The American Blockbuster: Movies That Defined Their Generations
"Without exception, the essays are accessible, insightful, and entertaining." – Booklist

Providing an indispensable resource for students and general readers, this book serves as an entry point for a conversation on America's favorite pastime, focusing in on generational differences and the evolution of American identity. In an age marked by tension and division, Americans of all ages and backgrounds have turned to film to escape the pressures of everyday life. Yet, beyond escapism, popular cinema is both a mirror and microscope for our collective psyche. Examining the films that have made billions of dollars through a new lens reveals that popular culture is a vital source for understanding what it means to be an American.

This book is divided into four sections, each associated with a different generation. Featuring such era-defining hits as Jaws, Back to the Future, Avatar, and The Avengers, each section presents detailed film analyses that showcase the consistency of certain American values throughout generations as well as the constant renegotiation of others. Ideal for any cinephile, The American Blockbuster demonstrates how complex and meaningful even the summer blockbuster can be.

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The American Blockbuster: Movies That Defined Their Generations
"Without exception, the essays are accessible, insightful, and entertaining." – Booklist

Providing an indispensable resource for students and general readers, this book serves as an entry point for a conversation on America's favorite pastime, focusing in on generational differences and the evolution of American identity. In an age marked by tension and division, Americans of all ages and backgrounds have turned to film to escape the pressures of everyday life. Yet, beyond escapism, popular cinema is both a mirror and microscope for our collective psyche. Examining the films that have made billions of dollars through a new lens reveals that popular culture is a vital source for understanding what it means to be an American.

This book is divided into four sections, each associated with a different generation. Featuring such era-defining hits as Jaws, Back to the Future, Avatar, and The Avengers, each section presents detailed film analyses that showcase the consistency of certain American values throughout generations as well as the constant renegotiation of others. Ideal for any cinephile, The American Blockbuster demonstrates how complex and meaningful even the summer blockbuster can be.

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The American Blockbuster: Movies That Defined Their Generations

The American Blockbuster: Movies That Defined Their Generations

by Benjamin Crace
The American Blockbuster: Movies That Defined Their Generations

The American Blockbuster: Movies That Defined Their Generations

by Benjamin Crace

Hardcover

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Overview

"Without exception, the essays are accessible, insightful, and entertaining." – Booklist

Providing an indispensable resource for students and general readers, this book serves as an entry point for a conversation on America's favorite pastime, focusing in on generational differences and the evolution of American identity. In an age marked by tension and division, Americans of all ages and backgrounds have turned to film to escape the pressures of everyday life. Yet, beyond escapism, popular cinema is both a mirror and microscope for our collective psyche. Examining the films that have made billions of dollars through a new lens reveals that popular culture is a vital source for understanding what it means to be an American.

This book is divided into four sections, each associated with a different generation. Featuring such era-defining hits as Jaws, Back to the Future, Avatar, and The Avengers, each section presents detailed film analyses that showcase the consistency of certain American values throughout generations as well as the constant renegotiation of others. Ideal for any cinephile, The American Blockbuster demonstrates how complex and meaningful even the summer blockbuster can be.


Product Details

ISBN-13: 9781440877803
Publisher: Bloomsbury Academic
Publication date: 10/18/2022
Pages: 336
Product dimensions: 7.25(w) x 10.30(h) x 1.00(d)

About the Author

Benjamin Crace, PhD, is assistant professor of English at the American University of Kuwait.

Table of Contents

List of Figures ix

Preface xi

Introduction xiii

Section I Thematic Essays

The Socialization Process: How Films Define Generational Consciousness 3

Capitalism and the Film Industry: Creating and Distributing Cinema in the Age of Television 15

The American Myth Machine: Film as a National Visual Literature 27

American Religiosity in the Age of Entertainment: Hollywood and American Values 39

Section 2 Boomers Make the Blockbuster (1975-1982)

Alien 53

Close Encounters of the Third Kind 57

E.T.: The Extra-Terreslrial 61

The Exorcist 65

Grease 69

Indiana Jones and the Raiders of the Lost Ark 73

Jaws 76

Kramer vs. Kramer 80

9 to 5 84

One Flew over the Cuckoo's Nest 88

Rocky 92

Star Wars: A New Hope 96

Superman 100

Tootsie 104

Section 3 Xers on a Quest for Identity and Belonging (1983-1998)

Back to the Future 109

Batman 113

Beauty and the Beast 117

Beverly Hills Cop 122

Forrest Gump 125

Ghostbusters 129

Home Alone 133

Independence Day 138

Jurassic Park 141

The Lion King 145

Star Wars: Return of the Jedi 148

Terminator 2: Judgment Day 153

Titanic 156

Top Gun 161

Toy Story 165

Section 4 Millennials and the American Myth Machine (1999-2009)

Avatar 169

The Dark Knight 173

The Fast and the Furious 177

Finding Nemo 181

Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone/Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets 185

Iron Man 190

The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring 194

The Matrix 198

Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl 202

Shrek 205

Spider-Man 210

Star Wars: Episode 1-The Phantom Menace 213

Transformers 217

Twilight 221

X-Men 225

Section 5 Gen Z Finds Its Heroes (2010-)

The Avengers 231

Black Panther 236

The Dark Knight Rises 240

Despicable Me 245

Fast and Furious 7 250

Frozen 253

The Hunger Games 257

Inception 262

Joker 266

Skyfall 270

Star Wars: The Force Awakens 276

Wonder Woman 280

Zootopia 284

Bibliography 291

About the Editor and Contributors 309

Index 311

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