Masculinity and Film Performance: Male Angst in Contemporary American Cinema

A lively and engaging study of on-screen and off-screen performances of masculinity, focusing on well-known male actors in American film and popular culture in the 1990s and 2000s. Peberdy examines specific social, cultural, historical and political contexts that have affected age, race, sexuality and fatherhood on screen.

Table of Contents:
Illustrations Acknowledgements Introduction: Being a Man PART I: PERFORMANCE AND PERFORMERS Performance and Masculinity Performing Angst PART II: ROLES AND RESPONSIBILITIES From Wimps to Wild Men: Bipolar Masculinity and the Paradoxical Performances of Tom Cruise Performing Paternity: Clinton, Nostalgia and the Racial Politics of Fatherhood Aging Men: Viagra, Retiring Boomers and Jack Nicholson Conclusion: Returns, Renewals, Departures Notes Filmography Bibliography Index

About the Author :
Dr. Donna Peberdy is Senior Lecturer in Film and Television at Southampton Solent University, UK. She has published numerous journal articles and book chapters on acting, performance and stardom, masculinity, sex and sexuality. She is the co-editor of Tainted Love: Screening Sexual Perversities (2013).

Review :
'Rarely do authors make substantial contributions to two major fields of academic discourse in a single book, but that is exactly what Peberdy does. This fresh new work will inspire a generation of students.' Choice Outstanding Academic Title 2013. '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