Overview

Academy Award-winning screenwriter of the film American Beauty and creator of the HBO series Six Feet Under, Alan Ball has consistently probed the cultural forces shaping gender, sexuality, and death in the United States. Through gritty dialogue and edgy humor, Ball centers much of his social critique on the illusory promises of the American Dream. For many of his characters, a belief in the American Dream--including idealized notions of the family, heterosexual norms, and the acceptance of prescribed gender roles--proves stifling and self-destructive. This is the first book to explore Ball's writings for theater, television and film, with an emphasis on his best-known work. These essays offer insight into both the captivating and problematic dimensions of Ball's work, while drawing connections among his diverse writings. An interview with Ball is included.

Full Product Details

Author:   Thomas Fahy
Publisher:   McFarland & Co Inc
Imprint:   McFarland & Co Inc
Dimensions:   Width: 15.20cm , Height: 1.00cm , Length: 22.90cm
Weight:   0.263kg
ISBN:  

9780786425921

ISBN 10:   078642592
Pages:   190
Publication Date:   13 April 2006
Recommended Age:   From 18 years
Audience:   College/higher education ,  Professional and scholarly ,  Undergraduate ,  Postgraduate, Research & Scholarly
Format:   Paperback
Publisher's Status:   Active
Availability:   Out of stock  
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Table of Contents

Table of Contents Sexuality, Death, and the American Dream in the Works of Alan Ball: An Introduction      An Interview with Alan Ball      Good Mourning, America: Alan Ball’s American Beauty      The Space Between Us: The Psychology of Houses in American Beauty      A Heart Caves In: The Dangerous Aesthetics of American Beauty      “You Have to Develop an Eye For It”: Anti-Aesthetic Art in Alan Ball’s Vision      Meet the Chenowiths: The Therapeutic Drama of Six Feet Under      Strangers in Blood: The Queer Intimacies of Six Feet Under      When We Living Awaken      Bridesmaids, Bosoms, and Booze: Visibility and the Veiling of Conservatism      Always a Bridesmaid, Never a Bride: The American Dream in Five Women Wearing the Same Dress      Appendix: Works for Theater, Film and Television      About the Contributors      Index     

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Author Information

Thomas Fahy, also the author of several books and editor of Considering David Chase: Essays on The Rockford Files, Northern Exposure and The Sopranos (2007) and Considering Aaron Sorkin: Essays on the Politics, Poetics and Sleight of Hand in the Films and Television Series (2005) is an assistant professor of English and director of American Studies at Long Island University.

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