ReFocus: The Films of John Hughes
Published on 13. April 2021
Book
Hardback
296 pages
978-1-4744-4902-1 (ISBN)
Description
The films of John Hughes (1950-2009) have enjoyed popular and critical success alike, from his first scripts in the early 1980s through to his celebrated work later in the decade and into the 1990s. While Hughes is best remembered for his stories about teenagers, such as Sixteen Candles (1984), The Breakfast Club (1985) and Ferris Bueller's Day Off (1986), almost all of his films deal with comical conflicts within everyday American families. He directed eight films and wrote over thirty in a career spanning a quarter of a century, and is fondly remembered for influencing American perceptions of - and appreciation for - the daily lives of (primarily) common citizens.
This wide-ranging collection examines the films of John Hughes from diverse angles, considering how he depicted young characters, how he revealed the humour of family life, and how his films subtly critiqued social issues such as class, race, gender, education and domestic relationships.
This wide-ranging collection examines the films of John Hughes from diverse angles, considering how he depicted young characters, how he revealed the humour of family life, and how his films subtly critiqued social issues such as class, race, gender, education and domestic relationships.
Reviews / Votes
Refocus: The Films of John Hughes is a fantastic book! This important volume recognises Hughes as a significant and prolific filmmaker, analysing his position in the industry as well as offering insightful critique of his films. The book identifies the limitations of Hughes's films, particularly regarding the treatment of gender, sexuality and race, whilst also acknowledging their lasting appeal. -- Claire Jenkins, Lecturer in Film and Television Studies, University of LeicesterMore details
Series
Language
English
Place of publication
Edinburgh
United Kingdom
Target group
Professional and scholarly
Product notice
sewn/stitched
Cloth over boards
Illustrations
26 black and white illustrations
Dimensions
Height: 234 mm
Width: 156 mm
Thickness: 18 mm
Weight
594 gr
ISBN-13
978-1-4744-4902-1 (9781474449021)
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
Other editions
Additional editions
Timothy Shary | Frances Smith
ReFocus: The Films of John Hughes
E-Book
04/2021
1st Edition
Edinburgh University Press
€26.49
Available for download
E-Book
04/2021
1st Edition
Edinburgh University Press
€26.49
Available for download
Persons
Timothy Shary is the author of Teen Movies: American Youth on Screen (Wallflower, 2005) and Generation Multiplex: The Image of Youth in American Cinema Since 1980 (Texas, 2014). He teaches at Eastern Florida State College. Frances Smith is Lecturer in Film Studies at the University of Sussex. She is the author of 'Rethinking the Hollywood Teen Movie' (Edinburgh University Press, 2017), which combines close textual analysis and critical theory to argue that the genre possesses a distinct narrative and aesthetic.
Content
List of FiguresAcknowledgements Notes on ContributorsFilm and Television Work by John Hughes
1. Introduction - Timothy Shary and Frances Smith
Part I: Hughes in the Industry
2. John Hughes as Auteur: History, Hagiography, Historiography - Elissa H. Nelson
3. "Becoming John Hughes": Regional Production, Hyphenate Filmmaking, and Independence Within Hollywood - Yannis Tzioumakis
4. Ferris Bueller vs. Parker Lewis: "Adapting" Ferris Bueller's Day Off for Television - Stephen Tropiano
Part II: Reconsidering Youth
5. "Life moves pretty fast": Mobility, Power, and Aesthetics in John Hughes's Teen Films - Christina G. Petersen
6. "When Cameron Was in Egypt's Land": The Queer Child of Neglect in John Hughes's Films - Barbara Jane Brickman
7. We Need to Talk about Kevin McCallister: John Hughes's Careless Parents and Abandoned Children - Melissa Oliver-Powell
Part III: Family and Fatherhood
8. Brand Name Vision: Props in the Films of John Hughes - Leah R. Shafer
9. Domesticating the Comedian: Comic Performance, Narrative, and the Family in John Hughes's 1980s Comedian Films - Holly Chard
10. Fatherhood and the Failures of Paternal Authority in the Films of John Hughes - Alice Leppert
Part IV: Contested Identities
11. Bizarre Love Triangle: Frankensteinian Masculinities in Weird Science - Andrew Scahill
12. "You look good wearing my future:" Social Class and Individualism in the 1980s Teen Films of John Hughes - Robert C. Bulman
13. The Unbearable Whiteness of Being in a John Hughes Movie - Frances Smith
BibliographyAppendix: Other Films and Television Shows Cited in this CollectionIndex
1. Introduction - Timothy Shary and Frances Smith
Part I: Hughes in the Industry
2. John Hughes as Auteur: History, Hagiography, Historiography - Elissa H. Nelson
3. "Becoming John Hughes": Regional Production, Hyphenate Filmmaking, and Independence Within Hollywood - Yannis Tzioumakis
4. Ferris Bueller vs. Parker Lewis: "Adapting" Ferris Bueller's Day Off for Television - Stephen Tropiano
Part II: Reconsidering Youth
5. "Life moves pretty fast": Mobility, Power, and Aesthetics in John Hughes's Teen Films - Christina G. Petersen
6. "When Cameron Was in Egypt's Land": The Queer Child of Neglect in John Hughes's Films - Barbara Jane Brickman
7. We Need to Talk about Kevin McCallister: John Hughes's Careless Parents and Abandoned Children - Melissa Oliver-Powell
Part III: Family and Fatherhood
8. Brand Name Vision: Props in the Films of John Hughes - Leah R. Shafer
9. Domesticating the Comedian: Comic Performance, Narrative, and the Family in John Hughes's 1980s Comedian Films - Holly Chard
10. Fatherhood and the Failures of Paternal Authority in the Films of John Hughes - Alice Leppert
Part IV: Contested Identities
11. Bizarre Love Triangle: Frankensteinian Masculinities in Weird Science - Andrew Scahill
12. "You look good wearing my future:" Social Class and Individualism in the 1980s Teen Films of John Hughes - Robert C. Bulman
13. The Unbearable Whiteness of Being in a John Hughes Movie - Frances Smith
BibliographyAppendix: Other Films and Television Shows Cited in this CollectionIndex