American Cinema of the 2010s: Themes and Variations

Description

The 2010s might be remembered as a time of increased polarization in American life. The decade contained both the Obama era and the Trump era, and as the nation’s political fissures widened, so did the gap between the haves and have-nots. Hollywood reflected these divisions, choosing to concentrate on big franchise blockbusters at the expense of mid-budget films, while new players like Netflix and Amazon offered fresh opportunities for low-budget and independent filmmakers. As the movie business changed, films ranging from American Sniper to Get Out found ways to speak to the concerns of a divided nation.   The newest installment in the Screen Decades series, American Cinema in the 2010s takes a close look at the memorable movies, visionary filmmakers, and behind-the-scenes drama that made this decade such an exciting time to be a moviegoer. Each chapter offers an in-depth examination of a specific year, covering a wide variety of films, from blockbuster superhero movies like Black Panther and animated films like Frozen to smaller-budget biopics like I, Tonya and horror films like Hereditary. This volume introduces readers to a decade in which established auteurs like Quentin Tarantino were joined by an exceptionally diverse set of new talents, taking American cinema in new directions.  Cover Series Page Title Page Copyright Contents Timeline: 2010s Introduction: Movies and the 2010s / Dennis Bingham 2010. Movies and Recessionary Gender Politics / Michele Schreiber 2011. Movies and Masculinity at a Crossroads / David Greven 2012. Movies and Myths, Heroes, and History / Raymond Haberski Jr. 2013. Movies and Personhood / Alexandra Keller 2014. Movies and the Unexpected Virtue of How the Sausage Gets Made / Daniel Smith-Rowsey 2015. Movies and Female Agency / Lisa Bode 2016. Movies and the Solace of Progressive Narratives / Cynthia Baron 2017. Movies and the Right to Be Heard / Julie Levinson 2018. Movies and Revolution / Mikal J. Gaines 2019. Movies, Anniversaries, and the Limits of Looking Back / Dennis Bingham Select Academy Awards, 2010–2019 Acknowledgments Works Cited and Consulted Contributors Index