The movie opens in today's America, which we have been taught to think of as rude, decadent and dangerous. Meanwhile, his mother squabbles with her ex-husband and his sister Jennifer prepares for a hot date. Having heard a whisper or two about the plot, we know that the brother and sister will be magically transported into that 1950s sitcom world. They click it, and they're both in Pleasantville. Here the characters are trapped in a whole world.
Life always goes according to plan, and during basketball practice every shot goes in.
Then sparks from the emerging future begin to land here and there in the blandness. It's the change. The kids at school are the first to start appearing in colors. They're curious and ready to change. They pepper Bud with questions.