Winning the Crowd

The Politics of Popular Films

Jonathan Ashbach (University of Toledo), Joey M. Barretta, Sean Beienburg , Luigi Bradizza

$198

Hardback

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English

Lexington Books
15 January 2025

Political structure & processes

How are the films we watch shaping our political worldview? Studies show that films shape us—they affect our values, our beliefs, and our actions. Consequently understanding the messages reinforced by many popular films is vital for everyone, and especially for the student of politics. Winning The Crowd: The Politics of Popular Films showcases careful, close readings of recent, popular films as serious texts of political thought. Ten contributors select a film or small set of related films—from the John Wick franchise to Pixar's The Incredibles—and analyze the political orientations that these films convey. The volume will be a helpful introduction for those interested in what Hollywood is teaching its viewers about power and the good life. It will also be a valuable model for those wishing to sharpen their own ability to think critically about the meaning of their evening entertainment. How have your values and beliefs been formed by Hollywood? Winning The Crowd takes you on a guided journey through some of the smartest popular films of recent years.

Contributions by: Joey M. Barretta, Sean Beienburg, Luigi Bradizza, Adam Carrington
Edited by: Jonathan Ashbach (University of Toledo)
Imprint: Lexington Books
Country of Publication: United States
Dimensions: Height: 229mm, Width: 152mm,
Weight: 503g
ISBN: 9781666955279
ISBN 10: 1666955272
Pages: 252
Publication Date: 15 January 2025
Audience: Professional and scholarly , Undergraduate
Format: Hardback
Publisher's Status: Active

Chapter 1 Color Revolution: Pleasantville, the New Left, and the Making of a New American Identity Chapter 2 Aristotelian Virtue on Death Row: Masculinity and Courage in The Green Mile Chapter 3 Gladiator and the Dream of Rome Chapter 4 Ship as State: The Political Teaching of Master and Commander Chapter 5 The Incredibles and Tocqueville: Preserving Human Excellence in Democratic Times Chapter 6 Nature and Nationhood in Gran Torino Chapter 7 The Political Philosophy of the Dark Knight Trilogy Chapter 8 For Agatha: Memory, Art, and Civil Society in Wes Anderson’s The Grand Budapest Hotel Chapter 9 For Queen and Country: The Burkean Conservatism of (Daniel Craig era) James Bond Chapter 10 John Wick in Purgatorio

Jonathan Ashbach is Elizabeth Randel and Ana Scales Assistant Professor in American Constitutional Law at Oklahoma Baptist University.

Reviews for Winning the Crowd: The Politics of Popular Films

Like the movies it discusses, Winning The Crowd: The Politics of Popular Films is both entertaining and powerful. It makes you see your favorite movies-like the James Bond series-in a new way. But it also makes you see all movies in a new way, as a force of cultural power, civic formation, and political education. As a movie critic would say: Five stars!