Flatlining on the field of dreams : cultural narratives in the films of President Reagan's America / Alan Nadel.

Format:

Book

Author/Creator:

Nadel, Alan, 1947-

Language:

English

Subjects (All):

Motion pictures--Social aspects--United States.

Motion pictures--Social aspects.

United States.

Motion pictures--Political aspects--United States.

Motion pictures--Political aspects.

Physical Description:

xii, 238 pages : illustrations ; 24 cm

Place of Publication:

New Brunswick, N.J. : Rutgers University Press, [1997]

Summary:

Flatlining on the Field of Dreams demonstrates, with witty prose and careful analysis, how the overindulgent, image-conscious years of the Reagan administration are reflected in sundry aspects of American films produced during that era. Discussing dozens of films, including Home Alone, Beetlejuice, Ghost, The Little Mermaid, Working Girl, Who Framed Roger Rabbit?, and Trading Places, Alan Nadel identifies narratives about credit, deregulation, gender, race, and masculinity that defined "President Reagan's America". Linking the way Hollywood films work to the stories they tell, he explains how the ideas and values of Reaganism became the symbolic food of a hyper-consumptive society. The book provides hard-to-ignore demonstrations of the extensive synergy between politics, history, and popular culture.-- An incisive and witty reading of the hidden texts in dozens of popular films from this era.-- A rare, convincing example of the relationship between popular culture and history.-- A provocative bridge between the formal experience of watching films and the credibility of political narratives.

Notes:

Filmography: pages 211-214.

Includes bibliographical references (pages 215-222) and index.

ISBN:

0813524393

0813524407

OCLC:

35955205