The 3-Act Paradigm at Work: Pleasantville

written by Gary Ross


Pleasantville, for my money, is the film of 1998 that got robbed at the Oscars. Here is a story that is tightly crafted and achieves a kind of magic in moving from simple comedy to dark-edged social commentary. I think this script is a stellar achievement.

Structural Analysis

  1. Hook (3 min.)
    • In a world filled with depressing statistics about HIV and the environment, all of which bombard youth in their school classes, high school student David escapes in reruns of a 50s family sitcom, Pleasantville.
  2. Complication (9-13 min.)
    • David and his sister Jennifer fight over the remote - and break it. A mysterious TV repairman gives them a new one, which transports both into the world of Pleasantville, the 50s TV show, where they become the characters Bud and Mary Sue.
  3. Call to Action (18 min.)
    • David/Bud says they have to play along and wait for contact with the TV repairman so they can return to their world.
  4. Act One Plot Point (25-31 min.)
    • But Jennifer/Mary Sue seduces Skip to break the rules and change the episodes - which in turn will change the world of Pleasantville.
  5. Midpoint Plot Point (51 min.)
    • David/Bud, too, contributes to the changing world of Pleasantville. He tells fellow students about the world beyond, that there are possibilities outside the circular roads of Pville that lead to wondrous landscapes and alternatives to the way life is lived here.
  6. Act Two Plot Point (90-3 min.)
    • As the black and white world of Pville is changed, color literally is added to it. Soon the "coloreds" become a threatening minority to the powers that be in Pville. A strict Code of Conduct is passed and books are burned. A war of values is raging.
  7. Climax and Resolution (105-115 min.)
    • In a speech at trial, David/Bud manages to bring color to his dad and even to the mayor, and Pville now is changed beyond return - and outside the courthouse everything is in color. David decides to return home to his world but his sister, who has found an interest in literature in Pville, stays to go to college. Back home, David helps his divorced mother come to grips with who she really is and to accept herself.

Notes

Pleasantville changes its tone in a subtle progression from light comedy to serious social commentary - and it works! This is one of those movies that is a labor of love, with Gary Ross acting as writer, director and producer. Perhaps this accounts for its tight, disciplined and unusual story arc, as a light sitcom becomes biting social criticism.


MODULE 4: SCREENWRIGHT: the craft of screenwriting

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