American Cinema of the 1990s: Themes and Variations

With the U.S. economy booming under President Bill Clinton and the cold war finally over, many Americans experienced peace and prosperity in the nineties. Digital technologies gained popularity, with nearly one billion people online by the end of the decade. The film industry wondered what the effect on cinema would be.

The essays in American Cinema of the 1990s examine the big-budget blockbusters and critically acclaimed independent films that defined the decade. The 1990s' most popular genre, action, channeled anxieties about global threats such as AIDS and foreign terrorist attacks into escapist entertainment movies. Horror films and thrillers were on the rise, but family-friendly pictures and feel-good romances netted big audiences too. Meanwhile, independent films captured hearts, engaged minds, and invaded Hollywood: by decade's end every studio boasted its own "art film" affiliate.

Author: Chris Holmlund
Publisher: Rutgers University Press
Published: 10/01/2008
Pages: 304
Binding Type: Paperback
Weight: 1.10lbs
Size: 9.10h x 6.10w x 0.80d
ISBN: 9780813543666

Review Citation(s):
Choice 03/01/2009