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Stanley Cavell and the Magic of Hollywood Films
by Daniel Shaw
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Book Presentation:
An in-depth study of the philosophy of film of Stanley Cavell, and of his philosophical influences
• Includes extensive quotes from Cavell’s writings
• Analyses the influence of Existentialism on Cavell
• Discusses how Emerson and Thoreau provide a distinctively American philosophical foundation for great Hollywood films
One of America’s most important contemporary thinkers, Stanley Cavell’s remarkable film philosophy proposed that the greatest Hollywood films reflect the struggle to become who we really are – a struggle that is foregrounded in the characteristically American theory of Emersonian perfectionism.
Focusing on his account of what makes Hollywood movies so magical, Dan Shaw draws on Cavell’s theories to interpret a range of classic and contemporary dramas, including Mr Smith Goes to Washington (1939), Boys Don’t Cry (1999) and The Hurt Locker (2008). Pairing of these analyses with discussions of Cavell’s precursors, including Emerson, Nietzsche and Mill, the book explores a distinctively American philosophical foundation for the study of Hollywood film.
About the Author:
Dan Shaw is a retired professor of philosophy who taught for 32 years at Lock Haven University. He is managing editor of the print journal Film and Philosophy and a member of the Executive Board of the Society for the Philosophic Study of the Contemporary Visual Arts (SPSCVA).
Press Reviews:
Dan Shaw’s book clarifies Cavell’s positions on perfectionism, individualism, and skepticism by tracing the philosophical influences upon his works. Then, in a real tour de force, Shaw illustrates Cavell’s views on the power and "magic" of movies by applying his philosophical insights to new and intriguing examples of recent films.– Professor Cynthia Freeland, University of Houston
Stanley Cavell and the Magic of Hollywood Films goes beyond a mere restatement of Cavell’s discussion of film by applying some of Cavell’s central ideas to such recent films as Boys Don’t Cry (acknowledgment) and Goliath (skepticism). Anyone interested in the relationship of film and philosophy will find a wealth of suggestive ideas in Shaw’s excellent study. Not to be missed!– Professor Thomas E. Wartenberg, Mount Holyoke College
See the publisher website: Edinburgh University Press
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