(University of the Free State, 2002) Terblanche, Lydie; De Wet, Johann C.
In this article the American film Pleasantville, directed by Gary Ross,
is analysed from an existential communication perspective. The
concepts of authentic and inauthentic modes of existence are
highlighted in the critique and the value of dialogue emphasised. The
fairy tale film reflects the dual opposites of a Pleasantville ideal
where the social ideal is scripted and manipulated and a Pleasantville
reality in which individuals communicate authentically out of
individual choice. In the end, freedom of choice and authentic
communication prevail.