Have you ever seen the movie Pleasantville Jatfla? It begins when a super-charged TV remote control zaps twins David and Jennifer from the reality of their normal 90s life into the set and family of the hyper-perfect 'Pleasantville', a black and white 1950s TV show where everyone and everything is, well, 'pleasant'. The power of this film lies in it's cinematography as the black and white world of Pleasantville soon becomes 'contaminated' and things start to change into color before our very eyes. After Jennifer seduces the otherwise wholesome and clean-cut basketball captain Skip, he drives home to find a red rose blooming on an otherwise black and white bush. This startling imagery reall...

Have you ever seen the movie Pleasantville Jatfla? It begins when a super-charged TV remote control zaps twins David and Jennifer from the reality of their normal 90s life into the set and family of the hyper-perfect 'Pleasantville', a black and white 1950s TV show where everyone and everything is, well, 'pleasant'. The power of this film lies in it's cinematography as the black and white world of Pleasantville soon becomes 'contaminated' and things start to change into color before our very eyes. After Jennifer seduces the otherwise wholesome and clean-cut basketball captain Skip, he drives home to find a red rose blooming on an otherwise black and white bush. This startling imagery really highlights the main theme of the film: change. THIS movie reminds me of growing up as a baby boomer. Different people react to change in different ways, as you can see here on CM. Some people, (like me, I'd like to think anyway embrace and relish it. I would NEVER want to go back to the days when homosexual men or lesbian women were considered "sick" or when women were chastised for being a "whore" or loose while the guys got to play all they liked, wink, wink.
Others in the movie cling resolutely to the past and refuse to let go of what they know. But another interesting concept is what happens to the characters when they begin to change from black and white to color and portrays the messages of pursing our own happiness regardless of others or of the responsibilities we may have toward them. Be careful what you wish for. Since this clip reminds me so much of the movie I feel the real message in this movie is the passion that brings the characters into life. Believe it or not Jatfla, it's not sexual freedom that brings them to life
So, what brings us to life as human beings; what makes us passionate? How will we allow that to change our lives and the world around us? I don't think it's apologizing for being a baby boomer at all

debbyski...it's a movie and projection. No, I haven't seen it; only advertisements for it. It appeared to be ridicule. Back to the Future, while a cute movie, did much of the same thing.

It's pretty obvious here at Clipmarks that we all live in different *zones*. I would not want to go back and live this life over for anything, but I'm extremely grateful for the values foundation that my parents and grandparents mirrored for me.

Pursuing ones own happiness regardless of others is, I believe, one of the core issues of a declining society.

When people grow weary of telling America and Americans how terrible they are, how they have squandered everything, made a mess of the environment,...

debbyski...it's a movie and projection. No, I haven't seen it; only advertisements for it. It appeared to be ridicule. Back to the Future, while a cute movie, did much of the same thing.

It's pretty obvious here at Clipmarks that we all live in different *zones*. I would not want to go back and live this life over for anything, but I'm extremely grateful for the values foundation that my parents and grandparents mirrored for me.

Pursuing ones own happiness regardless of others is, I believe, one of the core issues of a declining society.

When people grow weary of telling America and Americans how terrible they are, how they have squandered everything, made a mess of the environment, oppressed people by the masses....maybe they will take on the project of investigating the great *good* that America and it's people have done and how the world has benefited from it's prosperity. Just for a change.

Oh, and I thought sexual freedom was the answer to everything!! :~) s/off

Oh, I didn't find that the movie ridiculed at all Jatfla, matter of fact, I found it very thought-provoking. I'm also extremely grateful for some of the values my parents instilled in me like being a hard worker and an honest person. Other attitudes I saw in my family and those around me, I rejected such as prejudice and homophobia. And I feel constructive criticism makes our country better instead of worse. That is if the criticism is actually used to make positive change. Along with sexual freedom comes responsibility, I believe. The responsibility not to use others for our own sexual satisfaction, and taking responsibility for safe sex, not only by using a condom but by actually th...

Oh, I didn't find that the movie ridiculed at all Jatfla, matter of fact, I found it very thought-provoking. I'm also extremely grateful for some of the values my parents instilled in me like being a hard worker and an honest person. Other attitudes I saw in my family and those around me, I rejected such as prejudice and homophobia. And I feel constructive criticism makes our country better instead of worse. That is if the criticism is actually used to make positive change. Along with sexual freedom comes responsibility, I believe. The responsibility not to use others for our own sexual satisfaction, and taking responsibility for safe sex, not only by using a condom but by actually thinking about the other person's feelings. I don't take sexual freedom without responsiblity lightly.
May I ask you a question? You once said that you believed we could be friends in "real" life. As my clips have evolved, have you changed your mind about that? Please answer honestly knowing that my feelings will not be hurt. Thanks

Hi debbyski....I guess that your opinions have surprised me.

Buzz-words like 'homophobia' bug me. It's a label that seeks to negatively brand all those who reject the homosexual lifestyle as *normal*. I resist the insistence to be 'tolerant' of those opinions, while my opinions are characterized as unloving and condemning.

I don't accept 'sexual freedom' anywhere except within a marriage commitment. I'm always genuinely surprised when I learn that it is otherwise *out there* in the real world.

Criticism, when it's "productive" and designed to better a person or a country is always a positive thing. But maybe I wouldn't choose the word 'criticize'. As I told a dear friend when I aske...

Hi debbyski....I guess that your opinions have surprised me.

Buzz-words like 'homophobia' bug me. It's a label that seeks to negatively brand all those who reject the homosexual lifestyle as *normal*. I resist the insistence to be 'tolerant' of those opinions, while my opinions are characterized as unloving and condemning.

I don't accept 'sexual freedom' anywhere except within a marriage commitment. I'm always genuinely surprised when I learn that it is otherwise *out there* in the real world.

Criticism, when it's "productive" and designed to better a person or a country is always a positive thing. But maybe I wouldn't choose the word 'criticize'. As I told a dear friend when I asked her for her sincere opinion..."If you don't tell me the truth, how are you helping me?"

Yes, I believe we could be friends. :~) But our basic foundational value-systems and worldviews are completely different. This is pretty much the way it is within my tennis friend community. Many have been my friends for over 20 years and while we are very different politically and spiritually....they seem to like me anyway!! :~) Ahhhhhh...the true glory of America's tolerance.

Hi Jatfla,
I understand that you probably don't like homosexuality and I don't think that you have to like it! I think most homosexuals are shocked to learn of the "yuck" factor that some heterosexuals have towards something that feels natural to them; same sex relations. Also, I bet you would be shocked at the "yuck" factor some homosexuals have toward heterosexual sex which is natural to heterosexuals. I have a lot of lesbian friends and I was shocked to learn that most of them had tried to have sex with men and it totally disgusted them. Some were married to great guys but they had to end their marriages because they couldn't "feel" anything even though they desperately tried to fit i...

Hi Jatfla,
I understand that you probably don't like homosexuality and I don't think that you have to like it! I think most homosexuals are shocked to learn of the "yuck" factor that some heterosexuals have towards something that feels natural to them; same sex relations. Also, I bet you would be shocked at the "yuck" factor some homosexuals have toward heterosexual sex which is natural to heterosexuals. I have a lot of lesbian friends and I was shocked to learn that most of them had tried to have sex with men and it totally disgusted them. Some were married to great guys but they had to end their marriages because they couldn't "feel" anything even though they desperately tried to fit in. A lot of my thought processes were if they just tried to have sex with a man, surely they would find out they liked it--WRONG. On the same note, I was very shocked to learn of some of the attitudes in the gay and lesbian community (especially lesbians) about bisexual women. Bisexual's are often considered "wanna be's". Bisexual women are often deeply mistrusted within the lesbian community and considered to be "sleeping with the enemy." These are just a few things that really shocked me. So I don't define "homophobia" as not "liking" or "agreeing" with homosexual relations. The best way I would define it would be to say this: Suppose a student is walking to class in his university and someone yells out "Go home faggot". Well, he is home! So that to me is homophobia. So I don't think being homosexual/bisexual is something to be ashamed of.
As far as you accepting sexual freedom within the confinements of your marriage; again that is your choice and I commend you for that! I respect you for that!
But I also respect others for making different choices.

"If you don't tell me the truth, how are you helping me?"

Truer words were never spoken! And I feel like that is my mission in life; I've always felt that the truth would set me free.

Yes, I bel