ReFocus: The Films of Lawrence Kasdan
Will be published approx. on 31. December 2025
Book
Paperback/Softback
248 pages
978-1-3995-2408-7 (ISBN)
Description
Acknowledgements
Introduction
Part I: "I'm making this up as I go": Lawrence Kasdan and Raiders of the Lost Ark
Chapter 1. Smith and Jones: Discourse Analysis of the Raiders of the Lost Ark Story Conference
Chapter 2. Visual Language in the Raiders of the Lost Ark Screenplay
Part II: Kasdan the Director: Developing Style(s)
Chapter 3. Body Heat: Heightened Style in the Neo-Noir
Chapter 4. Classical Structure in the "Perfect Ensemble" of The Big Chill
Part III: Voice of the Largest Generation
Chapter 5. Altruism and Otherness in The Big Chill, The Accidental Tourist, and Grand Canyon
Chapter 6. Cowboys, Aliens, and Sixtysomethings: Age and Nostalgia in Kasdan's Later Films
Part IV: Influences, Without and Within
Chapter 7. From Noir to Kurosawa: Allusion and Homage in Lawrence Kasdan's Films
Chapter 8. Kasdan's Collaborations: Creation and Performance
Part V: A Long Time in a Galaxy Far, Far Away
Chapter 9. From Star Wars to Saga: Lawrence Kasdan and The Empire Strikes Back
Chapter 10. Revenge of the Monomyth: Reclaiming the Hero's Journey in Return of the Jedi
Chapter 11. A New Hope in The Force Awakens
Chapter 12. A Changed Man: Solo and Beyond
Chapter 13. An Interview with Lawrence Kasdan
Lawrence Kasdan: Writing and Directing Credits
Filmography
Bibliography
Introduction
Part I: "I'm making this up as I go": Lawrence Kasdan and Raiders of the Lost Ark
Chapter 1. Smith and Jones: Discourse Analysis of the Raiders of the Lost Ark Story Conference
Chapter 2. Visual Language in the Raiders of the Lost Ark Screenplay
Part II: Kasdan the Director: Developing Style(s)
Chapter 3. Body Heat: Heightened Style in the Neo-Noir
Chapter 4. Classical Structure in the "Perfect Ensemble" of The Big Chill
Part III: Voice of the Largest Generation
Chapter 5. Altruism and Otherness in The Big Chill, The Accidental Tourist, and Grand Canyon
Chapter 6. Cowboys, Aliens, and Sixtysomethings: Age and Nostalgia in Kasdan's Later Films
Part IV: Influences, Without and Within
Chapter 7. From Noir to Kurosawa: Allusion and Homage in Lawrence Kasdan's Films
Chapter 8. Kasdan's Collaborations: Creation and Performance
Part V: A Long Time in a Galaxy Far, Far Away
Chapter 9. From Star Wars to Saga: Lawrence Kasdan and The Empire Strikes Back
Chapter 10. Revenge of the Monomyth: Reclaiming the Hero's Journey in Return of the Jedi
Chapter 11. A New Hope in The Force Awakens
Chapter 12. A Changed Man: Solo and Beyond
Chapter 13. An Interview with Lawrence Kasdan
Lawrence Kasdan: Writing and Directing Credits
Filmography
Bibliography
Reviews / Votes
This is an important book that uses a holistic approach - drawing on primary source material, interviews and film analysis - to demonstrate why Lawrence Kasdan and his films should be taken seriously. Davies reinforces the importance of studying so-called non-auteur directors and writers, whose contributions to cinema are worthy of attention. -- Claire Jenkins, University of Leicester In this wide-ranging volume, Brett Davies offers an absorbing overview of Lawrence Kasdan's career as Hollywood screenwriter and director. As well as examining Kasdan's directorial style, worldview, influences, and collaborations, Davies' volume is also notable for?revealing Kasdan's role in the formation of the Indiana Jones and Star Wars franchises. -- Warren Buckland, Reader in Film Studies at Oxford Brookes University and author of Directed by Steven Spielberg.More details
Series
Language
English
Place of publication
Edinburgh
United Kingdom
Target group
Professional and scholarly
Illustrations
32 black and white illustrations, 1 black and white table
Dimensions
Height: 156 mm
Width: 236 mm
Thickness: 18 mm
Weight
386 gr
ISBN-13
978-1-3995-2408-7 (9781399524087)
Copyright in bibliographic data and cover images is held by Nielsen Book Services Limited or by the publishers or by their respective licensors: all rights reserved.
Schweitzer Classification
Person
Brett Davies is Associate Professor of English at Meiji University, Tokyo
Content
List of Figures
Acknowledgements
Introduction
Part I: "I'm making this up as I go": Lawrence Kasdan and Raiders of the Lost Ark
Chapter 1. Smith and Jones: Discourse Analysis of the Raiders of the Lost Ark Story Conference
Chapter 2. Visual Language in the Raiders of the Lost Ark Screenplay
Part II: Kasdan the Director: Developing Style(s)
Chapter 3. Body Heat: Heightened Style in the Neo-Noir
Chapter 4. Classical Structure in the "Perfect Ensemble" of The Big Chill
Part III: Voice of the Largest Generation
Chapter 5. Altruism and Condescension in The Big Chill, The Accidental Tourist, and Grand Canyon
Chapter 6. Cowboys, Aliens, and Sixtysomethings: Age and Nostalgia in Kasdan's Later Films
Part IV: Influences, Without and Within
Chapter 7. From Noir to Kurosawa: Allusion and Homage in Lawrence Kasdan's Films
Chapter 8. Kasdan's Collaborations: Creation and Performance
Part V: A Long Time in a Galaxy Far, Far Away
Chapter 9. From Star Wars to Saga: Lawrence Kasdan and The Empire Strikes Back
Chapter 10. Revenge of the Monomyth: Reclaiming the Hero's Journey in Return of the Jedi
Chapter 11. A New Hope in The Force Awakens
Chapter 12. A Changed Man: Solo and Beyond
Part VI: An Interview with Lawrence Kasdan
Lawrence Kasdan: Writing and Directing Credits
Filmography
Bibliography
Index
Acknowledgements
Introduction
Part I: "I'm making this up as I go": Lawrence Kasdan and Raiders of the Lost Ark
Chapter 1. Smith and Jones: Discourse Analysis of the Raiders of the Lost Ark Story Conference
Chapter 2. Visual Language in the Raiders of the Lost Ark Screenplay
Part II: Kasdan the Director: Developing Style(s)
Chapter 3. Body Heat: Heightened Style in the Neo-Noir
Chapter 4. Classical Structure in the "Perfect Ensemble" of The Big Chill
Part III: Voice of the Largest Generation
Chapter 5. Altruism and Condescension in The Big Chill, The Accidental Tourist, and Grand Canyon
Chapter 6. Cowboys, Aliens, and Sixtysomethings: Age and Nostalgia in Kasdan's Later Films
Part IV: Influences, Without and Within
Chapter 7. From Noir to Kurosawa: Allusion and Homage in Lawrence Kasdan's Films
Chapter 8. Kasdan's Collaborations: Creation and Performance
Part V: A Long Time in a Galaxy Far, Far Away
Chapter 9. From Star Wars to Saga: Lawrence Kasdan and The Empire Strikes Back
Chapter 10. Revenge of the Monomyth: Reclaiming the Hero's Journey in Return of the Jedi
Chapter 11. A New Hope in The Force Awakens
Chapter 12. A Changed Man: Solo and Beyond
Part VI: An Interview with Lawrence Kasdan
Lawrence Kasdan: Writing and Directing Credits
Filmography
Bibliography
Index