[ecrea] New Book: Masculinity and Film Performance

Masculinity and Film Performance: Male Angst in Contemporary American Cinema

by Donna Peberdy

Published by Palgrave Macmillan, August 2011, 9780230283787

Masculinity and Film Performance is a lively and engaging study of the 
complex relationship between masculinity and performance on and off 
screen, focusing on the performance of 'male angst' in American film and 
popular culture during the 1990s and 2000s. Building on theories of film 
acting, masculinity, performance, and cultural studies, this book 
establishes a framework for studying screen masculinity and provides 
close analysis of a range of performers and performance styles. It also 
examines the specific social, cultural, historical and political 
contexts that have shaped and affected the performance of masculinity on 
screen, such as the aging of the baby boom and the launch of Viagra onto 
the marketplace, the 'Iron John' and 'Wild Man' phenomenon, and the 
racially marked fatherhood crisis. Drawing from an array of illuminating 
film and actor case studies, including Bill Murray, Tom Cruise, Michael 
Douglas, Will Smith, William H. Macy, Denzel Washington, Broken Flowers, 
Far From Heaven, Pleasantville, Magnolia, and Wonder Boys, Donna Peberdy 
offers a significant contribution to the emerging field of screen 
performance studies.

REVIEWS:

'This is a hugely enjoyable and scholarly consideration of an 
under-written area of film studies, which simultaneously draws 
intelligently from and moves beyond existing theorisations of film 
performance.'
- Lisa Purse, University of Reading, UK

'Peberdy's insightful and original examination of male 'angst' in the 
cinema makes a compelling case for the importance of historical context 
in understanding performances that take place both on and off the screen.'
- Jacob Smith, Northwestern University, USA

'This genuinely interdisciplinary work includes some of the most 
penetrating analysis of identity in contemporary American film that I 
have read in the last few years. Peberdy's focus on performances of 
'male angst' breathes new life into debates over the intersection of 
Hollywood cinema and the politics of identity. Film is expertly put into 
the context of political debates over masculinity and fatherhood, while 
never losing sight of real audiences and our fascination with viewing 
male angst.'
- Jude Davies, University of Winchester, UK

CONTENTS

Introduction: Being a Man
PART I: PERFORMANCE AND PERFORMERS
Chapter 1: Performance and Masculinity
Chapter 2: Performing Angst
PART II: ROLES AND REPRESENTATIONS
Chapter 3: From Wimps to Wild Men: Bipolar Masculinity and the 
Paradoxical Performances of Tom Cruise
Chapter 4: Performing Paternity: Clinton, Nostalgia and the Racial 
Politics of Fatherhood
Chapter 5: Aging Men: Viagra, Retiring Boomers and Jack Nicholson
Conclusion: Returns, Renewals, Departures