Introduction xvii Generation X: 1965–1980 Millennials: 1981–1996 Generation Z: 1997–20125 Again, for convenience, the entries and essays will sometimes conflate the Great- est Generation and the Silent Generation as simply the parents of the Boomers, in whose lifetimes the blockbuster first emerged. For this volume, I have added the extra distinction that a person does not attend and remember a film as an infant. Consequentially, the date ranges are set from the first blockbuster (Jaws, 1975) to roughly the times when the next generation would have started moviegoing in earnest. Thus, the oldest Boomer would have seen Jaws at 39 and the youngest at 11. A Gen Xer is not as likely to remember watching Jaws in the theater (the oldest Gen Xer would have been but 10 at the time) but probably can recall Back to the Future (1985) at 20 and so on. As with most things, generational cohorts are not tidy boxes with sharp delineations, and movies are not made just for one generation. Some lean toward one generation more than others, of course—especially when that generation is at peak moviego- ing habits and has cash. Dividing and analyzing films in these ways show both the consistency of American values throughout generations and their constant renegotiation. Or as the saying goes, “The more things change, the more they stay the same.” Yet there are things that are new under the sun, and the world of the Gen Zer is a radically different place than the earlier world of the Boomer—even if they spend holidays together. These differences are constantly in tension onscreen and off, as each generation vies for what truly constitutes the American Dream. THEMATIC ESSAYS This volume begins with a set of essays meant to situate the reader more spe- cifically in the American film context. The first, “The Socialization Process: How Films Define Generational Consciousness,” examines the mechanisms of how Americans are introduced and induced to consume films as a meaningful activity. Following a brief, autobiographical “thick description” in the cultural anthropo- logical register, it explores how films entrance the individual and form a sense of social identity and cohesion. The next essay, “Capitalism and the Film Industry: Creating and Distributing Cinema in the Age of Television,” investigates the economic underpinnings of the entertainment industry at large and how television and streaming services have challenged Hollywood. Katherine Hennessey provocatively suggests that televi- sion and the proliferation of streaming services have “paved the way for greater diversity on film screens.” Such a hopeful note, sounded for the further democra- tization of the entertainment industry, is much needed. Eliding with some of the aforementioned observations and comments, Angelica DeAngelis’s contribution, “The American Myth Machine: Film as a National Visual Literature,” takes a deep dive into how film is, in fact, our new and most
Previous Page Next Page