PLEASANTVILLE

     The place has been transformed from the Chamber of Commerce
     meeting hall to a small town courtroom, complete with pews
     and ceiling fans. The only carry over from its previous
     configuration is the huge CHAMBER OF COMMERCE banner draped
     across the back wall.

     ANGLE. BENCH.

     At the center of the courtroom where the podium used to be is
     a large, elevated judge's bench with a Rotary insignia on the
     front. Big Bob sits six or seven feet above the proceedings
     finally living up to his name. The whole thing is a strange
     combination of Franz Kafka and "Inherit the Wind." Big Bob
     bangs the gavel ...

     CLOSER.

     The undertone begins to quiet down. All of the faces in the
     pews are Black and White. There is a "colored" section in the
     back for standing room only.

     ANGLE. JURORS BOX.

     George is seated in the front row of the jury, despite his
     relationship to one of the defendants. He is dressed
     impeccably with his Rotary Pin still gleaming on his lapel.
     After a moment or two he sneaks a glance toward the back of
     the room ...

     ANGLE. BETTY.

     She stands in the back with the rest of the "colored" faces.
     Betty cranes her head to catch a glimpse of David or Mr.
     Johnson. All at once, a hush goes through the crowd.

     ANGLE. DOORWAY.

     It swings open and David and Mr. Johnson are led in wearing
     handcuffs. Dan, the Police Chief (now ballif), shows them to
     a table in the center of the room directly facing Big Bob.
     There is no lawyer present. There is also no prosecutor.

     ANGLE. DAVID.

     He glances around a little confused. (Weird courtroom.) Big
     Bob bangs the gavel.

                         BOB
               Bud Parker and William Johnson,
               you have been charged with
               desecration of a public building
               and the intentional use of
               prohibited paint colors in
               violation of the Pleasantville
               Code of Conduct and laws of
               common decency. Do you admit that
               on the night of May 1, you did
               consciously and willfully apply
               the following FORBIDDEN colors to
               the Pleasantville Town Hall:
                    (beat)
               Red, Pink, Vermillion, Puce,
               Chartreuse, Umber, Blue, Aqua, Ox
               Blood, Green, Peach, Crimson,
               Yellow, Olive and Magenta.

                         DAVID
               Um ... Yes I do. Where's our
               lawyer?

                         BOB
               We prefer to keep these
               proceedings as "pleasant" as
               possible. I don't think a lawyer
               will be necessary.

     There is a murmur and a great deal of nodding amongst the
     black and white faces. Big Bob smiles to himself then
     proceeds.

                         BOB (CONT)
               Do you further admit that this
               was done surreptitiously and
               under the cover of darkness?

                         DAVID
               Well--it was dark out ...

                         BOB
               Good. Do you further admit that
               this unnatural depiction occurred
               in full public view where it was
               accessible to, and in plain sight
               of, minor children?

                         DAVID
               It was accessible to everyone.

                         BOB
               Very well. Let the record show
               that the defendants have answered
               in the affirmative to all the
               charges.

     He looks directly at them for the first time.

                         BOB (CONT)
               Do you have anything to say in
               your defense?

     SHOT. DEFENSE TABLE.

     Mr. Johnson just looks at David, confused and terrified.

                         MR. JOHNSON
               I didn`t mean to hurt anybody.
               I just have to paint ... I
               need to.

     He gropes for something else to say, but what else is there?
     David glances over and sees him sit slowly back in his seat.
     David rises from his chair.

                         DAVID
               I think I've got something to say.

                         BOB
               Very well ...

     David looks out over the audience. After a moment or two, he
     looks back at Big Bob.

                         DAVID
               I think I know why you're doing
               this. I mean, I understand why
               you're doing this. I used to
               feel the same way. I used to
               want this place to stay just the
               way it was. I never wanted it to
               change ...

     There is a loud MURMUR. Big Bob bangs the gavel.

                         DAVID (CONT)
                    (he smiles slightly)
               But nothing stays the same. You
               get things, and you lose things,
               and that's the good part and the
               bad part--but you can't have a
               good part without a bad part.

     He turns and sees his mother in the balcony. They lock eyes
     for a moment. David smiles slightly and continues.

                         DAVID (CONT)
               It's like the basketball team.

                         BOB
                    (leaning forward)
               The basketball team?

                         DAVID
               Sure. Everybody's upset because
               they're not winning anymore--but
               just think how it would feel if
               all of a sudden they do win.

     There's a murmur in the gallery.

                         DAVID (CONT)
               Wouldn't it feel better than when
               they used to win all the time?

     There is a LOUDER MURMUR. Big Bob looks concerned.

                         DAVID (CONT)
               See, I know you want it to stay
               "Pleasant" but there are so many
               things that are so much better:
               like Silly ... or Sexy ... or
               Dangerous ... or Wild ... or
               Brief ...
                    (beat)
               And every one of those things is
               in you all the time if you just
               have the guts to look for them.
                    (pointing to the "colored" section)
               Look at those faces back there.
               They're no different than you are.
               They just happened to see
               something inside themselves that
               you don't want to ...

                         BOB
               Okay--that's enough!

                         DAVID
               I thought I was allowed to
               defend myself.

                         BOB
               You're not allowed to lie.

                         DAVID
               I'm not lying ... Here I'll show
               you.

     He turns suddenly toward the jury box.

                         DAVID (CONT)
               Mr. Simpson ...

                         MR. SIMPSON
               Yes.

                         DAVID
               What color is that hedge of yours?

                         MR. SIMPSON
               Green.

                         DAVID
               No, not that hedge. The other one.

                         MR. SIMPSON
               The other one?

                         DAVID
               The one in your mind. The one
               that you see on a bright cold
               morning. The one that you see
               when you walk in front of your
               house and you just stand there
               and stare.

     Mr. Simpson suddenly looks far away. He gets a kind of dreamy
     look in his eye.

                         DAVID (CONT)
               What color is that hedge?

     CLOSE UP. MR. SIMPSON.

     SUDDENLY AND BEFORE OUR EYES, MR. SIMPSON TURNS TO LIVING
     COLOR. A huge MURMUR moves through the courtroom. Bob bangs
     the gavel.

                         BOB
               I said, that's enough!

                         VARIOUS VOICES FROM
                         THE AUDIENCE
               "No ... Let him finish ... Go on ..."

     Big Bob lifts the gavel and is about to bang it when David
     suddenly turns toward George.

                         DAVID
               Alright. Dad ...

     DIFFERENT ANGLE.

     There is a LOUDER MURMUR. Big Bob just looks at him frozen
     while David confronts his "father." George straightens up.

                         GEORGE
                    (solemn)
               Yes Bud.

                         DAVID
                    (beat)
               Don't you miss her?

     CLOSE UP. GEORGE.

     He looks at him stunned. Big Bob bangs the gavel but nobody
     listens. George just stares at him like he got shot.

                         DAVID
               I mean, of course you do, but it
               isn't just the cooking or the
               cleaning that you miss--it's
               something else, isn't it ...

     George swallows. The UNDERTONE in the room starts to grow as
     he glances toward the back of the room.

                         DAVID (CONT)
                    (softer whisper)
               Maybe you can't even describe it.
               Maybe you only know it when it's
               gone. Maybe it's like there's a
               whole piece of you that's missing
               too.
                    (shrugs)
               You might even call it "love."

                         BIG BOB
                    (BANGING the gavel loudly)
               Okay, that's IT!!!

                         DAVID
                    (motioning toward the back)
               Now don't you think she looks just
               as pretty in color? Don't you
               think she looks just as pretty as
               she did the day you met her?

     Slowly, almost imperceptibly George nods. A single tear rolls
     down his cheek. As it traces the side of his face it leaves a
     long trail of COLOR behind it.

                         DAVID (CONT)
               Don't you wish you could tell her
               that?

     He nods again and it all comes out. Betty smiles at him
     through her tears. Even Mr. Johnson smiles as well.

                         BOB
                    (POUNDING the gavel)
               YOU'RE OUT OF ORDER!

                         DAVID
               Why am I out of order?

                         BOB
               BECAUSE I WILL NOT ALLOW YOU TO
               TURN THIS COURTROOM INTO A CIRCUS!

                         DAVID
               Well I don't think it's a circus.
               And I don't think they do either.

     David motions behind him to the black and white section.
     There are now ten to fifteen "colored" faces.

                         BOB
               THIS BEHAVIOR WILL STOP AT ONCE.

                         DAVID
               But see that's just the point. It
               can't stop at once. Because it's
               in you. And you can't stop
               something that's in you.

                         BOB
                    (tightly)
               It's not in ME.

                         DAVID
               Oh sure it is.

                         BOB
               No it isn't.

     He crosses to the bench looking right up at Big Bob. He leans
     over the bench and gets right up in his face.

                         DAVID
                    (smug whisper)
               What do you want to do to me
               right now?

     Big Bob starts to tremble. He shakes with rage as David moves
     closer.

                         DAVID (CONT)
               C'mon. Everyone's turning colors.
               Kids are making out in the street.
               No one's getting their dinner--
               hell, you could have a flood any
               minute ... Pretty soon you could
               have the women going off to work
               while the men stayed home and
               cooked ...

                         BIG BOB
               That's not going to happen!

                         DAVID
               But it could happen.

                         BIG BOB
               No it couldn't!

     Big Bob looks at David and starts to tremble. It starts
     around the base of his neck, spreads quickly up the rest of
     his head. After a moment or two, Big Bob has gone completely
     RED IN THE FACE.

     WIDER.

     A gasp goes through the courtroom. David looks at him and
     just smiles. The crowd reaction turns almost to a ROAR as Big
     Bob turns and catches his reflection in the window.

     CLOSE UP. BIG BOB.

     He sees the ruddy image staring back at him, then looks down
     at his hands. They have gone completely RED as well. Big Bob
     freezes for an instant then bolts from the bench in panic and
     flees the room--flinging open the doors to the courtroom.

     ANGLE. DOORWAY.

     As Big Bob flees, he reveals an amazing sight: the Town
     Square GLISTENS IN LIVING COLOR. The huge lawn is a rich deep
     green. The sky is a dense opaque blue. Dozens of spectators
     bolt from their seats and rush to the doorway as the crowd
     moves outside.

     EXT. PLEASANTVILLE. (FULL COLOR!)

     All the birds are really chirping. Red Brick, Yellow cars,
     Green hats ... The barber pole in front of Gus' has finally
     turned to red, white and blue--he can't help smiling. David
     walks out into the sunlight and stares in wonder at his
     creation. The whole town is washed in joy.

     WIDER.

     Margaret comes up and throws her arms around him. They meet
     in a rich passionate kiss (in direct defiance of the code of
     conduct). Several people around them actually clap, like
     spectators at a wedding. Jennifer moves up next to them and
     looks at her brother making out.

                         JENNIFER
               Uch ... I am like gonna hurl ...

     David turns and looks at her. Both of them laugh. David
     throws his arms around his sister as more and more people
     stream out of the courtroom into the sunlight ...

                                                       DISSOLVE TO:

     EXT. MAIN STREET. DAY.

     David and Jennifer stand together on the edge of town. She
     clutches a valise in her hand. He holds the remote control.

                         DAVID
               Are you sure?

                         JENNIFER
               I told you. I'm like positive.

                         DAVID
               This thing works. We could go
               home right now.

                         JENNIFER
               I'm not ready yet. I gotta do
               this for a little while.

     WIDER.

     They stand on the edge of town (which finally has an edge).

     A large sign says: "Springfield 12 Miles" and for the first
     time, the end of Main Street is no longer the beginning.
     Jennifer is dressed in Mary Sue's clothes with a little bit
     of style thrown in. Rich fields of wheat spread out in the
     distance.

                         JENNIFER
               Besides. You think there's like
               a chance I'm gonna get into
               college back there?