David (Maguire) and his sister Jennifer (Witherspoon) lead different high-school social lives. Jennifer is shallow and extroverted; David is introverted and spends most of his time watching television.
One evening while their mother (Kaczmarek) is away, they fight over the TV. Jennifer wants a concert, but David wants to watch a marathon of ”Pleasantville”, a black and white 1958 sitcom about the idyllic Parker family. During the fight, the remote control breaks, but the TV cannot be turned on manually.
A mysterious TV repairman (Knotts) shows up, quizzes David about ”Pleasantville”, then gives him a strange remote control. The repairman leaves, and David and Jennifer resume fighting. However, they are transported into the Parkers’ black and white ”Pleasantville” living room…..
