Postmodern Chick Flicks : The Return of the Woman's Film

Women's films are more popular now than at any time following the classical era. Postmodern Chick Flicks considers the reasons for the renewed popularity of female-orientated genres and examines the new film cycles this has produced. Focusing on melodrama, romantic comedy, costume drama and female-led noirs, the book looks at the revival of these forms and the way in which they blend classical and contemporary themes and formal devices. Postmodern Chick Flicks Provides The First Extensive Analysis Of The Return To The Woman's Film In The 1990s. Focusing On Forms Such As The Melodrama, Romantic Comedy And Costume And Period Drama, This Timely Study Examines The Way That New Female-orientated Filmic Forms Have Been Influenced By Postmodern Irony And Generic Self-consciousness. The Book Highlights The Difference Between Classical And Post-modernist Women's Forms, Considering Major Shifts In Themes And Form, For Example, The Latter's Focus On Single Professional Women Rather Than Family And The Domestic Realm. Postmodern Chick Flicks Also Draws Links Between The Formal And Thematic Properties Of New Female Genres And The Expansion Of Popular Women's Literature - 'chick-lit' - And Popular Female-orientated Television Shows, Such As Sex In The City And Desperate Housewives. 1. Postmodernism, New Hollywood And Women's Films -- 2. The Early 1990s Postmodernist Melodrama : Female Virtue In The Consumer Age -- 3. Romantic Comedy And Female Spectatorship -- 4. Costume Drama, Historiography And Women's History -- 5. Neo-noir And Noir-lite : Masculinity And Postmodernist Aesthetics In New Retro-noir -- Conclusion. Roberta Garrett. Includes Bibliographical References (p. 212-221) And Index. Includes Filmography: P. 222-223. "Women's films' are very popular now. This book looks at reasons for their renewed popularity and examines the new film cycles this has produced. Focusing on melodrama, romantic comedy, costume drama and female-led noirs, the book looks at the revival of these forms and how they blend classical and contemporary themes and formal devices. Postmodern Chick Flicks provides the first extensive analysis of the return to the woman's film in the 1990s. Focusing on forms such as the melodrama, romantic comedy and costume and period drama, this timely study examines the way that new female-orientated filmic forms have been influenced by postmodern irony and generic self-consciousness. The book highlights the difference between classical and post-modernist women's forms, considering major shifts in themes and form, for example, the latter's focus on single professional women rather than family and the domestic realm. Postmodern Chick Flicks also draws links between the formal and thematic properties of new female genres and the expansion of popular women's literature - 'chick-lit"--And popular female-orientated television shows, such as Sex in the City and Desperate Housewives Postmodern Chick Flicks provides the first extensive analysis of the return of the woman's film. Focusing on forms such as the melodrama, romantic comedy and costume and period drama, this timely study examines the ways in which new female-orientated filmic forms have been influenced by postmodern irony and generic self-consciousness. The book highlights differences between classical and postclassical women's genres, considering major shifts in themes and form, Postmodern Chick Flicks also draws links between the formal and thematic properties of new female genres and the expansion of popular women's literature - chick-lit - and popular female-orientated television shows, such as Sex in the City and Desperate Housewives Front Matter....Pages i-ix Introduction....Pages 1-14 Postmodernism, New Hollywood and Women’s Films....Pages 15-53 The Early 1990s ‘Postmodernist’ Melodrama: Female Virtue in the Consumer Age....Pages 54-91 Romantic Comedy and Female Spectatorship....Pages 92-125 Costume Drama, Historiography and Women’s History....Pages 126-154 Neo-Noir and Noir-Lite: Masculinity and Postmodernist Aesthetics in New Retro-Noir....Pages 155-188 Conclusion Fiftiesness Revisited: Desperate Housewives on the Big Screen....Pages 189-208 Back Matter....Pages 209-232 Considers the reasons for the renewed popularity of female-orientated genres and examines the film cycles this has produced. Focusing on melodrama, romantic comedy, costume drama and female-led noirs, this book looks at the revival of these forms and the way in which they blend classical and contemporary themes and formal devices In this extensive analysis of the renewed popularity of the 'woman's film' in the 1990s, Roberta Garrett examines melodrama, romantic comedy, costume drama and female-led noirs , revealing the way they blend classical and contemporary themes and formal devices.