Synopses & Reviews
In the 2000s, new technologies transformed the experiences of movie-going and movie-making, giving us the first generation of stars to be just as famous on the computer screen as on the silver screen.
Shining in Shadows examines a wide range of Hollywood icons from a turbulent decade for the film industry and for America itself. Perhaps reflecting our own cultural fragmentation and uncertainty, Hollywoodandrsquo;s star personas sent mixed messages about Americansandrsquo; identities and ideals. Disheveled men-children like Will Ferrell and Jack Black shared the multiplex with debonair old-Hollywood standbys like George Clooney and Morgan Freeman. Iconic roles for women ranged from Renee Zellwegerandrsquo;s dithering romantics to Tina Feyandrsquo;s neurotic professionals to Hilary Swankandrsquo;s vulnerable boyish characters. And in this age of reality TV and TMZ, stars like Jennifer Aniston and andldquo;Brangelinaandrdquo; became more famous for their real-life romantic dramasandmdash;at the same time that former tabloid fixtures like Johnny Depp and Robert Downey Jr. reinvented themselves as dependable leading men. With a multigenerational, international cast of stars, this collection presents a fascinating composite portrait of Hollywood stardom today.
Synopsis
The constellation of Hollywood stars burned brightly in the 1950s, even as the industry fell on hard economic times. Major artists of the 1940s--James Stewart, Jerry Lewis, and Gregory Peck--continued to exert a magical appeal but the younger generation of moviegoers was soon enthralled by an emerging cast, led by James Dean and Marlon Brando. They, among others, ushered in a provocative acting style, andquot;the Method,andquot; bringing hard-edged, realistic performances to the screen. Adult-oriented small-budget dramas were ideal showcases for Method actors, startlingly realized when Brando seized the screen in On the Waterfront. But, with competition from television looming, Hollywood also featured film-making of epic proportion--Ben-Hur and other cinema wonders rode onto the screen with amazing spectacle, making stars of physically impressive performers such as Charlton Heston.
Larger Than Life offers a comprehensive view of the star system in 1950s Hollywood and also in-depth discussions of the decade's major stars, including Montgomery Clift, Judy Holliday, Jerry Lewis, James Mason, Marilyn Monroe, Kim Novak, Bing Crosby, Gene Kelly, Jayne Mansfield, and Audrey Hepburn.
Synopsis
Shining in Shadows examines a wide range of Hollywood icons from a turbulent decade for the film industry and for America itself. Perhaps reflecting our own cultural fragmentation and uncertainty, Hollywoodandrsquo;s star personas sent mixed messages about Americansandrsquo; identities and ideals. With a multigenerational, international cast of stars, this collection presents a fascinating composite portrait of Hollywood stardom today.
About the Author
R. BARTON PALMER is the Calhoun Lemon Professor of Literature at Clemson University, where he also directs the film studies program. He is the author, editor, or general editor of numerous books on various literary and cinematic subjects, including Traditions in World Cinema (Rutgers University Press).
Table of Contents
Acknowledgments
Introduction
1. Wonder Boys: Matt Damon, Johnny Depp, and Robert Downey Jr.
2. Clint Eastwood and Morgan Freeman: Million-Dollar Seniors
3. Jennifer Aniston and Tina Fey: Girls with Glasses
4. Puerile Pillars of the Frat Pack: Jack Black,Will Ferrell, Adam Sandler, and Ben Stiller
5. Javier Bardem and Benicio Del Toro: Beyond Machismo
6. Philip Seymour Hoffman: Jesus of Uncool
7. A Postfeminist Primer: Maggie Gyllenhaal, Hilary Swank, and Renandeacute;e Zellweger
8. Heath Ledger: Iandrsquo;m Not There
9. Leonardo DiCaprio and Sean Penn: Acting Authentic
10. Kate Winslet and Cate Blanchett:The Performance Is the Star
11. Brangelina: Celebrity, Credibility, and the Composite andUuml;berstar
12. George Clooney: The Issues Guy
In the Wings
Works Cited
Contributors
Index