Generation Multiplex (2002) was the first comprehensive study of the representation of teenagers in American cinema since David Considine's Cinema of Adolescence in 1985. This updated and expanded edition reaffirms the idea that films about youth constitute a legitimate genre worthy of study on its own terms. Identifying four distinct subgenres-school, delinquency, horror, and romance-Timothy Shary explores hundreds of representative films while offering in-depth discussion of movies that constitute key moments in the genre, including Fast Times at Ridgemont High, A Nightmare on Elm Street, The Breakfast Club, Say Anything . . . , Boyz N the Hood, Scream, American Pie, Napoleon Dynamite, Superbad, The Twilight Saga, and The Hunger Games. Analyzing developments in teen films since 2002, Shary covers such topics as the increasing availability of movies on demand, which has given teens greater access to both popular and lesser-seen films; the recent dominance of supernatural and fantasy films as a category within the genre; and how the ongoing commodification of teen images in media affects real-life issues such as school bullying, athletic development, sexual identity, and teenage pregnancy.
Foreword by Stephen Tropiano
Preface
Acknowledgments
Chapter 1. Introduction: The Cinematic Image of Youth
Social Representation and Genre Theory
The Study of Youth, In and Out of Movies
Chapter 2. Youth in School: Academics and Attitude
Contexts and Trends in the Subgenre
School Kids
Transforming the Nerd
Delinquents and Their Avenues of Anger
Resisting Rebels
The Labor of Being Popular
The Sensitive Athlete
Conclusion
Chapter 3. Delinquent Youth: Having Fun, on the Loose, in Trouble
Contexts and Trends in the Subgenre
Delinquent Styles
Deviant Dancing
Natural Encounters
Tough Girls
Crime Until 1999
Crime after Columbine
Conclusion
Chapter 4. The Youth Horror Film: Slashers and the Supernatural
Contexts and Trends in the Subgenre
Horror Stories
The Slasher/Stalker Film
Supernatural Movies
Conclusion
Chapter 5. Youth Romance: Falling in Love and the Fallout of Sex
Contexts and Trends in the Subgenre
From Adolescent Ardor to Juggling Gender
Family Matters
Proms
Losing Virginity
Being Queer
Pregnancy
Conclusion
Chapter 6. Conclusion: Youth Cinema into a New Century
Afterword: Imagine Becoming Someone Catherine Driscoll
Appendix A. Filmography of Youth Films, 1980-2013
Appendix B. Subjective Superlative Lists
Notes
Bibliography
Index
