I Won't Grow Up!

The Comic Man-Child in Film from 1901 to the Present

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by Anthony Balducci

Type

Studies

Subject

Genre > Comedy/Humor

Keywords

comedy, characters, sociology

Publishing date

2015

Publisher

McFarland & Co

Language

English

Relative size

Physical desc.

Paperback • 216 pages
7 x 10 inches (18 x 25.5 cm)

ISBN

978-1-4766-6208-4

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Book Presentation:
A film archetype as old as film itself, the man-child has been an enduring comedy subject. Classics as diverse as Hail the Conquering Hero (1944) and The Apartment (1960) have used the immature male to drive plots and press the importance of growing up. But he was not born fully formed—it took the shifting social norms of decades to mold the atrocious behavior of the puerile buffoon we know today.

The man-child has come under scrutiny in recent years. Prominent writers, including David Denby and A.O. Scott, have criticized the modern comedian behaving in shamelessly childish ways. This book provides a comprehensive examination of the character of the man-child, from André Deed, who debuted on screen in 1901, to Seth Rogen. The author discusses changing cultural attitudes about maturity, what it means to be an adult, what it means to be a child and how those things are becoming increasingly confused.

About the Author:
Anthony Balducci studied journalism at Baruch College and holds a criminology degree at University of Florida. He has written three previous books, numerous articles on film comedy and online contributions to Feet of Mud, World Cinema Paradise and other websites. He lives in New Port Richey, Florida.

Press Reviews:
"An exceptional study, giving further insight into screen comedy’s history, its cultural impact, its response to human behaviors, its myriad of different perspectives, and its definition of any humorous film’s central character…it is a book that will expand any film scholar’s mind and allow for a deeper and more fulfilling understanding of the movies discussed therein…recommended"—Examiner.

See the publisher website: McFarland & Co