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Examining the film Pleasantville (1998) through the lenses of the writings of Cornelius Plantinga Jr. and Bruce Epperly, their discussion reveals the Christian’s understanding of God. This is expressed in their daily lives and how the perfection of this world compares to God’s standards. Plantinga encourages his readers to accept hardship as part of life, to serve others without seeking praise, and to follow God’s will for their lives regardless of the consequences (Plantinga, 2019). The universe is much larger than the human experience, as Epperly points out; only by discovering the entire world can we have the genuine, God-given life that we were meant to live (Epperly, 2021). Through reading Plantinga and Epperly’s works in conjunction with the film Pleasantville, it can be seen that the Christian worldview is more nuanced and expansive than the simplistic ideals of perfection found in the American dream.
There is no way to turn back the clock on Western civilization’s rapid advancement or society’s growing secularization, but the rebuilding process can lead to fresh ways to religious discipleship. The film Pleasantville (1998) does an outstanding job of illustrating how shifting worldviews are triggering the fast societal transformation. This film’s central theme is searching for meaning in life (Kwiatkowski, 2020). As the plot develops, it becomes clear that the society of the made-up town of Pleasantville and the contemporary civilization is ultimately empty. It demonstrates how simple privatization, secularization, and pluralism may lead to a society where everyone can find satisfaction. The real and the fictional worlds have some intrinsic value, but from the filmmakers’ point of view, both are enraptured by their vanity, which ultimately leads to dissatisfaction. This is because people in both Pleasantville and the modern world try to pretend that their lives have value when, in reality, they do not.
The film’s plot revolves around David and Jennifer, two teens living in the 1990s, thrust into the 1950s black-and-white world of a television show. Pleasantville is like Leave It to Beaver, with perfect 72-degree weather and a basketball team that never turns the ball over (Kwiatkowski, 2020). The movie’s background makes the issue of repression—both internal and external—particularly salient. In their different ways, these youths who have stumbled across a beautiful world feel stifled and confined by the world. Jennifer enjoys a life in which her every decision is based on her social standing. Meanwhile, David is highly introverted, and the only thing that makes him feel at ease is immersing himself in the peculiarities of the Pleasantville universe.
The town’s name implies everything is done to make people feel good. Outside the ideal world, there is no knowledge of art, sex, vulgar language, or even basic geography, according to its inhabitants, because there is simply no need. However, soon after she arrives, skip, the show’s boyfriend, becomes fixated on the newly discovered act, and Jennifer starts to upset the perfectly harmonious world by having sex with him. Consequently, teens began to fool about in the town’s Lovers Lane, which was previously only used by couples to hold hands. Discovering sex in Pleasantville, however, did not end the town’s state of repression. For instance, David is the one who demonstrates to Mr. Johnson, the proprietor of the neighborhood soda fountain, that his daily work schedule does not have to be the same. As a result, Mr. Johnson is motivated to rebel against the status quo and paint a naked woman in the store window, which greatly angers the community. Due to more residents of Pleasantville gaining freedom, they begin to change color, while others who continue to abide by the tight regulations of the establishment stay in black and white.
The filmmakers in Pleasantville make numerous references to the Bible. For instance, David is depicted as a Christ figure, a savior who liberates the town’s residents from their utopian prison by imparting wisdom. In one scenario, David recounts Huckleberry Finn for a group of kids who have not read the book and therefore, have no idea what happens next. There are parallels to be drawn between Jesus and David in this incident, both of whom were sought out by large crowds eager to hear their words and learn from their insight (Kwiatkowski, 2020). More than that, the events of Pleasantville have much to say about how sin has shaped human history. Sin is shown in the film as something fascinating that gives color to the world, whereas a life of strict adherence to values is dull and lifeless. Therefore, looking at Pleasantville from various angles helps better understand the story’s message.
Cornelius Plantinga investigated the role of sin in upsetting social equilibrium and clarity. He believes the Creator intends for all creation, including God, humans, and the natural world, to exist in perpetual bliss and unity. The disruption of this equilibrium is a sin and must be avoided at all costs (Plantinga, 2019). Thus, Plantinga may view the world of Pleasantville as a place that should have been left undisturbed because it has never known sin. David and Jennifer, the two prophets, arrived and flipped the seemingly idyllic village on its head. The theologian thinks everything in Pleasantville following David and Jennifer’s sharing of wisdom is wicked, and everyone there must pray for God’s forgiveness.
Plantinga also examines sin as something that might sneak up on one and look pleasurable at first but ultimately lead to devastating consequences. This is because human beings have a strong penchant for suppressing their conscience through self-deception about their wrongdoing. In light of this reasoning, the residents of Pleasantville rationalize to themselves that they should actively promote sin because of the pleasure it provides. The theologian argues that sin corrupts what makes humans unique and tragic (Plantinga, 2019). It has the potential to alter its essential human essence, changing who it is at its core. It taints people’s strong mental, emotional, and religious capabilities, making them capable of harming God or others.
Since the epiphany of the town is shown by the filmmakers as the residents’ liberation from oppression and control, the theologian will see Pleasantville as at odds with his theological worldview. According to Plantinga, this is not a time of revelation but instead of the town’s giving in to sin and accepting self-deception (Plantinga, 2019). The theologian also argues that sin is frequently at the heart of human suffering, including feelings of isolation, alienation, and emptiness. Since nothing changed and nothing significant ever happened, the people of Pleasantville suffered from meaninglessness. Due to their ignorance of the fine arts and the world around them, the introduction of sins like sexual pleasure profoundly affected them. Generally speaking, as proposed by Plantinga, sin leads to and is followed by suffering. The theologian could see the film as evidence that sin is inevitable apart from a purpose, such as faith in God and obedience to His commands.
Bruce Epperly, who may have different ideas on sin than those of Plantinga, may take a different approach to assess the merits of Pleasantville. Although Plantinga thinks the residents of the perfect town need God’s forgiveness and a sense of purpose after being exposed to sin. Epperly thinks sin is something people consciously choose to do because God gave them free will and cannot control their behavior (Epperly, 2021). Free thought is used as an example of God’s constant activity in his book Process Theology: Embracing Adventure with God by Michael R. Bird. Instead of being deterministic or predestined, as is commonly believed, Epperly argues that God’s power is relational and contextual. The theologian encourages believers to do more than worship God; she wants them to work alongside him to improve the world via social justice and healing.
Epperly is a staunch advocate of process theology, a non-evangelical, 21st-century perspective that finds inspiration for its claims about God in the natural world. The concept implies that, unlike the classical God, God is not immutable but malleable and has a two-way relationship with humanity. As far as Epperly is concerned, the people of Pleasantville have been aimless and rule-abiding because they have never realized they have agency over their own lives (Epperly, 2021). However, the exposure to liberty and originality motivated them to escape their captors and take charge of their own lives.
The sin that accompanies the epiphany cannot be avoided entirely, though, because it is inherent in human nature. Furthermore, the concept of sin and redemption is not thoroughly explored in process theism, which may explain why Epperly does not see the epiphany of Pleasantville as the rise of sin and it is taking over. Since God does not have absolute sway over human will, Epperly argues that it is not wrong to express one’s creativity or indulge in sexual practices. David and Jennifer opened the eyes of the village to new information and possibilities; now, it was up to the town’s people to decide whether to follow their lead. Additionally, the citizens of Pleasantville are ultimately responsible for any fallout that may result from that choice (Epperly, 2021). Life should not be a set of rules that must be followed at all times, and therefore, Epperly argued that it is essential to welcome and learn from genuine experiences. The residents of Pleasantville were able to truly blossom into their true colors due to their openness to novel ideas and notions.
In conclusion, Pleasantville is a mysterious work that encourages analysis from various theological viewpoints. The residents of the ideal community, trapped in their binary environment, were educated and taught the value of freedom later. There are several ways to read this story that are consistent with the theological stances taken by Plantinga and Epperly. It is conceivable that Plantinga will consider the Pleasantville revival due to human deception and the ensuing need for atonement. Furthermore, individuals need a spiritual goal in the form of belief and devotion to God to live with meaning. On the other hand, Epperly will not criticize the locals for taking advantage of the perks of modern living since he believes that people should view their existence on Earth as a God-given adventure.
References
Epperly, B. (2021). Good Friday: Salvation without divine violence. Living a Holy Adventure. Web.
Kwiatkowski, F. (2020). Eric Voegelin and Gnostic Hollywood: Cinematic portrayals of the immanentization of the eschaton in Dark City (1998) and Pleasantville (1998). Gnosis: Journal of Gnostic Studies, 5(2), 220–242. Web.
Plantinga, C. (2019). Don’t be embarrassed by the doctrine of sin. The Gospel Coalition. Web.
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