The American Blockbuster: Movies That Defined Their Generations

Description

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. Cover Title Page Copyright Contents List of Figures Preface Introduction Section 1: Thematic Essays The Socialization Process: How Films Define Generational Consciousness Capitalism and the Film Industry: Creating and Distributing Cinema in the Age of Television The American Myth Machine: Film as a National Visual Literature American Religiosity in the Age of Entertainment: Hollywood and American Values Section 2: Boomers Make the Blockbuster (1975–1982) Alien Close Encounters of the Third Kind E.T.: The Extra-Terrestrial The Exorcist Grease Indiana Jones and the Raiders of the Lost Ark Jaws Kramer vs. Kramer 9 to 5 One Flew over the Cuckoo’s Nest Rocky Star Wars: A New Hope Superman Tootsie Section 3: Xers on a Quest for Identity and Belonging (1983–1998) Back to the Future Batman Beauty and the Beast Beverly Hills Cop Forrest Gump Ghostbusters Home Alone Independence Day Jurassic Park The Lion King Star Wars: Return of the Jedi Terminator 2: Judgment Day Titanic Top Gun Toy Story Section 4: Millennials and the American Myth Machine (1999–2009) Avatar The Dark Knight The Fast and the Furious Finding Nemo Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone/Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets Iron Man The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring The Matrix Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl Shrek Spider-Man Star Wars: Episode 1—The Phantom Menace Transformers Twilight X-Men Section 5: Gen Z Finds Its Heroes (2010–) The Avengers Black Panther The Dark Knight Rises Despicable Me Fast and Furious 7 Frozen The Hunger Games Inception Joker Skyfall Star Wars: The Force Awakens Wonder Woman Zootopia Bibliography About the Editor and Contributors Index