PLEASANTVILLE

     They all nod in recognition.

     ANGLE. GEORGE.

                         GEORGE
               ... Only no one was there.

     A MURMUR goes through the men.

                         GEORGE (CONT)
               So I went into the kitchen and I
               yelled it again. "Honey--I'm home."
               But there was no one there either.
               No wife. No lights. No dinner.

     They all GASP.

                         GEORGE (CONT)
               So I went to the oven--you know--
               because I thought maybe she had made
               me one of those "TV dinners ..."

     The men nod and lean forward. George shakes his head.

                         GEORGE (CONT)
               But she hadn't. She was gone.

     A LOUDER MURMUR moves through the crowd. George lowers his
     head and just shakes it from side to side. Big Bob moves up
     and puts a hand on his shoulder.

                         BOB
                    (gently/
                    the patriarch)
               ... It's gonna be fine George.

     George looks up at him helplessly. Bob pats him reassuringly
     on the back.

                         GUS
               What do we do Bob?

                         BOB
               Well--we'll be safe for now--thank
               goodness we're in a bowling alley--
               but if George here doesn't get his
               dinner, any one of us could be next.
               It could be you Gus, or you Burt, or
               even you Phil ...

     They murmur again. Bob gathers a little steam.

                         BOB (CONT)
                    (like a WWII movie)
               ... That's real rain out there
               gentlemen. This isn't some little
               "virus" that's going to "clear up on
               it's own." There's something
               happening to our town and I think we
               can all see where it comes from.

     They nod in agreement.

                         BOB (CONT)
               We're gonna need a town meeting.
               Phil, how fast can you turn around
               a leaflet in your print shop?

                         PHIL
               Couple of hours.

                         BOB
               Gus, why don't you get a bunch of
               kids from the basketball team to help
               you put them up on lamposts and tree
               trunks ...

     Gus nods. Big Bob turns to George and smiles. It's a warm,
     patriarchal smile. He claps a hand on George's shoulder.

                         BOB (CONT)
                    (soothingly)
               And the first thing you're gonna do
               is get a cup of hot cocoa and a nice
               dry bowling shirt.

     INT. SODA SHOP. NIGHT.

     The rain still pounds out the window. Betty and Mr. Johnson
     are huddled in one of the booths watching the deluge through
     Mr. Johnson's snow scene in the window. Betty is in soft
     radiant color now. Almost the whole frame seems to glow
     pink ...

                         MR. JOHNSON
               You can't go out there.

                         BETTY
               But I really should get home.

                         MR. JOHNSON
               But you can't go out there.

     There is another fork of lightning and a booming peel of
     THUNDER. Betty sighs. She's past struggling. Betty shuts her
     eyes for a moment and listens to the rain pounding on the
     roof.

                         BETTY
               Sounds nice ... Once you get used
               to it.

                         MR. JOHNSON
                    (listening)
               Yeah. It does.

     There is another flash and a loud BOOM. Betty smiles this
     time.

                         BETTY
               Like a drum.

                         MR. JOHNSON
               Yeah.
                    (thinks)
               Or like sprinklers in the summer ...

     Betty smiles. They both listen for a moment and the fear
     seems to fade a little. The RAIN POUNDS harder on the roof as
     Betty nestles down in the booth, a little closer to Mr.
     Johnson. They just sit there listening for a moment or two.
     Betty starts to smile ...

     EXT. LOVER'S LANE.

     David huddles with Margaret under the rocky ledge as she
     nestles against him with her head on his shoulder.

     INT. JENNIFER'S ROOM.

     She lies on her bed, still reading the book, the spitting
     image of Mary Sue. Her hair is up in a bun now. The glasses
     have slipped down her nose. There is another fork of
     lightning and the LOUDEST THUNDER CLAP of all. Jennifer
     smiles slightly and pulls Mary Sue's afghan over her
     shoulders as she fluffs the pillow and turns the page.

                                                       CUT TO:

     CLOSE UP. A BRIGHT RED ROSE.

     Drops of moisture cling to the petals as it GLEAMS BRILLIANT
     RED IN THE MORNING SUN ...

     AERIAL SHOT. PLEASANTVILLE.

     The rain is gone now. The town glistens in the sunlight
     complete with a huge RAINBOW arching across the sky.
     Literally all the COLORS IN THE RAINBOW shine against the
     black and white of the town. It looks like a greeting card.

     INT. SODA SHOP.

     Betty and Mr. Johnson are asleep in the booth, lying in each
     other's arms. Sunlight streams in through the window, warming
     Mr. Johnson's face which has now turned to color. He opens
     his eyes and looks outside ...

                         MR. JOHNSON
                    (seeing the rainbow)
               Oh my Gosh ...

     EXT. LOVER'S LANE.

     Birds are chirping. David and Margaret also lie asleep in
     each other's arms, beneath the shelter of the rocky overhang.
     Margaret lifts up and sees the rainbow. She has turned to
     color as well ...

                         MARGARET
                    (awed)
               Oh my God ...

     INT. JENNIFER'S ROOM.

     She has passed out on her bed with her book on her chest.
     Jennifer's hair is still tied in a bun and she still wears
     Mary Sue's glasses, but her face has returned to its rosy
     pink hue. She blinks open her eyes, feeling the sunlight, and
     looks out the window.

                         JENNIFER
                    (looking at the rainbow)
               Oh my God ...

     INT. BOWLING ALLEY.

     The men are all passed out across the various lanes and
     scoring tables. It looks like a YMCA shelter. After a moment
     or two Big Bob yawns, and stretches, and glances out the
     glass doorway. He sees the rainbow and freezes in shock.

                         BOB
                    (horrified)
               Oh my GOD!

                                                       CUT TO:

     EXT. ELM ST. DAY.

     David comes gliding up Maple Street in the sunshine with a
     huge smile on his face. He has that special grin and faraway
     look that a boy only knows once in his life. Perplexingly he
     is still in black and white. Bud turns on Elm Street and
     starts heading for his house when he glances up and suddenly
     freezes.

     HIS POV. TREE TRUNK.

     There, tacked to the bark, is a hastily scrawled public
     notice:

     TOWN MEETING TONIGHT
     ALL "TRUE" CITIZENS
     OF PLEASANTVILLE

     ANGLE. DAVID.

     He looks up at it for a moment.

     INT. PARKER KITCHEN. DUSK.

     George and Betty stand face to face in their suburban
     kitchen. He is black and white. She is in full color.

                         BETTY
               I told you where I was.

                         GEORGE
               All night?

                         BETTY
               I got caught in the storm. You were
               gone all night too.

                         GEORGE
                    (the ultimate defense)
               I was in a bowling-alley.

     Betty turns--glances out the window.

                         GEORGE (CONT)
                    (sudden smile)
               Look. Let's just forget about it.
               Let's just go to the meeting and ...

                         BETTY
               I told you, George. I'm not going.

                         GEORGE
                    (bigger smile)
               Sure you are.

                         BETTY
               No I'm not.

     She turns to face him. George flinches slightly.

                         BETTY (CONT)
               Look at me George. That meeting's not
               for me. Look at my face.

                         GEORGE
               It's fine. You'll put on some make up
               and ...

                         BETTY
               I don't want to put on some make up ...

     George's eyes widen. It's a watershed moment.

                         GEORGE
                    (protesting)
               It goes away ... It'll go away.

                         BETTY
                    (gently)
               I don't want it to go away.

     He suddenly squares back his shoulders and puffs out his
     chest.

                         GEORGE
                    (the '50s patriarch)
               Okay--now you listen to me ...
                    (beat)
               You're gonna come to this meeting and
               you're gonna put on this make up, and
               you're gonna come home at six o'clock
               every night and have dinner ready on
               this table.

                         BETTY
                    (softly)
               No I'm not sweetie.

     His expression leaves as quickly as it came. Betty moves
     closer to him.

                         BETTY (CONT)
                    (half whisper)
               ... There's a meatloaf in the fridge.
               You just put it in the oven and turn
               this little knob up to three-fifty.
               If you put the pie in forty minutes
               later, it'll be hot in time for
               dessert.

     George's eyes widen.

                         BETTY (CONT)
               I made a couple of lunches for you
               and put them in brown paper bags ...
                    (much quieter)
               I'm gonna go now.

                         GEORGE
               Where are you gonna go?

                         BETTY
               I'm gonna go now.

     She turns and starts out the kitchen door when George calls
     after her.

                         GEORGE
               Betty, don't go out there like that!
               They'll see you!
                    (beat)
               They'll SEE you!

     And she closes the door behind her.

                         GEORGE (CONT)
               Betty, come back here!

     EXT. TOWN HALL. NIGHT.

     Dozens of black and white citizens stream in through the
     front door.

     SHOT. OPPOSITE SIDE OF THE STREET.

     Several "transformed" teenagers stare at the spectacle with
     their FLESH COLORED SKIN AND BRIGHT BLUE EYES. They seem to
     hang back in the shadows.

     INT. TOWN HALL.

     Big Bob stands at the podium beneath a permanent banner that
     reads "PLEASANTVILLE CHAMBER OF COMMERCE." As the only
     legally constituted body in Pleasantville, it is a natural
     place for a town meeting. There is nothing bright and cheery
     however. The floor lamps in each comer cast huge, looming
     shadows up the walls. The light at the podium bathes Big
     Bob's face in a blinding splash of light. The whole thing
     evokes some weird twisted image from German Expressionism--
     like they are about to go look for Frankenstein. It is grayer
     than gray.

     CLOSER. PODIUM.

     Big Bob stands at a lectern with a Rotary insignia on the
     front. He speaks calmly but compellingly to a hundred men and
     women who hang on his every word. Bob holds a BRIGHT YELLOW
     GRAPEFRUIT.

                         BOB
               This was found over in Dave Murphy's
               trash can. There were four of them
               like this ...

     There is a murmur from the crowd ...

     CLOSE UP. GEORGE.

     He sits up on the stage in an honored position right behind
     Bob. George wears a shiny new ROTARY PIN in his lapel, as a
     full-fledged member of the Chamber of Commerce. He sits stoic
     and upright with the sense of safety and reassurance that a
     shiny new pin can give you.

     SHOT. BOB.

     He holds up a pair of BRIGHT RED BOXER SHORTS.

                         BOB
               Jane Davidson found these in her
               son's laundry basket.

     There is a LOUDER MURMUR. The crowd shifts in their seats.
     Bob points behind him to a BRIGHT GREEN lawn chair.

                         BOB (CONT)
               This is from Mary Petersen's front
               porch. She found one last week.
               There were two more this morning ...

     The MURMUR starts to grow ...

                                                       CUT TO:

     EXT. ELM STREET. NIGHT.

     David and Margaret stand beneath the big Elm tree outside
     Margaret's house: a statue of two young lovers. They wrap
     their arms around each other in a classic silhouette. The
     meeting across town seems a million miles away. After a
     moment or two, David reaches behind the tree and pulls out a
     beautifully wrapped gift. It is three feet long with a bright
     RED bow.

                         DAVID
                    (softly)
               I got you something.

     Margaret's eyes widen. She beams at him, then tears off the
     wrapping paper revealing a great big umbrella ... a real
     umbrella. She looks up at him thrilled.

                         MARGARET
               It's beautiful. Where'd you get it?

                         DAVID
               It was a prop for the school play ...

     She looks down and giggles.

                         MARGARET
               Can I open it?

                         DAVID
               Sure ...

     Margaret gives him a quick kiss then opens the umbrella. She
     puts it back on her shoulder and turns a series of
     pirouettes--like her own kind of rain dance. Margaret points
     her face up to the sky as if she is being showered by a
     summer storm. All at once a pair of HEADLIGHTS round the
     corner.

     WIDER.

     David grabs the umbrella and closes it quickly. Margaret
     looks to the street as the convertible slows to a crawl and
     two TEENAGE BOYS pull up beside them. They are clean cut with
     BLACK AND WHITE faces ...

                         DRIVER
               Hello Bud ...

                         DAVID
                    (clipped)
               Hello Whitey.

     They smile at each other for no good reason. It's scary and
     arrogant.

                         WHITEY
                    (more pointed)
               Hello Margaret.

                         MARGARET
               Hello Whitey ...

                         WHITEY
                    (loud)
               Hey Bud, how come you're not at
               the town meeting right now?

                         DAVID
                    (curt)
               No reason.
                    (pause/
                    firing back)
               How come you're not?

                         WHITEY
               Oh. We're s'posed to go out and
               let everybody know about it. See.

     He points to an ARMBAND that has some sort of Chamber of
     Commerce seal on it. Whitey leans out of the car and
     leers ...

                         WHITEY (CONT)
               No reason hunh ... See I thought
               maybe it was cause you were too
               busy entertaining your colored
               girlfriend.

     Margaret literally flinches. The boys share a PEEL OF
     LAUGHTER AND SNORT AT EACH OTHER. David puts an arm around
     her and pulls her close.

                         DAVID
               Why don't you guys just get the
               hell out of here.

                         WHITEY
               Oh, okay, Bud. We'll do that.

     He guns the engine as if to leave, then pauses and turns
     toward Margaret.

                         WHITEY (CONT)
                    (leering more)
               You know Margaret, you can come
               over and bake those Oatmeal cookies
               for me anytime you want to.

     They share another CHORTLE as Whitey guns the car and peels
     out with a SCREECH. Margaret's lip starts to quiver and David
     holds her tighter ...

                         DAVID
               It's fine ... It doesn't mean anything.

     She nods, groping for reassurance ...

                                                       CUT TO:

     INT. TOWN HALL. NIGHT.

     The chamber of commerce meeting is still in full swing.
     Various citizens are now on their feet, screaming from the
     audience.

                         WOMAN
               Ed McFadden's got a blue front door.

                         ED MCFADDEN
               It's always been blue!

                         WOMAN
               Not that blue!

                         MAN
               There's a big tree turning orange
               in Joe Baker's front yard!

     SHOT. GEORGE.

     He still sits behind Bob with the same stoic expression on
     his face. George fingers the little pin in his lapel ...

                         BOB
               People, people ... I think we all
               know what's going on here.

     SHOT. BOB.

     Bob lifts his hands in the air. The crowd quiets down a bit.

                         BOB
               Obviously certain "changes" have
               been happening. Up until now, things
               in Pleasantville have always been--
               well ... "Pleasant." And, recently,
               certain things have become ...
               "Un-Pleasant." Now it seems to me
               the first thing we have to do is to
               separate out the things that are
               pleasant, from the things that are
               "Un-Pleasant."

     There is a loud murmur and nod of agreement ...

                         BOB (CONT)
               George, why don't you and Burt
               take the lead on this. Why don't
               you put together kind of an
               "Un-Pleasant" Activities Committee ...

                                                       CUT TO:

     INT. SODA SHOP. NIGHT.

     Mr. Johnson has scrubbed the snow scene from the window and
     stares with his palette at a blank pane of glass. There is a
     knock at the door ...

     WIDER.

     Mr. Johnson puts down the paints and crosses to open it.
     Betty is standing in the doorway clutching her purse and a
     "Lady Samsonite Weekender" bag. She stares up into his eyes.

                                                       DISSOLVE TO:

     FULL SHOT. SHOP WINDOW. MORNING.