consolidate our need to be part of a community while reconciling our own individual needs, while asking ourselves: Is the safety of the suburbs worth risking homogeneity and living away from the opportunities afforded by city life?

For those who are Deaf or hard of hearing, please visit this link for the transcript of this episode of Screen Cares: Episode Transcript

Screen Shares Rating:

• Pleasantville (1998) is a great Family Screen with your entire family to spark conversations about what your residential values are when choosing where to live and most importantly: how to maintain your own individuality, no matter where you reside.

Screen Sparks:

Have a real, old-fashioned conversation with someone about suburbia, feeling “at home,” individuality, conformity, truth and Pleasantville by using our Screen Sparks to get it started:

• Do you believe that children should be denied access to specific content, subjects, art forms, literature, etc. in order to “keep the peace” and to maintain pleasantness?
• Are there specific ways of living that feel “you” such as living in an apartment in a large city, living in a rural area with lots of acreage, etc.? And has this always been the way that has felt appealing to you?
• Which is more important- being part of a community member or focusing on your individuality?
• Which Pleasantville character do you feel most accurately reflects who you are in your current stage of life?
• What unlocks the color, the passion, your life’s motivation for you?

Resources & Background

• Suburb Definition & Meaning - Merriam-Webster
• The History and Evolution of Suburbs
• Malvina Reynolds’ Song ‘Little Boxes’ Connects Suburbia with Conformity
• Tony Lombardo from The Descendents Actually Wanted “a Suburban Home”
• The Big Orange Splot is a classic children’s book that introduces the power of individuality, even in a neighborhood filled with the “little boxes” that Malvina Reynolds cautioned about.

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