Routledge Screening Generation X: The Politics and Popular Memory of Youth in Contemporary Cinema

Screening Generation X: The Politics and Popular Memory of Youth in Contemporary Cinema examines popular representations of Generation X in American and British film. In arguing that the various constructions of youth are marked by major cultural shifts and societal inequalities, it analyzes the iconic 'Gen X' figures ranging from the slacker, the teenage time traveller, and third wave feminists, to the oeuvre of Molly Ringwald and Richard Linklater. This book explores the important cultural work performed by films that mediate the experiences of Generation X and critiques the ongoing marginalization of the youth who struggle to find their identity and a voice in increasingly unstable times. Specific analyses of such films as Pump Up the Volume, The Breakfast Club, Heathers, Donnie Darko and Waking Life are used to illustrate the research. Review 'Christina Lee has produced a brilliant analysis of how youth is produced and situated in complex ways within the representational practices of film. Anyone concerned about the state of youth and the journey that has been taken to produce contemporary attitudes, practices, and possibilities should read and thoroughly enjoy Screening Generation X.' Henry A. Giroux, McMaster University, Canada About the Author Christina Lee is Lecturer in Communication and Cultural Studies at Curtin University of Technology (Perth, Western Australia).