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The Wagner/Parker Family
David Wagner/Bud Parker
David Wagner/Bud Parker
The male protagonist of the film. A guy cannot bear the stress of 90s life who escapes into the comfort of Pleasantville, which he is sucked into along with his sister Jennifer.- Shrinking Violet: Grows out of it in the climax.
Jennifer Wagner/Mary Sue Parker
Jennifer Wagner/Mary Sue Parker
The female protagonist of the film. She is a hot chick who unwittingly gets sucked into Pleasantville along with her brother. It is she who sets off Pleasantville’s many changes.- I Choose to Stay: Jennifer ultimately decides to stay in Pleasantville as "Mary Sue" rather than return to the real world with David.
- Meaningful Name: Mary Sue is a derogatory term for a fanfiction character who is "too perfect". Jennifer, thankfully, doesn't act perfect, but she does help introduce sex to the teens of Pleasantville and even her own mother
Betty Parker
Betty Parker
The beautiful wife of George Parker and Bud and Mary Sue’s mother. She learns that there’s more to life than just being a housewife.- Expy: Has the personality and mannerisms of June Cleaver and Margaret Anderson, but she also carries the rebelliousness of Lucy Ricardo (albeit on a mild, devoid-of-slapstick level). When she is ostracized by Whitey and his friends, she becomes a fifties version of a biblical adulteress.
- Good Parents: Betty and her husband are unambiguously good parents to Bud and Mary Sue. However, there is an odd reversal when Jennifer gives her the talk.
- Housewife: Starts off as one, but decides to use her skills to help George cook for himself and other household chores.
- The Quiet One: After leaving George, she doesn’t speak (onscreen at least) until after Big Bob becomes fully colored.
- Stepford Smiler: Starts off as a cheery housewife, but begins to flesh out into a more three dimensional character.
- Tranquil Fury: Tries to compose herself by telling George that she does not want her color to go away.
George Parker
George Parker
Betty’s husband and Bud and Mary Sue’s father. While he loves his wife and children, he sees social expectations before anything else.- Catchphrase: “Honey, I’m home!”
- Expy: Has the personality and mannerisms of Ward Cleaver and Jim Anderson, but he is also a bit as strict as Ricky Ricardo, especially when Betty starts leaving him for Mr. Johnson.
- Standard '50s Father: Is the epitome of this.
- Stepford Smiler: Starts off as a simple 50’s dad, but begins to flesh out into a more three dimensional character.
David's and Jennifer's Mom
A divorced woman raising two kids, she spends the movie on a date with her boyfriend after arguing with the kids' dad about his visitations and payments.
- Single Woman Seeks Good Man: The movie opens with her leaving for a weekend getaway with her boyfriend and ends with her at home, crying, because he flaked on her.
Other denizens of Pleasantville
Mr. Johnson
William Johnson
The proprietor of the soda shop and Bud’s employer.- Character Development: Starts of as a bored soda jerk, but grows into an aspiring artist.
- Soul-Sucking Retail Job: He is so tired of his job being anything but interesting, that he decides to become an artist.
Mayor Big Bob
Big Bob
The mayor of Pleasantville. He seems like a nice man at first, but he becomes the antagonist when David and Jennifer’s actions start altering his town.- Affably Evil: Legitimately good at first, but grows into a non-violent Knight Templar when the town experiences it’s first rain storm
- Everyone Has Standards: He is more level-headed than all the other citizens of Pleasantville by not engaging in any of the destructive activities like the vandalism of the soda shop.
- Moral Guardians: The mayor and a leader of a group of men who act against anything they think will tarnish the purity of Pleasantville.
- Villainous Breakdown: A mild one. After the townspeople are colored, he shouts “NO IT COULD NOT!” to David and his face turns pink. Then he bails.
- What Happened to the Mouse?: Where he fled to after getting colored can only be guessed.
Skip Martin
Skip Martin
Mary Sue’s high school sweetheart.- Jerk Jock: Averted. Skip is too nice to be this, but when Pleasantville’s “coloring” starts getting out of control, he plays this straight until the end.
- Heel–Face Turn: Implied. He probably redeemed himself after the full coloring of Pleasantville.
Whitey
Whitey
Margaret Henderson’s boyfriend.- The Bully: Or at least from what we see him as. Before Pleasantville was altered, it can be assumed that he Used to Be a Sweet Kid.
- Expy: Of the character of the same name from Leave It to Beaver, but probably more malicious.
- Heel–Face Turn: Implied. He probably redeemed himself after the full coloring of Pleasantville.
- Used to Be a Sweet Kid: Implied. Bud going out with his girl and her subsequent colorization probably turned him into a racist.
Margaret Henderson
Margaret Henderson
A cheerleader whom David falls for.- All of the Other Reindeer: Whitey admonishes her for being colored.
- Beta Couple: The beta to Mary Sue and Skip’s alpha.
- Satellite Love Interest: She’s sweet, caring to David and that’s all you need to know about her.
