Considering Alan Ball: Essays on Sexuality, Death and America in the Television and Film WritingsThomas Richard Fahy Academy Award-winning screenwriter of the film American Beauty and creator of the HBO series Six Feet Under, Alan Ball has consistently probed the cultural forces shaping gender, sexuality, and death in the United States. Through gritty dialogue and edgy humor, Ball centers much of his social critique on the illusory promises of the American Dream. For many of his characters, a belief in the American Dream--including idealized notions of the family, heterosexual norms, and the acceptance of prescribed gender roles--proves stifling and self-destructive. This is the first book to explore Ball's writings for theater, television and film, with an emphasis on his best-known work. These essays offer insight into both the captivating and problematic dimensions of Ball's work, while drawing connections among his diverse writings. An interview with Ball is included. |
From inside the book
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Page 10
... film , American Beauty , which opened the door for Six Feet Under and brought Five Women Wearing the Same Dress to national attention . their essays consider the intersections between life and death , self and other , and art and beauty ...
... film , American Beauty , which opened the door for Six Feet Under and brought Five Women Wearing the Same Dress to national attention . their essays consider the intersections between life and death , self and other , and art and beauty ...
Page 23
... film As many have noted , the film is about the “ meaning of life , " gender identification , and the hollow existence of the American suburbs , but few mention the close relationship between life and loss , eternity and morality , life ...
... film As many have noted , the film is about the “ meaning of life , " gender identification , and the hollow existence of the American suburbs , but few mention the close relationship between life and loss , eternity and morality , life ...
Page 84
... film was originally produced by October Films , which , when taken over by Uni- versal Studios and their parent company Seagram , was forced to drop it ( no official word was ever given on why , although rumors suggested CEO Ron Meyer ...
... film was originally produced by October Films , which , when taken over by Uni- versal Studios and their parent company Seagram , was forced to drop it ( no official word was ever given on why , although rumors suggested CEO Ron Meyer ...
Contents
Sexuality Death and the American Dream in the Works | 1 |
An Interview with Alan Ball | 17 |
Alan Balls American Beauty | 23 |
Copyright | |
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Other editions - View all
Considering Alan Ball: Essays on Sexuality, Death and America in the ... Thomas Fahy Limited preview - 2006 |
Considering Alan Ball: Essays on Sexuality, Death and America in the ... Thomas Fahy Limited preview - 2014 |
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