American Dreams, Suburban Nightmares: Suburbia as a Narrative Space between Utopia and Dystopia in Contemporary American CinemaThe suburban landscape is inseparable from American culture. Suburbia does not only relate to the geographical concept, but also describes a cultural space incorporating people’s hopes for a safe and prosperous life. Suburbia marks a dynamic ideological space constantly influenced and recreated by both the events of everyday life and artistic discourse. Fictional texts do not merely represent suburbia, but also have a decisive role in the shaping of suburban spaces. The widely held idealized image of suburbia evolved in the 1950s. Today, reality deviates from the concept of suburbs projected back then, due to e.g. high divorce rates and an increase of crime. Nevertheless, the nostalgic view of the suburbs as the “Promised Land" has survived. Postwar critics object to this perception, considering the suburbs rather as depressing landscapes of mass-consumption, conformity and alienation. This book exemplifies the dualistic representation of suburbs in contemporary American cinema by analyzing Pleasantville, The Truman Show and American Beauty. It examines how utopian concepts of suburbia are created culturally and psychologically in the films, and how the underlying anxieties of the suburban experience, visualized by the dystopian narratives, challenge this ideal. |
Contents
| 1 | |
| 4 | |
Suburbia as a Narrative Space between Utopia and Dystopia in Contemporary American Cinema 3 Utopian and dystopian narratives of suburbia | 11 |
Suburbia as a Narrative Space between Utopia and Dystopia in Contemporary American Cinema 4 Suburbia in contemporary American cinema | 14 |
Suburbia as a Narrative Space between Utopia and Dystopia in Contemporary American Cinema 5 Once upon a time Suburbia as nostalgic utopia in ... | 18 |
Suburbia as a Narrative Space between Utopia and Dystopia in Contemporary American Cinema 6 Better than reality? Suburbia as simulacra in The T... | 31 |
Suburbia as a Narrative Space between Utopia and Dystopia in Contemporary American Cinema 7 Look Closer Suburbia as imprisoning dystopia in ... | 43 |
Suburbia as a Narrative Space between Utopia and Dystopia in Contemporary American Cinema 8 Conclusion and outlook | 54 |
Suburbia as a Narrative Space between Utopia and Dystopia in Contemporary American Cinema List of figures | 56 |
| 60 | |
Other editions - View all
Common terms and phrases
according actual already American Beauty American Dream appears areas argues audience become beginning Beuka calls camera Carolyn central chapter characters cinema cities citizens closely color communities complex concept consequence considered contemporary contemporary American critics cultural David demonstrates depicted desire diegesis discussed dystopian existence experience fact feeling fictional Figure film finds focuses follow Halper hand houses Ibid ideal imagined individual introduces keep leads Lester living located longing look marks means moreover move Muzzio narrative neighborhood nostalgic notes particularly perfect Pleasantville portrayed postmodern postwar presented Press prison reality regard result Ricky roses Ross scene screen Seahaven seems shot shown significant simulation society spectators story suburban landscape suburban space suburbia suburbs surveillance takes television town true Truman Show turns University utopian visions visual watching York